Incredible Video From NASA’s Solar Dynamics Observatory: A 5-Year Time-Lapse of the Sun

Science • Views: 30,311

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I’ve been getting swarmed by creationists and right wing science-deniers today on Twitter, so here’s some amazing science to take away that nasty reactionary taste.

The Solar Dynamics Observatory (SDO) celebrates its 5th anniversary since it launched on February 11, 2010. This time-lapse video captures one frame every 8 hours starting when data became available in June 2010 and finishing February 8, 2015.

The different colors represent the various wavelengths (sometimes blended, sometimes alone) in which SDO observes the sun.

For more about SDO, please visit:
http://www.nasa.gov/content/goddard/videos-highlight-sdos-fifth-anniversary/

Credit:
NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center.

Download HD Video:
http://svs.gsfc.nasa.gov/vis/a010000/a011700/a011762/G2015-012FiveYearsofSDO_MASTER_prores.mov-

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176 comments
1 De Kolta Chair  Feb 12, 2015 3:27:20pm

Bob McGrath & The Sesame Street Psychedelic Singers, “Good Morning Starshine” (1969)

…

2 ObserverArt  Feb 12, 2015 3:29:35pm

Wow. What a light show.

Can you imagine that projected on a huge screen behind a band in concert.

Reminds me of the liquid projections they would do behind the Jefferson Airplane or someone like that in the psychedelic music days.

3 Blind Frog Belly White  Feb 12, 2015 3:30:47pm

Oh, wow, man!

4 OhNoZombies!  Feb 12, 2015 3:33:52pm

The music is what always does it for me.
Otherwise it would just be a spinning ball.

5 Mike Lamb  Feb 12, 2015 3:37:31pm

But have you seen the “The Principle”?

6 Decatur Deb  Feb 12, 2015 3:40:29pm

re: #5 Mike Lamb

But have you seen the “The Principle”?

Often seen “The Principal”. Sister Mary Claver was heliocentric, but that’s not what we were there to talk about.

7 b.d.  Feb 12, 2015 3:43:42pm

WHY ARE WE WASTING MONEY TAKING PICTURES OF THE SUN!?!? WE ALL KNOW WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE.

8 Decatur Deb  Feb 12, 2015 3:44:37pm

re: #7 b.d.

WHY ARE WE WASTING MONEY TAKING PICTURES OF THE SUN!?!? WE ALL KNOW WHAT IT LOOKS LIKE.

That money could be spent on volcano observatories and fruit flies.

9 b.d.  Feb 12, 2015 3:45:10pm

re: #4 OhNoZombies!

The music is what always does it for me.
Otherwise it would just be a spinning ball.

They should put the real sound of the Sun on that video.

It’d be soothing, like the largest yule log.

//

10 Justanotherhuman  Feb 12, 2015 3:46:43pm

The Munchkin loved all the colors. Tried to explain wavelength to him…

Can you say “nuclear fusion” kids? He loved it. : )

11 Decatur Deb  Feb 12, 2015 3:47:42pm

re: #10 Justanotherhuman

The Munchkin loved all the colors. Tried to explain wavelength to him…

Can you say “nuclear fusion” kids? He loved it. : )

Approach it from filtration—use colored balloons to look through.

(Good for a 4 yr old, YMMV.)

12 Prof. Backpfeifengesicht, PhD  Feb 12, 2015 3:49:58pm

re: #10 Justanotherhuman

The Munchkin loved all the colors. Tried to explain wavelength to him…

Can you say “nuclear fusion” kids? He loved it. : )

Yes. Nu-ku-lar fusion.

13 De Kolta Chair  Feb 12, 2015 3:53:23pm

Cartoon by Bob Mankoff

14 Justanotherhuman  Feb 12, 2015 3:57:09pm

re: #11 Decatur Deb

Approach it from filtration—use colored balloons to look through.

(Good for a 4 yr old, YMMV.)

