Voter-ID requirements are the norm in many countries, Out of nearly 200 countries across the world, at least 170 have some form of national ID
Voter-ID requirements are the norm in many countries, as Republicans are fond of pointing out. But so are national ID cards. In places such as France and Germany, citizens pick up their identity card when they turn 16 and present it once they’re eligible to vote. Out of nearly 200 countries across the world, at least 170 have some form of national ID or are implementing one, according to the political scientist Magdalena Krajewska.
tHE REFUSAL BY THE US to adopt identity cards for Elections opens it up
to charges of being a third world country
The soul we seek it here, there and everywhere but where is it?
Is it silly and misleading to speak of the 'SOUL'?
well not if you are referring to a singular purpose of the 'soul' as the constructed model qf a
'self' a coherent agency of singular purpose which we can resort to and which helps us to survive
99% OF ALL SPECIES WHO HAVE EVER LIVED ARE NOW EXTINCT is this part of a HEAVENLY plan?
99% OF ALL SPECIES WHO HAVE EVER LIVED ARE NOW EXTINCT
is this part of a HEAVENLY plan?
The US CONSTTUTION has fossilized into an object of near sacred veneration
The US CONSTTUTION has fossilized into an object of near sacred veneration
Trumps' lack pf support for Ukraine is a long term geo political problem
Trumps' lack pf support for Ukraine is a long term geo political problem
> are you voting for a further 4 years of quite spooky laughter?
are you voting for a further 4 years of quite spooky laughter? when one listens to this cackle
one feels one is in an insane asylum - and you are
Should Americans be bracing for bloodshed if Donald Trump loses the 2024 presidential election?
Should Americans be bracing for bloodshed if Donald Trump loses the 2024 presidential election?
Assistant Professor of Political Science, Clarkson Universitya political who studies American politics,
"I can easily imagine a repeat of the Jan. 6, 2021, Capitol insurrection – or worse – following this November’s presidential election." On Jan. 6, 2021, over 2,000 people stormed the United States Capitol to forcibly prevent Congress from certifying the 2020 presidential election.
Four people died and 138 police officers were injured during the riot, which inflicted nearly US$3 million of damage. Four officers who responded to the riot would later kill themselves.
Is the US morphing into Russia
What is one to think? with the endless 'show' trials of Trump, and now another 'dissident' Elon Musk
has a 5 year jail threat hanging over him,
meanwhile the real political US gangsters, pocket Mafia families, stroll merrily on.
iF YOU HAVE NEVER USED THE WORDS 'WORRY' OR 'ANXIETY
STUDIES OF REMOTE TRIBES IN THE aMAZON find that
iF YOU HAVE NEVER USED THE WORDS 'WORRY' OR 'ANXIETY'
OR IF YOU DON'T HAVE A WORD TO CONVEY SUCH EMOTIONS
if YOU DOONT HAVE THE WORDS TO BRING COHERENCE TO YOUR INNER TURBULENCE
An Irish friend of mine wants to talk Politics
He asks '....Why has the term 'far right' morphed into 'freedom fighters'? Is it because 'Far right' was an anodyne political cloak draped over civil unrest, by the 'far left' to neuter and mystify civil unrest....'
Pausing for breath he goes on '...Has the term 'far right' morphed because of the indigenous citizens of (Austria,Germany, Ireland, UK, USA, Scandinavia), are with vigour raising their voices about the threat to their own rights and freedoms?'
'Have to think about what you said...would you like a cup of tea?'
Mastering the language of emotions requires three key skills
Mastering the language of emotions requires three key skills
PERCEPTION
UNDERSTANDING
and REGULATION OF EMOTIONS
How we come to be riding our mental consciousness as if on a bike
your perception is not random bu organised in a huge amount of brain activity
which happens beneath the radar of our consciousness.
throughout our lives our brains undergo more changes than any other part of our bodies
through out our lives our BRAINS undergo changes more than any other part of our bodies
The point where the BRAIN will will no longer accommodate DISTRACTIONS
Once the BRAIN REACHES the limit of its sensory processing It will no longer accommodate
DISTRACTIONS
When asked how he would design the universe
A different, complementary, more existential side of Hawking comes alive in an interview conducted shortly after the release of A Brief History of Time and found in the out-of-print treasure Origins: The Lives and Worlds of Modern Cosmologists (public library) — the 1990 collection of interviews by Alan Lightman and Roberta Brawer, exploring “the ways in which personal, philosophical, and social factors enter the scientific process,” which also gave us pioneering astronomer Vera Rubin on women in science, dark matter, and our never-ending quest to know the universe.
