[karajorma]

Originally posted by Woolie Wool
Then why, in the evolution of hominids, has brain size vastly increased at the expense of stuff like large teeth and jaws?

It hasn't always. Neanderthals had bigger brains than we do. (admittedly they were larger and therefore needed bigger brains to keep track of the bigger body).

[Goober5000]

Originally posted by Woolie Wool
It seemed like you were trying to discredit the point of the article.

I was merely indicating that the article wasn't as conclusive as people were making it out to be.

Something more like a quadrupedal Shivan might be better.

With two additional limbs for arms, then.  So that's six limbs total.  But the only places we see six-limbed creatures are insects, crustaceans, and other small animals.  I'd think that the extra mass, wiring, plumbing, and infrastructure needed to support two extra joints isn't worth the small extra benefit.

But wait--when nerves are destroyed by untreated diabetes or macular degeneration, they don't grow back. Why not?

Because that destroys a large part of the nerve.  Degradation of the eye's photoreceptors due to UV light exposure occurs one cell at a time, so the body can easily keep up with that.  It's a very specific type of decay that happens in a predictable way.  But the body can't regenerate an entire nerve.

[Setekh]

Originally posted by Woolie Wool
Humans aren't that special, their brains are just extremely refined...

Let me rephrase. I was taking the Christian view.

[Stunaep]

Why haven't we discussed the Darwinian effectiveness of boobs yet? Cause that'd be nice.

[Thorn]

Originally posted by jdjtcagle
I got a question.
Why does your brain have to be big to be smart?
As I understood it, it depends on you neurons or something like that.  I'm just saying we don't know how smart a small brain could be.

One of the main things that seperates us from animals, is meyelin.
All of our nerve cells are coated in it, animal's aren't. It allows for faster transfer of signals than non-meyelinated cells do.

[Zeronet]

Originally posted by kasperl


but where? nuclear bunkers are quite expensive, you know....

When the nukes start to fly, the best i can hope for that they either pass over Europe in it's entirety, or that they it me strait on the noggin', rather a quick fireball then cancer/accute radiation disease.

Oh i assure you, they won't miss Europe. Russians preprogrammed targets include every country in the world bar there's, to ensure another superpower doesn't spring up after the big nuclear war. Quite, insane.

[Woolie Wool]

I doubt that our target list was ever that all-inclusive!:eek:

[Ace]

Originally posted by Setekh


Let me rephrase. I was taking the Christian view.

You mean the fundamentalist Christian view. A lot of Christians (and Muslims, and Buddhists, etc. etc.) don't have any big issues trying to console religion and science

God just made humans animals with ubersized brains.

...or perhaps I'm just bluntly polluting you with LIBERAL PROPIGANDER!!!!1111oneoneone

[Knight Templar]

Originally posted by Stunaep
Why haven't we discussed the Darwinian effectiveness of boobs yet? Cause that'd be nice.

Get on ICQ, hoe.

[übermetroid]

This is quite interesting.  Kepp up the posting.

[Liberator]

Originally posted by Ace


You mean the fundamentalist Christian view. A lot of Christians (and Muslims, and Buddhists, etc. etc.) don't have any big issues trying to console religion and science

God just made humans animals with ubersized brains.

...or perhaps I'm just bluntly polluting you with LIBERAL PROPIGANDER!!!!1111oneoneone

You can take this and do with it what you will.

God created each creature to master it's enviroment in it's own way, from the smallest bacteria to the largest whale.

His purpose in creating Man, was two-fold(perhaps more, but this is an empirical statement)

1.  We are here to master the World and shepherd it.(this is a simplistic statement, but perhaps the most perfect truth of the existence of man)

Genesis 1:28-30 NIV
Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground."
29 Then God said, "I give you every seed-bearing plant on the face of the whole earth and every tree that has fruit with seed in it. They will be yours for food. 30 And to all the beasts of the earth and all the birds of the air and all the creatures that move on the ground-everything that has the breath of life in it-I give every green plant for food.


2.  He wanted someone to relate with him on a level greater than that of a pet or a servant.  Even Angels are but servants to God, we won't argue whether they have souls or not.  Mankind are his beloved children, all 6 billion of us.

[Bobboau]

then why won't he show himself?

[Grey Wolf]

Because we're grounded and have been sent to our collective room

[an0n]

I'll point it out once more, just incase someone goes off on a rant: The bible states that God is not all-seeing or all-knowing. I cite Sodom as an example.

God was like "Dude, what's all this **** I keep hearing about them faggots and whores? Surely it can't be that bad" so he sends some Angels down to check it out and they're all "God, you seriously need to let us **** some people up. They're having sex with sheep and kids and **** down there. It's like 21st Century Japan, for **** sake!" so God's all "Urgh. Fine. I haven't smotten anyone in a while. i suppose this is as good a time as any to instill some fear in those little monkeys".

I should write a Bible For Dummies.

[Setekh]

Originally posted by Ace


You mean the fundamentalist Christian view. A lot of Christians (and Muslims, and Buddhists, etc. etc.) don't have any big issues trying to console religion and science

God just made humans animals with ubersized brains.

...or perhaps I'm just bluntly polluting you with LIBERAL PROPIGANDER!!!!1111oneoneone

As a side note, I used to think the theory of evolution as a means for God to create mankind was really cool and solved many problems. Then I realised that survival of the fittest presupposed death, which (according to the Bible) was not introduced into the world until well after man existed.

[an0n]

Bah, Christianity is a pile of crap.

The only religions with any basis in fact are Buddhism and Taoism.

[Setekh]

Originally posted by an0n
Bah, Christianity is a pile of crap.

The only religions with any basis in fact are Buddhism and Taoism.

What's your basis for saying that?

[an0n]

The fact that 90% of the crap you get told is 'Gods law' completely contradicts what the Bible says.

And by extension Judaism is the same.

Hinduism is far too complex for any divine being to put up with.

Sikh's believe wrapping a towel round your head and not shaving is a sign of your devotion to God.

Islam....don't even get me started on Islam.

Or Catholicism for that matter. Those bastards have killed more people over the years than the Nazi's, AIDS and Cancer combined.

[Goober5000]

Originally posted by an0n
I'll point it out once more, just incase someone goes off on a rant: The bible states that God is not all-seeing or all-knowing.

No it doesn't.  What's wrong with sending minions to take care of some of your work?  God may limit himself for whatever reason, but he's not limited by any external agent.

[Grey Wolf]

Originally posted by Setekh


As a side note, I used to think the theory of evolution as a means for God to create mankind was really cool and solved many problems. Then I realised that survival of the fittest presupposed death, which (according to the Bible) was not introduced into the world until well after man existed.

Of course, if you believe in evolution, you have to reject the beginning of Genesis anyway, negating your entire problem. If the begining of Genesis (the Adam and Eve section) is removed from the equation, there is no problem with evolution being the way God created mankind. The Adam and Eve section can't be more than symbolic anyway.