He loved this one, too. The earth scale is a nice touch.

…

Now for ice cream…

15 Charles Johnson  Feb 12, 2015 3:57:52pm
16 De Kolta Chair  Feb 12, 2015 4:00:38pm

re: #15 Charles Johnson

Cartoon by Charlie Hankin
17 Justanotherhuman  Feb 12, 2015 4:02:13pm

re: #15 Charles Johnson

[Embedded content]

Maybe it should be a crime to allow movies to lie about reality/science? Half /

18 Dr. Matt  Feb 12, 2015 4:04:23pm
19 EPR-radar  Feb 12, 2015 4:05:09pm

re: #15 Charles Johnson

US Conservatism always needs to turn up the volume to 11 on whatever nonsense it is peddling. Following up on creationism with geocentrism makes perfect sense from that point of view.

Geocentrism can be allowed to fester on the margins of the movement for decades, there to be used to motivate the rubes when needed (just like creationism was).

20 Justanotherhuman  Feb 12, 2015 4:05:41pm

Attorney: Gay couple weds in once-defiant Mobile County, Ala., after federal judge’s ruling - @AP
end of alert

21 BeachDem  Feb 12, 2015 4:06:15pm

Speaking of science and creationism…

Neil deGrasse Tyson has won himself yet another accolade! The creationist Discovery Institute has named Tyson “Censor of the Year” for his outstanding achievement in “thwarting an open and informed discussion of science and scientific controversies” — in other words, for insisting that evolution is real science and not recognizing that creationism is totally real science, too…

… The award goes out every year on Charles Darwin’s birthday, which would be today. Or if you’re the Discovery Institute, it’s “Academic Freedom Day,” to celebrate the freedom to pretend that science is whatever you want it to be.



wonkette.com

22 Dr. Matt  Feb 12, 2015 4:07:58pm

What is the #CDCwhistleblower hashtag about? There are some fanatics on there. Can’t figure out their issue.

23 Charles Johnson  Feb 12, 2015 4:09:23pm
24 EPR-radar  Feb 12, 2015 4:11:18pm

re: #21 BeachDem

Here’s something that just occurred to me. Even the name of the Discovery Institute is as fundamentally dishonest as all other aspects of creationism.

Creationists do not discover anything. They already know what they want to believe, and everything they do is merely constructing justifications for that predetermined belief. Such justifications are always unscientific, and are usually riddled with further logical and philosophical errors.

25 Prof. Backpfeifengesicht, PhD  Feb 12, 2015 4:11:30pm

re: #23 Charles Johnson

And of all this radioactive stupidity this is the most ignorant tweet:

26 Justanotherhuman  Feb 12, 2015 4:13:15pm

After eating only part of the ice cream, the Munchkin announced that he had a “brain freeze”. : )

27 dog philosopher ஐஒஔ௸  Feb 12, 2015 4:13:27pm

why is there all that stuff leakin outta the sun?

n whose gonna clean up after it?

28 BeachDem  Feb 12, 2015 4:13:28pm

re: #24 EPR-radar

Here’s something that just occurred to me. Even the name of the Discovery Institute is as fundamentally dishonest as all other aspects of creationism.

Creationists do not discover anything. They already know what they want to believe, and everything they do is merely constructing justifications for that predetermined belief. Such justifications are always unscientific, and are usually riddled with further logical and philosophical errors.

Love this description of the Discovery Institute:

The Bullitt Foundation, which gave $10,000 in 2001 for transportation causes, withdrew all funding of the Institute; its director, Denis Hayes, called the Institute “the institutional love child of Ayn Rand and Jerry Falwell,” and said, “I can think of no circumstances in which the Bullitt Foundation would fund anything at Discovery today.”

29 Blind Frog Belly White  Feb 12, 2015 4:13:43pm

re: #24 EPR-radar

Here’s something that just occurred to me. Even the name of the Discovery Institute is as fundamentally dishonest as all other aspects of creationism.

