Recent content by Pete Byrdie

Perhaps it represents his own unconscious desire to prevent others from stretching beyond what he feels capable of understanding. Rather than trying to understand, and risk accepting failure while others succeed, it's better to proselytise that the world ends with his knowledge. I've sometimes...

It sounds as though you've reached a metaphysical crisis and had something of an epiphany at some point in your life. It seems to me, new atheists/skeptics have made a great deal of the issue of 'meaning', and brought it centre stage. In turns, they say the Universe has no meaning, then that we...

So, you needed a 'why' to continue through life and be happy (and I certainly hope you are, and remain so)? A lot of people simply don't, I think. Perhaps they require only material things, which could imply that they're shallow, but I think that would be unfair. It's just, it's all they need...

I am a sceptic, yes. I haven't explained my beliefs, though, except in so far as I personally find plenty of meaning and fulfilment in the world I experience daily. There's wonder and goodness and excitement and love enough for me in the material world. But I try to avoid being the Dawkins...

I 'bump' my question for those interested in trying to answer it from their own perspective. I'm genuinely interested in your answers.

FOR CRYING OUT LOUD! I'm only asking where you think morality originates if not from human needs and experience! I don't have it 'all figured out'. And I don't particularly identify with Krauss. I'm asking what your basis for morality is. Without any discussion about the basis for morality of...

The most surprising beginning to an answer to my question I could have imagined! So, are you saying that basing morality on our shared experiences of suffering and happiness is naive because millions die due to humanity's clear lack of that sensibility? I'm confused about your point here...

Can I ask the forum members here, whatever your beliefs, what meaning you find in life? And what it means to talk about life or the Universe having meaning? I actually think there is a problem of materialists simply not understanding what it means to talk of life having meaning. I don't think we...

Well, I'm no longer going to debate the motives for choosing a book title of a man I can't ask. I wouldn't necessarily believe his answer anyway.:) It's funny, I've come from an online environment where new atheists are (rightly, I think) constantly being accused of sticking too rigidly to...

Agreed! That was the point I was trying to make. That the Universe didn't arise from nothing, and physicists don't claim it did, even if they use the word. I've never liked the word 'nothing' when applied to the quantum vacuum. The whole point of the phrase 'zero point energy' is to emphasize...

These are theories that the Universe arose from the quantum vacuum, and that the net energy in the Universe, taking gravity as negative energy, also amounts to zero. Fluctuations in the quantum vacuum are well attested experimentally. It essentially means that the Universe arose from the...

I keep hearing that scientists have claimed the Universe sprang from nothing, as a prelude to an attack on scientists. I've never heard one say that it did. Scientists are working constantly to examine the earliest point in the Universe they can. Perhaps eventually they will find ways to discern...

I suppose I could have a crack at Alex's questions from the end of the interview. 1. From a scientific standpoint, is reincarnation nonsense? How would we explore such a question scientifically? From a scientific standpoint, anything supported by research has to be accepted as possible, and...

His attempts to excuse not even looking at the available research on the subject of reincarnation amount to saying, "There is no evidence of reincarnation, therefore the evidence for reincarnation must be wrong." His assertion that he only has time to examine certain research is, of course...