When asked how he would design the universe if he could design it any way he wanted, Hawking, beloved for his dry humor, answers
Turning over the question of meaning to Nobel-winning physicist Steven Weinberg’s famous assertion that “the more the universe seems comprehensible, the more it also seems pointless,” Hawking offers a laconic yet spirited counterpoint:
Vladimar Putin and how he terrorises the children of this world
Will there be a Nuclear War sir? Is the anxious question asked by school children of the Western world and no doubt Soviet world as well as 'Mad Vlad' carries on with his insane threats
If only one sentence passed on to the next generations of creatures, what statement would contain the most information in the fewest words
Matter is made of atoms
If, in some cataclysm, all of scientific knowledge were to be destroyed, and only one sentence passed on to the next generations of creatures, what statement would contain the most information in the fewest words? I believe it is the atomic hypothesis (or the atomic fact, or whatever you wish to call it) that all things are made of atoms—little particles that move around in perpetual motion, attracting each other when they are a little distance apart, but repelling upon being squeezed into one another. In that one sentence, you will see, there is an enormous amount of information about the world, if just a little imagination and thinking are applied.
When the mind is at sea the word God is a life raft
Those innocents who dabble in the occult with Ghosts as their God
this desperate processes has a degree of intellectual revulsion
dabbling with the occult is capricious and has a degree of insatiable perfectionism - when the mind is at sea
the word God is a life raft
tHE CAT IS NOT IN THE ROOM any more- but it smile or grin is still here
Cats are very clearly crucial to the very fabric of our reality. In 1935, Austrian physicist Edwin Schrödinger demonstrated the idea of quantum superposition using the analogy of a cat that’s both dead and alive—at least, until it’s measured. However, the famous experiment known as Schrödinger’s cat isn’t the only feline-themed property of quantum mechanics.
Meet the Cheshire cat paradox.
Named after the troublesome cat in Alice in Wonderland who’s known for his disturbing smile and frequent disappearing acts, the Cheshire cat paradox pertains to the strange (and controversial) quantum quirk that properties of a subatomic particle (in this case, a neutron) can be separated from the particle’s mass—similar to how the Cheshire cat disappears and leaves only its unsettling grin behind.
the tiny blue dot that we live in
Underscoring our responsibility to deal more kindly with one another
Carl Sagan said it best, reflecting on the significance of a photograph of planet Earth taken on February 14, 1990, by the Voyager 1 space probe from about 6 billion kilometers away. Our planet appeared in the photograph as a tiny distant pale blue pixel against a reflected band of sunlight. The picture famously became known as the Pale Blue Dot. Here's Sagan:
Look again at that dot. That's here. That's home. That's us. On it everyone you love, everyone you know, everyone you ever heard of, every human being who ever was, lived out their lives . . . . Our posturings, our imagined self-importance, the delusion that we have some privileged position in the Universe, are challenged by this point of pale light . . . . There is perhaps no better demonstration of the folly of human conceits than this distant image of our tiny world. To me, it underscores our responsibility to deal more kindly with one another and to preserve and cherish the pale blue dot, the only home we've ever known.
References
What was the purpose of God creating us?
There are two extremes known as creationism vs evolutionism. Let's consider creationism for a moment, and imagine that God exists, and he/she has created us. The question that obsesses my mind after that is simply, why? What was the purpose of God creating us?
the history of the Universe/s = galaxies formed some 10 billion years ago
A team of international researchers including those at The University of Manchester and University of Victoria in Canada, used the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) to discover that galaxies like the Milky Way are 10 times more common than what was believed based on previous observations with the Hubble Space Telescope.
Many of these galaxies formed some 10 billion years ago or longer, going far back into the history of the universe.
no one trusts the news now
Americans in general have begun to catch on: 66 percent of Americans believe that the media has a hard time separating fact from opinion and, according to a recent Gallup poll, 62 percent of the country believes that the press is biased one way or the other in their reporting.
So when CNN, NBC News, Fox News, or another outlet break a hard news story, there is a good chance that a large swathe of the public won’t view it as legitimate news.