Creationists do not discover anything. They already know what they want to believe, and everything they do is merely constructing justifications for that predetermined belief. Such justifications are always unscientific, and are usually riddled with further logical and philosophical errors.

Why not just call it “The Ministry of Truth” and be done with it?

30 De Kolta Chair  Feb 12, 2015 4:14:22pm

re: #18 Dr. Matt

John Fischetti, 1955
31 Romantic Heretic  Feb 12, 2015 4:14:53pm

re: #25 Prof. Backpfeifengesicht, PhD

And of all this radioactive stupidity this is the most ignorant tweet:

[Embedded content]

That’s one of the most amazing non-sequiturs I’ve ever read.

32 Prof. Backpfeifengesicht, PhD  Feb 12, 2015 4:15:32pm

re: #31 Romantic Heretic

That’s one of the most amazing non-sequiturs I’ve ever read.

Total ignorance about both evolution and cosmology.

33 Charles Johnson  Feb 12, 2015 4:15:51pm
34 Blind Frog Belly White  Feb 12, 2015 4:16:10pm

re: #28 BeachDem

Love this description of the Discovery Institute:

The Bullitt Foundation, which gave $10,000 in 2001 for transportation causes, withdrew all funding of the Institute; its director, Denis Hayes, called the Institute “the institutional love child of Ayn Rand and Jerry Falwell,” and said, “I can think of no circumstances in which the Bullitt Foundation would fund anything at Discovery today.”

Seriously? The Bullitt Foundation? Can I get a grant to study how many times a Mustang can go up and down Divisadero in San Francisco at speed before the back axle falls off?
////

35 De Kolta Chair  Feb 12, 2015 4:17:20pm

re: #25 Prof. Backpfeifengesicht, PhD

And of all this radioactive stupidity this is the most ignorant tweet:

[Embedded content]

The nightmares about junior high swirlies are strong with Sean Davis.

36 b_sharp  Feb 12, 2015 4:17:35pm

re: #31 Romantic Heretic

That’s one of the most amazing non-sequiturs I’ve ever read.

He believes there wasn’t enough time for evolution to go from molecule to man.

I’m not sure he understands that the universe is older than the Earth and that there was plenty of time in the solar system’s 4.5 billion years.

37 Justanotherhuman  Feb 12, 2015 4:18:36pm

re: #28 BeachDem

Why in hell would an org like that contribute to Ham? Obviously, he lied.

bullitt.org

38 dog philosopher ஐஒஔ௸  Feb 12, 2015 4:19:58pm

re: #33 Charles Johnson

It’s a standard RW technique - get the liberal to dance for them and answer every dumb question they Google up

i’ve been dealing a lot with the “stop lying and admit that you believe the stupid thing i want you to believe, liberal”

actual real example:

If Obama asked the country to pray for our troops on the eve of going after ISIS, for example, most liberal heads would explode, and you know that to be true.

39 Blind Frog Belly White  Feb 12, 2015 4:20:06pm

re: #31 Romantic Heretic

That’s one of the most amazing non-sequiturs I’ve ever read.

I think often the truly stupid think they have stumped smarter people when they ask a question so stupid that there really is no answer, and the smarter people just look at them boggled at what they just heard. The phrase, “Not even wrong” comes to mind.

40 Justanotherhuman  Feb 12, 2015 4:21:38pm

re: #25 Prof. Backpfeifengesicht, PhD

OK, ” former chief instigator for Sen. Tom Coburn.”

I see.

41 OhNoZombies!  Feb 12, 2015 4:21:55pm

re: #36 b_sharp

He believes there wasn’t enough time for evolution to go from molecule to man.

I’m not sure he understands that the universe is older than the Earth and that there was plenty of time in the solar system’s 4.5 billion years.

Thank you, I see now, because I really didn’t understand what he was talking about. The prices weren’t clicking.
I figured if I waited long enough, someone would explain it.

