Comments on: Yearning for Sense Beyond the Earth http://skeptic.skepticgeek.com/2007/08/23/yearning-for-sense-beyond-the-earth/ ...reason and emotion, shaken and stirred... Tue, 23 Feb 2010 05:23:57 +0530 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: mahendrap http://skeptic.skepticgeek.com/2007/08/23/yearning-for-sense-beyond-the-earth/#comment-826 mahendrap Wed, 29 Aug 2007 07:32:11 +0000 http://skeptic.skepticgeek.com/2007/08/23/yearning-for-sense-beyond-the-earth/#comment-826 Paul: For some reason, your comment was identified as spam by Wordpress, I don't know why. Hence the late response. Yes, we do have a long way to go, but we have come a long way as well! And of course, I share your hope! Paul: For some reason, your comment was identified as spam by Wordpress, I don’t know why. Hence the late response.

Yes, we do have a long way to go, but we have come a long way as well! And of course, I share your hope!

]]> By: Paul Sunstone http://skeptic.skepticgeek.com/2007/08/23/yearning-for-sense-beyond-the-earth/#comment-832 Paul Sunstone Sun, 26 Aug 2007 22:52:21 +0000 http://skeptic.skepticgeek.com/2007/08/23/yearning-for-sense-beyond-the-earth/#comment-832 Mahendra, I think humans have a long way to go -- there is much work to be done, for instance, before our species figures out how to best live on this earth. Yet at the same time, our amazing ingenuity, among other traits of ours, gives me great hope that we will indeed survive and flourish in the long term. Mahendra, I think humans have a long way to go — there is much work to be done, for instance, before our species figures out how to best live on this earth. Yet at the same time, our amazing ingenuity, among other traits of ours, gives me great hope that we will indeed survive and flourish in the long term.

]]> By: mahendrap http://skeptic.skepticgeek.com/2007/08/23/yearning-for-sense-beyond-the-earth/#comment-833 mahendrap Fri, 24 Aug 2007 15:10:23 +0000 http://skeptic.skepticgeek.com/2007/08/23/yearning-for-sense-beyond-the-earth/#comment-833 Prerna: One more thing I forgot to note in my response: does the fact that, the world media is paying more attention to racist attacks on innocent Indians in foreign countries than the Indian media, say something? Paul: You are absolutely right - it is up to each one of us! Thanks for sharing the experience about the fighter jet. Unlike most people, I get this same experience everytime I fly. Everytime. I just keep thinking about the Wright brothers, Leonardo Da Vinci's visionary drawings, and so on. While I keep wondering how they were ridiculed in their time, and keep myself engrossed with these thoughts while observing the Quietness of the engines as I cruise at 30,000 feet above the ground, the other passengers are fidgeting and complaining about the bad service, food, and quality of in-flight entertainment! I think it is very unfortunate that we human beings take human achievement for granted in so many ways! Prerna: One more thing I forgot to note in my response: does the fact that, the world media is paying more attention to racist attacks on innocent Indians in foreign countries than the Indian media, say something?

Paul: You are absolutely right – it is up to each one of us! Thanks for sharing the experience about the fighter jet. Unlike most people, I get this same experience everytime I fly. Everytime.

I just keep thinking about the Wright brothers, Leonardo Da Vinci’s visionary drawings, and so on. While I keep wondering how they were ridiculed in their time, and keep myself engrossed with these thoughts while observing the Quietness of the engines as I cruise at 30,000 feet above the ground, the other passengers are fidgeting and complaining about the bad service, food, and quality of in-flight entertainment!

I think it is very unfortunate that we human beings take human achievement for granted in so many ways!

]]> By: Paul Sunstone http://skeptic.skepticgeek.com/2007/08/23/yearning-for-sense-beyond-the-earth/#comment-824 Paul Sunstone Fri, 24 Aug 2007 08:40:53 +0000 http://skeptic.skepticgeek.com/2007/08/23/yearning-for-sense-beyond-the-earth/#comment-824 I suspect meaning is something one has to make for oneself. Others might help us with that, as when we read or see or hear something illuminating. But ultimately it is up to us to each discover his or her own meaning in this life. By the way, a while back, I chanced to see a fighter jet performing some low altitude maneuvers less than a few hundred feet off the ground and close enough to see the wing markings. The pilot was really showing his stuff. As he put the jet through one impossibly tight maneuver after the other, I was overcome with the thought of what amazing expertise, will and excellence had gone into creating his machine. For a moment, I believed nothing, nothing at all was impossible for humanity. I suspect meaning is something one has to make for oneself. Others might help us with that, as when we read or see or hear something illuminating. But ultimately it is up to us to each discover his or her own meaning in this life.

By the way, a while back, I chanced to see a fighter jet performing some low altitude maneuvers less than a few hundred feet off the ground and close enough to see the wing markings. The pilot was really showing his stuff. As he put the jet through one impossibly tight maneuver after the other, I was overcome with the thought of what amazing expertise, will and excellence had gone into creating his machine. For a moment, I believed nothing, nothing at all was impossible for humanity.