We shouldn't retreat from the accomplishment -of not being religious
As science and religion began to go their separate ways—a process that accelerated with the work of Darwin—science became secular.
“The elimination of God-talk from scientific discourse,” writes historian Jon Roberts, “constitutes the defining feature of modern science.” Weinberg would have agreed.
As he told an audience in 1999: “One of the great achievements of science has been, if not to make it impossible for intelligent people to be religious, then at least to make it possible for them not to be religious. We should not retreat from that accomplishment.”
“It’s amazing, isn’t it?
l. “It’s amazing, isn’t it?” noted physicist says. “You think the particle has a spin and the spin should stay with the particle. But the spin crosses the box without the particle
wHEN YOU MAKE A MORAL EVALUATION
pRIDE IN ONE'S SELF IS OK ....BUT NOT IF IT DEVELOPS INTO CONCEIT
the incurable human attraction to the proximal good
What is corruption in a Politician
We spend our lives protecting an elusive self , thoughts, in reality, think up the self
I don't know what is going on - but it has to stop
The underlying truth of the permissive society
Why buying rotten fruit is 'good'' or is this cultural imperialism?
the ideologicl struggle - view it with profound suspicion Liberal Leftists
every rise in Fascism bears withness to a failed revolution'
Our views of God, physics or anything else ultimately depends on perspective. But let’s end with a quotation from a truly authoritative source. No, it isn’t the bible. Nor is it a cosmology textbook. It’s from Reaper Man by Terry Pratchett: “Light thinks it travels faster than anything but it is wrong. No matter how fast light travels, it finds the darkness has always got there first, and is waiting for it.
Our views of God, physics or anything else ultimately depends on perspective. But let’s end with a quotation from a truly authoritative source. No, it isn’t the bible. Nor is it a cosmology textbook. It’s from Reaper Man by Terry Pratchett:
“Light thinks it travels faster than anything but it is wrNo matter how fast light travels, it finds the darkness has always got there first,ong. and is waiting for it.
iS there equivalence between our minds and our brains
- Not Equivalent to Mind: The brain is not equivalent to the mind itself.
- Mind:
- Thoughts and Consciousness: The mind encompasses our thoughts, feelings, perceptions, and consciousness.
- Not Directly Observed: Unlike the brain, the mind cannot be directly observed or measured.
- Separation Theories: Some theories suggest the mind may exist separately from the brain (dualism), but there’s no scientific evidence for this.
- Unique Perspective: It’s an intricate web of emotions, memories, and individual perspectives.
- Interaction: The mind and brain interact, but they are not identical.
In summary, while closely connected, the mind and brain are not equivalent. The brain is a physical organ that contributes to our mental experiences, but the mind extends beyond its physical bounda
Can you sue a ROBOT?
Some forms of AI are so common that people don’t even consider them AI—Google, Siri, videogames, etc. Most people aren’t typically worried about liability when I talk about those AI. But when the topic changes to exciting forms of AI that are forthcoming—Google Car! Autonomous surgeons! Robot nannies!—liability immediately becomes a big concern. “Who would want a car that drives itself?! What if you hit someone?” “No one will make a robot babysitter—think about all the lawsuits!” “Don’t lawyers cause enough problems for doctors? You think they’re going to open themselves up to those lawsuits?”
These concerns, while valid, do not fully appreciate the changes that AI will introduce. Liability under the law is fundamentally concerned with assigning responsibility for wrongdoing. If someone is hurt through the actions of another, it is only reasonable that the second person be held responsible and that he or she help or pay the injured person. The assumption, of course, is that a person has done something and that a person will be responsible. The driver. The babysitter. The doctor. AI introduces another possibility. There is an accident, but all the people involved have acted responsibly and have not caused it. A machine, acting independently of people, caused it: Lt. Commander Data steers the Enterprise into an asteroid, Johnny Five from Short Circuit crashes a truck in Montana, etc....
Can machines think?’ This should begin with definitions of the meaning of the terms ‘machine’ and ‘think.
Can machines think?’ This should begin with definitions of the meaning of the terms ‘machine’ and ‘think.’ The definitions might be framed so as to reflect so far as possible the normal use of the words, but this attitude is dangerous. If the meaning of the words ‘machine’ and ‘think’ are to be found by examining how they are commonly used, it is difficult to escape the conclusion that the meaning and the answer to the question, ‘Can machines think?’ is to be sought in a statistical survey such as a Gallup poll. But this is absurd. Instead of attempting such a definition I shall replace the question by another, which is closely related to it and is expressed in relatively unambiguous words....