42 ObserverArt  Feb 12, 2015 4:22:31pm

re: #35 De Kolta Chair

The nightmares about junior high swirlies are strong with Sean Davis.

Right out of central casting.

43 b_sharp  Feb 12, 2015 4:23:58pm

re: #41 OhNoZombies!

Thank you, I see now, because I really didn’t understand what he was talking about. The prices weren’t clicking.
I figured if I waited long enough, someone would explain it.

I argued with that dim bulb yesterday until he convinced himself I was too stupid to understand his point.

44 Justanotherhuman  Feb 12, 2015 4:24:30pm

All right. What info has led to this fine turn of events?

FBI launches preliminary inquiry into Chapel Hill, NC, shooting that left 3 Muslim students dead - @newsobserver
read more on newsobserver.com

45 dog philosopher ஐஒஔ௸  Feb 12, 2015 4:25:50pm

ISIS Considering Concessions After Threat

organization had hoped to not have to watch 50 shades of grey

46 Prof. Backpfeifengesicht, PhD  Feb 12, 2015 4:25:54pm

re: #36 b_sharp

He believes there wasn’t enough time for evolution to go from molecule to man.

I’m not sure he understands that the universe is older than the Earth and that there was plenty of time in the solar system’s 4.5 billion years.

And of course if there is a time problem, it’s not with the biological, but rather with the chemical evolution (where gradualism and PE are inapplicable). It is because of the problems with the abiogenesis that Koonin posited in his book that the multiverse hypothesis might be necessary. (His idea has been criticized of course, but he’s a mainstream and respected scientist.)

Even if that were so, the multiverse hypothesis has an independent origin in the inflationary Big Bang theory. It was not posited because of any problems with how life arose.

47 TedStriker  Feb 12, 2015 4:26:04pm

re: #33 Charles Johnson

[Embedded content]

48 Backwoods_Sleuth  Feb 12, 2015 4:26:21pm

re: #25 Prof. Backpfeifengesicht, PhD

And of all this radioactive stupidity this is the most ignorant tweet:

[Embedded content]

Why would that be considered a “smart” thing to ask a journalist?

49 b_sharp  Feb 12, 2015 4:26:40pm

What I find really astounding is the glee most of these creationists take in their own ignorance. Some amazing arrogant ignorance flows from their minds.

50 Shiplord Kirel  Feb 12, 2015 4:27:01pm

Our leadership position in science is doomed, if not gone already.

They don’t have crap like geo-centrism and creationism in the UK. Not much of it anyway. Well…….there is that old duffer who lives up the stairs from Mr. Gandhi’s Grocery and leans out the window to yell imprecations at science until the home nurse brings his meds, and the born again former-witch who lectures around Hyde Park most days, and that old sod in the cottage down by the bog; you know the one old Mrs. Pitchfork ran down in her bath chair…….

But superstitious quacks who have millions for propaganda and and a major political party by the balls? That’s 100% American.

51 dog philosopher ஐஒஔ௸  Feb 12, 2015 4:27:22pm

re: #36 b_sharp

He believes there wasn’t enough time for evolution to go from molecule to man.

I’m not sure he understands that the universe is older than the Earth and that there was plenty of time in the solar system’s 4.5 billion years.

because this is harder to believe than a magic man appeared out of nowhere and created everything by i don’t know how the end

52 TedStriker  Feb 12, 2015 4:27:50pm

re: #38 dog philosopher

i’ve been dealing a lot with the “stop lying and admit that you believe the stupid thing i want you to believe, liberal”

actual real example:

If Obama asked the country to pray for our troops on the eve of going after ISIS, for example, most liberal heads would explode, and you know that to be true.

RWNJs don’t seem to want honest debate, but they seem to love keeping liberals on the back foot by snowing them with utter bullshit.

