The reason for humanity

Science is the only reason for human beings to exist. Our purpose is to advance our collective knowledge, so that we will understand everything.

Originally posted by woadman
Science is the only reason for human beings to exist. Our purpose is to advance our collective knowledge, so that we will understand everything.

Human beings do not have a reason to exist. Each individual may make up a reason if they wish, but there is no ultimate reason. I certainly don't accept your right to decide what my purpose is or is not.

Science is very important both for intellectual reasons and for many extremely important practical reasons. But I don't see how science could tell us literally "everything". And, even if it could, knowing "everything" is the meaning of life? Why is the meaning of life that in particular? And if one day we DO know (at least collectively ) "everything", what would the meaning of life be then? Just forever contemplate some kind of "encyclopedia of everything" or what? What if we eventually get bored of knowing everything? Then we wouldn't have a meaning of life that is meaningful to us!

You make some excellent points..and a strong argument for the game of chess.
Also, humans need to "join" the other species who travel the cosmos. Obviously, we can outdo God in many areas. Will will correct the human genome and learn all the secrets of quantum mechanics.

Originally posted by woadman
You make some excellent points..and a strong argument for the game of chess.
Also, humans need to "join" the other species who travel the cosmos. Obviously, we can outdo God in many areas. Will will correct the human genome and learn all the secrets of quantum mechanics.

What other species who travel the cosmos?

How do you know they exist?

What about the human genome needs 'correcting'?

What is the right answer anyway?

What was the question?


Huh?

Originally posted by googlefudge
What about the human genome needs 'correcting'?

If there's no downside to artificially ridding Homo sapiens of the broken vitamin C gene and also of the tendency for trisomy 21 when the mother is over age 40, I'd be fine with doing so.

Originally posted by Paul Dirac II
If there's no downside to artificially ridding Homo sapiens of the broken vitamin C gene and also of the tendency for trisomy 21 when the mother is over age 40, I'd be fine with doing so.

There are many defects in our DNA that will be repaired in the future. We were NOT created anywhere near perfectly.

Originally posted by woadman
Science is the only reason for human beings to exist. Our purpose is to advance our collective knowledge, so that we will understand everything.

So art does not enter into your equation at all? Art is so far down the human totem pole as not to be worth discussing? Kill sculpture, kill dance, kill music, kill painting, kill storytelling, kill songs, kill all guitar players who don't have advanced science degrees?

Why do you say these poorly thought out ideas?

Originally posted by sonhouse
So art does not enter into your equation at all? Art is so far down the human totem pole as not to be worth discussing? Kill sculpture, kill dance, kill music, kill painting, kill storytelling, kill songs, kill all guitar players who don't have advanced science degrees?

Why do you say these poorly thought out ideas?

I say only what is the utmost importance. Sure, you can have fringe people wasting their time on frivolous things like you mentioned. Sure thing that Eric Clapton can play an awesome guitar..but will that advance humankind ? Humans need to get off our planet and explore the cosmos.!!

Originally posted by woadman
I say only what is the utmost importance. Sure, you can have fringe people wasting their time on frivolous things like you mentioned. Sure thing that Eric Clapton can play an awesome guitar..but will that advance humankind ? Humans need to get off our planet and explore the cosmos.!!

All periods of great scientific advancement have been accompanied by artistic
development and flowering.

Peoples feelings and emotional well being are vital to creating any kind of society
that people want to live in and art and culture is vital to that.

Art and science also play off each other with ideas in one sparking ideas in the
other.

Originally posted by woadman
I say only what is the utmost importance. Sure, you can have fringe people wasting their time on frivolous things like you mentioned. Sure thing that Eric Clapton can play an awesome guitar..but will that advance humankind ? Humans need to get off our planet and explore the cosmos.!!

Philistine! 😠

Originally posted by googlefudge
All periods of great scientific advancement have been accompanied by artistic development and flowering.

I rather doubt that there is a causal relationship between the two. Far more likely is that they both flourish under the same conditions (often the removal of religious restrictions).

Originally posted by woadman
I say only what is the utmost importance. Sure, you can have fringe people wasting their time on frivolous things like you mentioned. Sure thing that Eric Clapton can play an awesome guitar..but will that advance humankind ? Humans need to get off our planet and explore the cosmos.!!

Eric Clapton? Well he is an artist but in your post you also denigrate Leonardo Di Vinci, Mozart, Beethoven, Renoir, Martin Simpson, Davy Graham, Reverend Gary Davis, Sharon Shannon, Vincent Griffith, Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell, Ansel Adams, and the world of athletics, Tennis, Baseball, Rugby, shot put, runners, wrestlers, swimmers and so forth. Those folks push the boundaries of the mind AND the body just as much as Isaac Newton or Steven Hawking. There is a whole world out there besides science. And BTW, I love science, but I would not give up music to get a Phd in physics.