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#1 Vortigern

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Posted 02 September 2010 - 07:24 PM

This is one of my pet hates. Stephen Hawking has just released a new book concerning the creation of the universe, and the news headline was "Hawking: God does not exist." Another was "Hawking: God did not create universe." This is not what he said. In fact, what Hawking said was "there is no need to invoke God to set the Universe going." That does not mean he is categorically insisting God is not real; he is simply suggesting that the laws of physics as they are would logically have led to the creation of a universe. At no point does Hawking deny the potential for a divine hand at some stage in the proceedings. The quote on which they are leaning so heavily for this reads "Spontaneous creation is the reason there is something rather than nothing, why the universe exists, why we exist. It is not necessary to invoke God to light the blue touch paper and set the universe going." 'Not necessary' is not the same as 'definitely wrong'. And these guys are supposed to be professional wordsmiths.

Journalists misrepresent scientists. It makes me so mad.

Stephen Hawking: God Did Not Create Universe. (Even the BBC's guilty of this.)

By the way, I put this in Deep Thought because I hope people will think deeply about this, and about whether or not they agree with Hawking, the media interpretation of Hawking or something else entirely. Theoretically, by what method could the universe have been created?
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#2 Allathar

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Posted 02 September 2010 - 07:34 PM

Been wanting to create a topic out of this too, but'll first have to read into the matter a bit more before I express my opinion.
It has been reported that some victims of rape, during the act, would retreat into a fantasy world from which they could not WAKE UP. In this catatonic state, the victim lived in a world just like their normal one, except they weren't being raped. The only way that they realized they needed to WAKE UP was a note they found in their fantasy world. It would tell them about their condition, and tell them to WAKE UP. Even then, it would often take months until they were ready to discard their fantasy world and PLEASE WAKE UP

#3 Beowulf

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Posted 02 September 2010 - 07:42 PM

Vort, it's attention grabbing and nothing else. People will be more apt to stop and read the article when they make it seem like Hawking said there is no god or with the article headline. I read about this and Hawking presented new theoretical evidence. Not a big deal there really.

In short, it's just sensationalism and attention whoring. No big shock there either.

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#4 Puppeteer

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Posted 02 September 2010 - 08:22 PM

I posted the Guardian's article on Facebook because the headline made me lol.

#5 duke_Qa

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Posted 02 September 2010 - 08:29 PM

journalists write so that people want to check out their articles. Scientific journals is more relevant but more exclusive and diffuse and boring :p

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#6 Ash

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Posted 02 September 2010 - 08:38 PM

And these guys are supposed to be professional wordsmiths.


Have you never heard of the Daily Mail? :p

#7 Imagine

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Posted 02 September 2010 - 09:09 PM

Have you never heard of the Daily Mail?


Ahh! Yes, the pinnacle of all worldwide news.... HAHAHAHAHA!
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#8 Beowulf

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Posted 03 September 2010 - 06:48 AM

Have you never heard of the Daily Mail? :p

I'd call them a farce, but they're too ridiculous to be amusing in the slightest.

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#9 Allathar

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Posted 03 September 2010 - 09:59 AM

Anyway, if it's true what he says, what/who created the laws of physics?
It has been reported that some victims of rape, during the act, would retreat into a fantasy world from which they could not WAKE UP. In this catatonic state, the victim lived in a world just like their normal one, except they weren't being raped. The only way that they realized they needed to WAKE UP was a note they found in their fantasy world. It would tell them about their condition, and tell them to WAKE UP. Even then, it would often take months until they were ready to discard their fantasy world and PLEASE WAKE UP

#10 Vortigern

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Posted 03 September 2010 - 04:57 PM

That was kind of my point, Allathar, in a roundabout way. He doesn't say that God or some deity of some kind didn't set in place the rules or events that could lead to the creation of a universe, he just said that the way the laws of physics work logically imply a Big Bang, which he says would not in itself require a divine hand.

@ Puppeteer: Having completely missed that the several times I've been on Facebook in the last 23 hours, I went to check and found your post at the very top of my news feed. Good ol' coincidence.
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#11 Romanul

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Posted 03 September 2010 - 07:44 PM

In short, it's just sensationalism and attention whoring. No big shock there either.


This. Just that I hate journalists more than those in music. At least some women do have what to show off.

#12 Caspa

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Posted 04 September 2010 - 01:31 AM

What the fuck are you dribbling on about secret?
Hostile is a cunt.

Thought I'd have that here to save time.

#13 Romanul

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Posted 05 September 2010 - 07:14 PM

Both industries are full of attention whoring.

This thread is mostly about "journalistic" attention whoring. I just can't give a damn on journalists anymore.

Music is full of attention whores as well. Difference is, that I'd rather see a naked girl than to see journalists spewing bullshit.




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