53 Prof. Backpfeifengesicht, PhD  Feb 12, 2015 4:28:39pm

re: #48 Backwoods_Sleuth

Why would that be considered a “smart” thing to ask a journalist?

Because that’s what Sean’s childish mind finds funny.

54 Charles Johnson  Feb 12, 2015 4:28:53pm

re: #49 b_sharp

What I find really astounding is the glee most of these creationists take in their own ignorance. Some amazing arrogant ignorance flows from their minds.

Yes, the belligerence is a bit stunning. “GO AHEAD AND WORSHIP YOUR DARWINIST RELIGION, STUPID LIBERAL! HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!”

55 dog philosopher ஐஒஔ௸  Feb 12, 2015 4:29:43pm

gradualism’s improbability

sequel to gravity’s rainbow?

56 The Very Reverend Battleaxe of Knowledge  Feb 12, 2015 4:30:08pm

re: #28 BeachDem

Love this description of the Discovery Institute:

The Bullitt Foundation, which gave $10,000 in 2001 for transportation causes, withdrew all funding of the Institute; its director, Denis Hayes, called the Institute “the institutional love child of Ayn Rand and Jerry Falwell,” and said, “I can think of no circumstances in which the Bullitt Foundation would fund anything at Discovery today.”

Ha! Living here in Seattle, I was never a big Bullitt fan, but that’s awesome!

57 TedStriker  Feb 12, 2015 4:30:34pm

re: #49 b_sharp

What I find really astounding is the glee most of these creationists take in their own ignorance. Some amazing arrogant ignorance flows from their minds.

Because it pisses their enemies off, that’s why.

There’s absolutely no reasoning with people like that.

58 ObserverArt  Feb 12, 2015 4:30:51pm

re: #36 b_sharp

He believes there wasn’t enough time for evolution to go from molecule to man.

I’m not sure he understands that the universe is older than the Earth and that there was plenty of time in the solar system’s 4.5 billion years.

4.5 billion years is just a number!

See, you need to think like Scott Walker.

Science coexists with religion. Religion told him the earth is less than 10,000 years old. He simply accepts that, because that is in the book.

That man-made 4.5 billion number is then explained as a miracle. Who knows. God can do anything, so he/she sped it all up and it just looks old to us, ‘cuz we don’t have his infinite wisdom as to how he glued this all together.

You guys just don’t understand religion. You just don’t believe.

///

59 CuriousLurker  Feb 12, 2015 4:31:39pm

re: #13 De Kolta Chair

[Embedded content]

De-lurking to say that your picture reminds me of a very poignant Iranian children’s story called The Little Black Fish. It was banned under the Shah’s regime and its author, Samad Behrangi, died under suspicious circumstances at age 28 (he drowned in a “swimming accident” in a river—it’s is widely believed that he was killed by the SAVAK). Anyway, the story is about a brave little fish that ventures out from his her safe, familiar little stream to go explore the wider world. It’s told through the voice of a grandmother fish to her 12,000 children and grandchildren.

I used to have a collection of his stories that had been translated into English. One in particular, “Yek Hulou, Yek Hezar Hulou” (One Peach, A Thousand Peaches) made me cry for hours. Just thinking about it all these years later makes me tear up. He was really, really good. Most of his stories were considered political: commentary on social issues, the disadvantaged, corruption. etc. There’s little doubt that’s what got him killed. You can read more about him (and some of his other stories) on the Iran Chamber Society’s page about him.

Here’s a link to the full story of The Little Black Fish on their site.

Additionally, here’s an illustrated PDF version of the same:

Re-lurking now…

60 dog philosopher ஐஒஔ௸  Feb 12, 2015 4:31:43pm

re: #57 TedStriker

Because it pisses their enemies off, that’s why.

There’s absolutely no reasoning with people like that.

hey, it worked in 7th grade

61 Justanotherhuman  Feb 12, 2015 4:32:02pm

re: #58 ObserverArt

I sure don’t believe bullshit.