Can machines think'?.
Can machines think?’
Can machines think?’ This should begin with definitions of the meaning of the terms ‘machine’ and ‘think.’ The definitions might be framed so as to reflect so far as possible the normal use of the words, but this attitude is dangerous. If the meaning of the words ‘machine’ and ‘think’ are to be found by examining how they are commonly used, it is difficult to escape the conclusion that the meaning and the answer to the question, ‘Can machines think?’ is to be sought in a statistical survey such as a Gallup poll. But this is absurd. Instead of attempting such a definition I shall replace the question by another, which is closely related to it and is expressed in relatively unambiguous words....
The definitions might be framed so as to reflect so far as possible the normal use of the words, but this attitude is dangerous. If the meaning of the words ‘machine’ and ‘think’ are to be found by examining how they are commonly used, it is difficult to escape the conclusion that the meaning and the answer to the question, ‘Can machines think?’ is to be sought in a statistical survey such as a Gallup poll. But this is absurd. Instead of attempting such a definition I shall replace the question by another, which is closely related to it and is expressed in relatively unambiguous words....
What can we define about our sense of 'Aboutness'?
The most fiercely defended debates in the battle to defend human specialness is the very core of human mentality: consciousness and its surrogates, meaningfulness and aboutness.
consciousness has surfaced mainly in the guise of aboutness.
The debate was, in that setting, mainly about semantics: how could symbols relate to things? Neuroscience moved the focus of this debate from aboutness to awareness. Part of the motivation for this refocusing was practical: neuroscience has deep roots in medicine, and a crucial medical question, particularly in surgery, is whether the patient is aware of anything at all.
Compare and contrast the parenting of Hunter Biden to Trump's children....what conclusion do you arrive at?
One (Trump) was an effective leader and one Biden and his wife were parental failures
extend that to politics and you should know whO TO vote for
h T The ancient Greeks generally abhorred aging
The ancient Greeks generally abhorred aging, as it represented a decline from highly prized youth and vigor.
However, older warriors, elder philosophers, and statesmen were typically well treated. Interestingly, the Spartans, who valued physical ideals, also highly esteemed the wisdom of elderly citizens1. The Greek philosopher Aristotle had an extremely negative view of the elderly, believing that the cooling of the humors contributed to a characteristically pessimistic and cowardly demeanor among the old2. So, while there was a mix of attitudes, it’s safe to say that the perception of old age varied among different segments of ancient Greek society
Knowing your brain and how to care for it
Key Neurotransmitters Analyzed
- Serotonin: This neurotransmitter plays a vital role in mood regulation, sleep, appetite, and blood pressure. Initially, acute stress elevates serotonin levels, but chronic stress can deplete them, leading to conditions like depression, anxiety, and insomnia.
- Dopamine: Known as the feel-good hormone, dopamine drives our motivation, concentration, and cognitive abilities. It's essential in our reward system, and imbalances can result in issues like depression, restless legs, and compulsive behaviors. Parkinson's disease, characterized by tremors, is also linked to dopamine deficiency.
- Adrenaline (Epinephrine): Produced in the adrenal medulla, adrenaline boosts mental activity, heart rate, and blood pressure, particularly in response to stress.
- Noradrenaline (Norepinephrine): This neurotransmitter prepares the brain and body for action, increasing blood pressure and enhancing motivation and concentration. It's a precursor to adrenaline and rises with stress.
threat-related meaning to experiences that tax or exceed our coping ability.
Psychological stress is thought to arise from appraisal processes that ascribe threat-related meaning to experiences that tax or exceed our coping ability. Neuroimaging research indicates that these appraisal processes originate in brain systems that also control physiological stress reactions in the body. Separate lines of research in health psychology and behavioral medicine indicate that these physiological stress reactions confer risk for physical disease. Accordingly, integrative research that cuts across historically separated disciplines may help to define the brain-body pathways linking psychological stress to physical health. We describe recent studies aimed at this goal, focusing on studies of the brain bases of stressor-evoked cardiovascular system reactions and heart disease risk. We also outline an interpretive framework for these studies, as well as needs for next-generation models and metrics to better understand how the brain encodes and embodies stress in relation to health.