]]> By: mahendrap http://skeptic.skepticgeek.com/2007/08/23/yearning-for-sense-beyond-the-earth/#comment-823 mahendrap Fri, 24 Aug 2007 05:17:45 +0000 http://skeptic.skepticgeek.com/2007/08/23/yearning-for-sense-beyond-the-earth/#comment-823 Hey Arun, nice avatar! You are right, the desire to search for meaning is at the root of all philosophy - religion is nothing but mankind's early attempts at philosophy! Ashok: I joined an astronomy club at that time, so had access to plenty of books, charts, maps, and real 8" to 12" telescopes! Oemar: :-) Hey Arun, nice avatar! You are right, the desire to search for meaning is at the root of all philosophy – religion is nothing but mankind’s early attempts at philosophy!

Ashok: I joined an astronomy club at that time, so had access to plenty of books, charts, maps, and real 8″ to 12″ telescopes!

Oemar: :-)

]]> By: oemar http://skeptic.skepticgeek.com/2007/08/23/yearning-for-sense-beyond-the-earth/#comment-822 oemar Fri, 24 Aug 2007 04:14:18 +0000 http://skeptic.skepticgeek.com/2007/08/23/yearning-for-sense-beyond-the-earth/#comment-822 Whenever you get bogged by these global problems, think about me. All the problems will look small then and you ll be relieved... well relatively ;) Whenever you get bogged by these global problems, think about me. All the problems will look small then and you ll be relieved… well relatively ;)

]]> By: krishashok http://skeptic.skepticgeek.com/2007/08/23/yearning-for-sense-beyond-the-earth/#comment-831 krishashok Thu, 23 Aug 2007 17:44:51 +0000 http://skeptic.skepticgeek.com/2007/08/23/yearning-for-sense-beyond-the-earth/#comment-831 The universe well and truly does put things in perspective. I also listen to Yo Yo Ma's cello after I read about something distressing. Google sky is awesome news. I used to borrow a friend's Collins Gen guide to the night sky when I used to star gaze. Back in 1990, it was 90 bucks and I couldnt afford it. The universe well and truly does put things in perspective. I also listen to Yo Yo Ma’s cello after I read about something distressing.
Google sky is awesome news. I used to borrow a friend’s Collins Gen guide to the night sky when I used to star gaze. Back in 1990, it was 90 bucks and I couldnt afford it.

]]> By: Arunk http://skeptic.skepticgeek.com/2007/08/23/yearning-for-sense-beyond-the-earth/#comment-830 Arunk Thu, 23 Aug 2007 16:19:11 +0000 http://skeptic.skepticgeek.com/2007/08/23/yearning-for-sense-beyond-the-earth/#comment-830 hey - this google sky sounds like a cool thing to see on my mac at home! This astronomy post seems like a strange coincidence considering precisely 2 minutes ago I now mooched off an astronomy picture from nasa for my profile/avatar picture ;) You unquietness - I can certainly understand. I feel the same way at times. But w.r.t to the natural expectation that humans generally have "everything must have a meaning, all this must have some higher purpose, one <i>that I can live with</i>". It sounds so naturally true - but I wonder if it is really a ruse, a mirage. For one, isn't it at the root of the need for religion and God ;) ? hey – this google sky sounds like a cool thing to see on my mac at home! This astronomy post seems like a strange coincidence considering precisely 2 minutes ago I now mooched off an astronomy picture from nasa for my profile/avatar picture ;)

You unquietness – I can certainly understand. I feel the same way at times. But w.r.t to the natural expectation that humans generally have “everything must have a meaning, all this must have some higher purpose, one that I can live with“. It sounds so naturally true – but I wonder if it is really a ruse, a mirage. For one, isn’t it at the root of the need for religion and God ;) ?

]]> By: mahendrap http://skeptic.skepticgeek.com/2007/08/23/yearning-for-sense-beyond-the-earth/#comment-829 mahendrap Thu, 23 Aug 2007 15:24:32 +0000 http://skeptic.skepticgeek.com/2007/08/23/yearning-for-sense-beyond-the-earth/#comment-829 Hey thanks for the advice, Rambodoc! I'm not much a fan of whisky, in this case I've the communist spirit!:-) But what about the cool astronomy stuff I've written about?! I don't want my unquietness to overshadow that! Hey thanks for the advice, Rambodoc! I’m not much a fan of whisky, in this case I’ve the communist spirit!:-)

But what about the cool astronomy stuff I’ve written about?! I don’t want my unquietness to overshadow that!

]]> By: rambodoc http://skeptic.skepticgeek.com/2007/08/23/yearning-for-sense-beyond-the-earth/#comment-828 rambodoc Thu, 23 Aug 2007 14:55:21 +0000 http://skeptic.skepticgeek.com/2007/08/23/yearning-for-sense-beyond-the-earth/#comment-828 Mahendra, You need to quieten your mind. I strongly recommend Macallan (18 years): 100 ml in a wide glass with 15 mL of tepid water. If you can be attended to by people who can <i>kaam</i>, sorry, <b>calm</b> you, it would blow your mind, and then some! :-) Mahendra,
You need to quieten your mind. I strongly recommend Macallan (18 years): 100 ml in a wide glass with 15 mL of tepid water.
If you can be attended to by people who can kaam, sorry, calm you, it would blow your mind, and then some! :-)

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