62 b_sharp  Feb 12, 2015 4:32:07pm

re: #46 Prof. Backpfeifengesicht, PhD

And of course if there is a time problem, it’s not with the biological, but rather with the chemical evolution (where gradualism and PE are inapplicable). It is because of the problems with the abiogenesis that Koonin posited in his book that the multiverse hypothesis might be necessary. (His idea has been criticized of course, but he’s a mainstream and respected scientist.)

Even if that were so, the multiverse hypothesis has an independent origin in the inflationary Big Bang theory. It was not posited because of any problems with how life arose.

Have you read the book?
How did he tie the multiverse in with abiogenesis?

63 EPR-radar  Feb 12, 2015 4:32:14pm

Seen on the internet (commenter CapnFatback at Wonkette):

Walker replied, “Based on what I see in the mirror each morning, I’d say that no, the theory of evolution is not true,” before hurling his feces at the crowd, slashing teacher union funds, and dragging his knuckles as he galumphed off the stage.

wonkette.com

This would have been an honest answer by Scott Walker to the evolution question.

64 allegro  Feb 12, 2015 4:32:31pm

re: #49 b_sharp

What I find really astounding is the glee most of these creationists take in their own ignorance. Some amazing arrogant ignorance flows from their minds.

It’s easy to be absolutely positively sure about stuff when too ignorant to have a clue and too stupid to want to get one.

65 De Kolta Chair  Feb 12, 2015 4:34:19pm
Cartoon by Don Addis
66 Higgs Boson's Mate  Feb 12, 2015 4:34:27pm

re: #50 Shiplord Kirel

Our leadership position in science is doomed, if not gone already.

They don’t have crap like geo-centrism and creationism in the UK. Not much of it anyway. Well…….there is that old duffer who lives up the stairs from Mr. Gandhi’s Grocery and leans out the window to yell imprecations at science until the home nurse brings his meds, and the born again former-witch who lectures around Hyde Park most days, and that old sod in the cottage down by the bog; you know the one old Mrs. Pitchfork ran down in her bath chair…….

But superstitious quacks who have millions for propaganda and and a major political party by the balls? That’s 100% American.

May those who peddle this claptrap live to see their children fucking each other in the street for coins tossed by tourists from countries that refused to make a virtue of ignorance.

67 Shiplord Kirel  Feb 12, 2015 4:35:21pm

Aviation Safety Update:

The recent catastrophic structural failures have been traced to the installation of a an unauthorized control interface:

68 b_sharp  Feb 12, 2015 4:36:12pm

re: #64 allegro

It’s easy to be absolutely positively sure about stuff when too ignorant to have a clue and too stupid to want to get one.

I find the more I know the more there is to know.

It’s like a paradox.

69 ObserverArt  Feb 12, 2015 4:36:47pm

re: #61 Justanotherhuman

I sure don’t believe bullshit.

As a Catholic school boy, I witnessed a lot of miracles!

: )

70 Eclectic Cyborg  Feb 12, 2015 4:38:42pm

Asking a reporter about scientific theories is like asking a TV repairman to diagnose a skin spot on your arm.

71 b_sharp  Feb 12, 2015 4:40:48pm

re: #70 Eclectic Cyborg

Asking a reporter about scientific theories is like asking a TV repairman to diagnose a skin spot on your arm.

Oh. You mean I shouldn’t do that?

72 Prof. Backpfeifengesicht, PhD  Feb 12, 2015 4:41:19pm

re: #62 b_sharp

Have you read the book?
How did he tie the multiverse in with abiogenesis?

I have read the chapter. He goes through the steps needed for the life to arise and finds the probability so low that he posits the multiverse as a solution. Note: not a creationist; knows his stuff; has been criticized on that issue.

73 EPR-radar  Feb 12, 2015 4:42:33pm

re: #50 Shiplord Kirel

Our leadership position in science is doomed, if not gone already.

