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Believe in me, because you know no other answers

This is in response to one of the repertoire of questions generally asked to atheists, which would be where did the Universe come from.

Now that I’ve said that, you have probably guessed I am an atheist. And you guess would be, correct! Sorry, you don’t win a prize though. Was I always this way? Well, no. But I did start this way. When I was born (and you too!) I was an atheist. Then God and Jesus and all of Christianity was introduced to me. Now, I did not live in an evangelical house hold. But Christianity was a part of my life, although all of the facts were not, since my parents were both more on the “Faith” side of Christianity, vs the religious side. I was baptised as a Catholic (sadly enough, that priest has been accused of molesting a couple of boys back in the day, one at the same church I was baptised, a few years before I was born, eeek!). Eventually I spent a year at Catholic school, was an altar boy (no, I was not molested, it was a different priest, and I still hold him in high regard, as he really is a genuinely nice man), and even contemplated being a priest.

I was brought up on creationism was a proven concept, with evolution being just a “theory.” Even as a drifted away from the Catholic church, I still was a by-faith Christian. Problem was, I never realized just how hypocritical I was. Why? Because beyond religion, I thoroughly enjoyed science. And science teaches you to question EVERYTHING. If we didn’t, well, we’d still be living in caves, chasing  animals and foraging for food.

The older I got, the more I questioned. As I began to be more technical in my life, I questioned even further, and smarter. This more technical side? I began going to college finally, spending 3 years at night to get a general Associate of Science, spending a year on my Bachelors of Science in Mechanical Engineering and Physics (which I am currently on break from due to financial hardships I had to address).

The more I questioned, the less I believed, until eventually I discovered that my faith was nothing more than a hollow shell, supported by 0 evidence. None. In fact, the only viable question that would have me to question is, where did the universe come from.

And there are theories out there regarding this, but in all reality, it is going to be extremely difficult to prove or disprove particular theories. And either way, it still leaves the question of what was around before the universe, etc., and since infinity is not a real number, the answer is difficult.

But you know, that particular question made me think onto a number of other things. First, let’s take a look at Christianity and its Jewish origins. Remember, back then scientific knowledge wasn’t like it was today. We now know about how hallucinations result from mental illness or drug use. We know the full motions of the moon (and it is a giant rock in the sky reflecting sunlight, not just a bright light). We know what causes earthquakes, whether patterns, disease, retardation, etc. There are reasons for these things, scientifically explainable, and without the need of theological thought.

Now read the Bible. It is a HUGE book, so I will not argue specific passages, because the passages alone already fill a book. Read about the signs that god presents. Nowadays, most people hear about an earthquake, they make think of a tectonic plate before they think “oh, this is a sign from God that ______.” Or the guys, walking around on the streets, screaming about whatever prophecy, we think mental illness, not that God has chosen to speak through him. Now, I say most, because some people still believe that God uses earthquakes and tsunamis to punish the wicked, etc. Except that these natural events have occurred much longer than people have been around.

The argument here is simple. If we could go back in time, and live in that lifetime, with the knowledge we have today, our beliefs would be shaken. Solar Eclipse would be cool, while people run frightened because it was an ominous sign from God.

Which is the same thing that all belief systems have done, probably even before recorded history. It is an attempt to explain the world around, because there were no better options around at the time. And if those answers become apparent, then the belief system either changes, disappears, or is ignorant of the knowledge. Christianity has been a prime example of the mixture of change and ignorance. As ancient knowledge was challenged and proven wrong, Christianity, and not just the Catholic church, has either been ignorant of it, contesting that these challenges are heresy. Or they have come to accept them, and change the belief to fit around it. Think about germ theory. Some faiths are ignorant of current knowledge, claiming them to be sinful, and instead rely on prayer to cure. The power of prayer is equal to the power of the placebo.

Other faiths have accepted germ theory and modern medicine, but they still believe that it is up to God if you live, or that the illness is still from God, even though we know that no divine hand is needed to spread bacteria and viruses.

Faith is a belief in something without evidence. Faith was needed in a time when there was no knowledge of why things happened the way they did. However, we now have knowledge, so that faith becomes ignorance.

While I may pity those who buy into religion or faith of a supreme being or beings, I generally don’t have a problem with those who hold those beliefs. Religion is more like a treatable mental health problem. However, I do I have problem with a person or persons who try to use their beliefs to be little and intimidate others, attempting to control them. Like the heated debates with gay marriage and abortion, the root of the underlying argument is a religious belief. Marriage is “sacred,” and must be between a man and a woman. Just because some man wrote that thousands of years ago, and it was put in a book that other men said was from the hand of god, doesn’t give someone the authority to force another human to submit to and live by their beliefs.

So to answer the question, where did the universe come from? I don’t know. But really, the only faith I need is that scientists are asking the same questions, trying to answer it too. It doesn’t prove the existence of a god or gods, only that we still have no unlocked all of the knowledge of physics in the universe. But science gives humanity a better outlook on how to deal with the future than a book of legends can ever provide.

A gas chromatograph. Samples from C. Anthony's trunk were analyzed using a similar device

For the first time ever, air analysis may be used as evidence in a trial. Not just a trial. Her trial.

No, this isn’t out of Fringe or CSI. This is a newer methodology, something that has never before been used in the courtrooms. Scientists from Oak Ridge National Laboratory took samples of carpeting from the trunk of Ms. Anthony’s Sunfire, and they ran a series of analysis on it. They also included samples from two other Sunfires, a pizza box, and a blanket that had been wrapped around a dead child who had decomposed in it for months.

First off they found chloroform. But after concentrating the sample, they were able to detect 51 chemicals, 7 of which are linked to human body decay.