They don’t have crap like geo-centrism and creationism in the UK. Not much of it anyway. Well…….there is that old duffer who lives up the stairs from Mr. Gandhi’s Grocery and leans out the window to yell imprecations at science until the home nurse brings his meds, and the born again former-witch who lectures around Hyde Park most days, and that old sod in the cottage down by the bog; you know the one old Mrs. Pitchfork ran down in her bath chair…….

But superstitious quacks who have millions for propaganda and and a major political party by the balls? That’s 100% American.

I wonder if it has occurred to the GOP et al. that hobbling the life sciences in the US via creationism could have very unpleasant consequences for the US if WWIII ends up making heavy use of biological agents.

74 b_sharp  Feb 12, 2015 4:42:44pm

re: #72 Prof. Backpfeifengesicht, PhD

I have read the chapter. He goes through the steps needed for the life to arise and finds the probability so low that he posits the multiverse as a solution. Note: not a creationist; knows his stuff; has been criticized on that issue.

I’ll have to read it.

75 Justanotherhuman  Feb 12, 2015 4:44:06pm

re: #69 ObserverArt

As a Catholic school boy, I witnessed a lot of miracles!

: )

As a Catholic school girl, i asked too many questions. : )

76 Blind Frog Belly White  Feb 12, 2015 4:44:48pm

re: #72 Prof. Backpfeifengesicht, PhD

I have read the chapter. He goes through the steps needed for the life to arise and finds the probability so low that he posits the multiverse as a solution. Note: not a creationist; knows his stuff; has been criticized on that issue.

One of the problems with that sort of ‘probability’ calculation is that it assigns probability values to unknown processes. It’s pretty darn hubristic. It’s like choosing your lottery numbers based on the hem length of the pretty girl pulling the pingpong balls out of the chute.

77 Justanotherhuman  Feb 12, 2015 4:44:57pm

re: #73 EPR-radar

I wonder if it has occurred to the GOP et al. that hobbling the life sciences in the US via creationism could have very unpleasant consequences for the US if WWIII ends up making heavy use of biological agents.

Yeah, I thought they were already in favor of a slow death for most of us.

78 Prof. Backpfeifengesicht, PhD  Feb 12, 2015 4:45:42pm

re: #74 b_sharp

As pointed out earlier, the overall situation in the origin of life field
appears rather grim. Even under the (highly nontrivial) assumption
that monomers such as NTP are readily available, the problem of the
synthesis of sufficiently stable, structurally regular polymers (RNA) is
formidable, and the origin of replication and translation from such
primordial RNA molecules could be an even harder problem. As
emphasized repeatedly in this book, evolution by natural selection
and drift can begin only after replication with sufficient fidelity is
established. Even at that stage, the evolution of translation remains
highly problematic.
The emergence of the first replicator system, which represented
the “Darwinian breakthrough,” was inevitably preceded by a succession
of complex, difficult steps for which biological evolutionary
mechanisms were not accessible (see Figure 12-6). Even considering
environments that could facilitate these processes, such as networks
of inorganic compartments at hydrothermal vents, multiplication of
the probabilities for these steps could make the emergence of the
first replicators staggeringly improbable (see Appendix B).
This profound difficulty of the origin of life problem might
appear effectively insurmountable, compelling one to ask extremely
general questions that go beyond the realm of biology. Did certain
factors that were critical at the time of the origin of life but that are
hidden from our view now significantly change these numbers and
make the origin of life much more likely? Or is it possible that the
processes that form the foundation for the origin of life are as difficult
as we imagine, but the number of trials is so huge that the appearanceof life forms in one or more of them is likely or even inevitable? In
other words, is it conceivable that our very concepts of probability are
inadequate?
The first possibility has to do with finding conditions that existed
on primitive Earth and somehow made the origin of life “easy.” Russell’s
compartments go some way in that direction, but apparently not
far enough: Even in these flow reactors rich in energy and catalysts, the
combination of all the necessary processes would be an extreme rarity.
The second possibility may be addressed in the context of the
entire universe by asking, how many planets are there with conditions
conducive to the origin of life? That is, how many trials for the origin
of life were there altogether? In this section, we pursue this second
line of inquiry from the perspective of modern physical cosmology.