This isn’t junk science. The methodologies behind this had been proposed earlier to discovered unmarked grave sites. Unfortunately, it isn’t mainstream yet, so it may or may not be allowed in the courtroom. It also isn’t a proof positive, since in the report from the analysis, they admit that the data is not 100% conclusive. However, it does lend credence to the state’s argument. Or maybe I should say the more likely side of the truth.

The idea itself is pretty cool. To those who say it is baseless science, remember that dogs do the same thing, without expensive laboratory equipment. They follow their noses, which are far more equipped than ours for picking up scents. However, it is a new science, and one thing given in science is that measurement comes with uncertainty. In my engineering program, we’re required to take courses on measurement, and courses on engineering statistics. As scientists, you have to be able to qualify your data, and provide confidence levels. “Oh, it’s pretty close,” doesn’t cut it. ’99.5% chance that this is exact,” that’s what we’re talking about.

Should the judge allow it as evidence? Personally, yea. It is evidence that is workable from both sides. Also, they still allow fingerprinting and ballastics work as evidence. You would be amazed to learn that these two types of evidence, central to so many cases, are not yet fully backed by science. More work has to be done to determine odds of a match. It’s more police work than science, which is dangerous. “Yes, it is a perfect match, this is the only person/gun it could match to,” is an opinion, sad to say. Not a fact. So if they are going to accept that, then “air science,” might as well to.

All Caylee wanted was love. All Casey wanted was to sex and party.

Either way, we’ll see what happens. This is turning more and more into an all-star event, from high-dollar attorneys to cutting edge, national laboratory science. Unfortunately it still circles around poor Caylee. Hopefully her soul will soon be at rest, with justice served to her murderer.

If you notice up top, there is a new page listed as Reading List. This is a currently small list of the books I have read and enjoyed over the last couple of years. They are in no particular order for now, though that may change. I will be adding links to Amazon over the next few days.

Some of these books may be advanced reading, and wouldn’t be recommended for everyone. However, beyond my taste for business and science books, I thoroughly enjoy fictional novels. I’m not too selective on a genre as you can see, as long as it is well written with a sustainable plot (although one or two may be questionable at that, but has other positive attributes).

If you happen to think of any, feel free to post it as a comment. Please note that all comments are moderated for spam or highly offensive material.

Today's rocket - Estes Rascal. Free hand me down worth a million smiles

For people who think spending time with your children is overrated, you need to be slapped. To people who think you have to spend lots of money for your children to have a good time, you need to remove your head and gain a new perogative.

So how do you spend time with your children on the cheap while teaching them new things? There’s millions of ways to do it. Today, my daughter and I launched a model rocket. Nothing fancy, but it went a long way. Ever since we got the rocket (my father in-law had it laying around when they had to move), she’s been wanting to launch it. I finally found my old portable launch stand and launch controller today, so without missing a beat, I offered to let us launch it. Her eyes were a mile wide in joy.

So we went out and set it up. I explained the things we were doing, and explaining about safety. She was a big help for me. Her biggest job was to hold on the safety key, but she also help me set up the stand and prep the rocket. Amazing how much fun wadding is to insert.

Then after we got everything set up, it was time to go Houston. She got to insert the key, we counted down, I kept it armed and she got to launch it. She got giddy after watching it launch!

Only downside was the high level winds. That baby went HIGH! By the time it hit its max altitude (over 1,200 ft), it probably had drifted almost 1/4 mile SW, and it landed 1/2 a mile NE. In the median of a busy road, caught on a bush 6 inches away from the curb.

So we didn’t launch again, but it didn’t matter. She was still excited about it hours later. Nothing like bringing joy to your child’s face, especially when she gets to learn something new and develop a joy and interest in science. Highly underrated.

This cell could one day open up new treatments for a variety of conditions

Hallelujah. I was reading that Obama is apparently switching the Bush position by 180 degrees on this one. Thank goodness. That conservative approach just showed how brain dead those conservatives were.

Stem cell research has high hopes among many scientists. Because of its properties of being able to turn into any other kind of cell, it could be a key to saving livings, extending lifespans, curing diseases, etc. Instead of promoting and nourishing this science, the Bush administration strangled it tight, citing ethical reasons.

However, consider this. While this country was imposing super-tight rules regarding such research, other countries, particularly in Europe, opened their doors. So now America is already behind in the race.

As for the ethical concerns, many were squashed a year back when one of the scientists who first discovered these cells also found a way to create them using skin cells. I’m sure there are some limitations, but it has shown that there are multiple ways to derive these cells.

We also call into the mind of where the stem cells primarily come from: embryos. It is a hotly contested debate over when you can officially determine something alive. Personally I believe you can consider it life, however I also believe that abortion is a woman’s choice. For the hardcore religious who claim it is murder, read the section about though shalt not judge, then leave me alone. Yet what can’t be debated is that abortion is legal, and thousands of embryos are being discarded of every year. I would rather those embryos didn’t die for naught.

If 1 life was lost yet even 2 lives were saved, what do you think? If 1 life was lost and a thousand were saved, what would you think?

Bottom line, embryonic stem cell research exists, and it is going to continue to exist. America is not so powerful as to snuff it out because a handful of conservative republicans believe it is unethical. We’ve let a lot of opportunity slip out of our hands because of this Bush folly, and I’m glad to see Obama taking steps to correct it.

America wants to believe it is the best and smartest country in the world, a leader in technology and science and mathematics. However, we have managed to lose our bragging rights over the years because our government has cut funding that promotes the sources. Schools focused away from hands on science and budgets for fairs and other science related fun activities have been slashed. Academic funding has been slashed. Government programs to promote a love for science has been slashed. The majority of our engineering students aren’t even American anymore.

So yes, putting funding back on the table is a small step in the right direction. Let’s see how many more steps this administration has in it.