An so on.

79 Backwoods_Sleuth  Feb 12, 2015 4:46:02pm

re: #61 Justanotherhuman

I sure don’t believe bullshit.

Well, real bullshit is a real pain of a stain to get out of clothes when doing laundry.

Guess how I know that…

80 TedStriker  Feb 12, 2015 4:46:04pm

re: #77 Justanotherhuman

Yeah, I thought they were already in favor of a slow death for most of us.

Just as long as they’re at the top of the heap.

81 Prof. Backpfeifengesicht, PhD  Feb 12, 2015 4:46:04pm

re: #76 Blind Frog Belly White

He’s not a newbie though.

82 Justanotherhuman  Feb 12, 2015 4:47:16pm

re: #79 Backwoods_Sleuth

Well, real bullshit is a real pain of a stain to get out of clothes when doing laundry.

Guess how I know that…

Skid marks. I raised 2 boys.

83 Blind Frog Belly White  Feb 12, 2015 4:48:46pm

re: #81 Prof. Backpfeifengesicht, PhD

He’s not a newbie though.

The process is still a complete unknown, and the conditions under which it happened can only be guessed at.

And one might waggishly suggest the probability is actually 1, since it apparently happened.
////

84 b_sharp  Feb 12, 2015 4:48:59pm

re: #78 Prof. Backpfeifengesicht, PhD

An so on.

Nothing controversial in that.

85 Backwoods_Sleuth  Feb 12, 2015 4:49:04pm

re: #46 Prof. Backpfeifengesicht, PhD

And of course if there is a time problem, it’s not with the biological, but rather with the chemical evolution (where gradualism and PE are inapplicable). It is because of the problems with the abiogenesis that Koonin posited in his book that the multiverse hypothesis might be necessary. (His idea has been criticized of course, but he’s a mainstream and respected scientist.)

Even if that were so, the multiverse hypothesis has an independent origin in the inflationary Big Bang theory. It was not posited because of any problems with how life arose.

Still doesn’t explain why this is such a gotcha question for a journalist.
The tweeter is an idiot.

86 dog philosopher ஐஒஔ௸  Feb 12, 2015 4:49:05pm

re: #78 Prof. Backpfeifengesicht, PhD

An so on.

i wonder what his calculations would be to estimate the probability of a ‘57 desoto

87 b_sharp  Feb 12, 2015 4:49:23pm

re: #78 Prof. Backpfeifengesicht, PhD

Where did you find that, Amazon?

88 Shiplord Kirel  Feb 12, 2015 4:50:05pm

re: #63 EPR-radar

Seen on the internet (commenter CapnFatback at Wonkette):

wonkette.com

This would have been an honest answer by Scott Walker to the evolution question.

89 Justanotherhuman  Feb 12, 2015 4:50:10pm

re: #82 Justanotherhuman

Yeah, I was being devilish. You live on a farm, don’t you?

90 b_sharp  Feb 12, 2015 4:50:15pm

re: #86 dog philosopher

i wonder what his calculations would be to estimate the probability of a ‘57 desoto

1

91 ObserverArt  Feb 12, 2015 4:50:39pm

re: #75 Justanotherhuman

As a Catholic school girl, i asked too many questions. : )

I swear, that runs in every Catholic student to some degree. The nuns beat it out of many, others turn into comics and artists of all types. Those questions open creative doors.

92 dog philosopher ஐஒஔ௸  Feb 12, 2015 4:51:19pm
according to my calculations, not enough time existed in the history of the univserse to make a car this ugly
93 Blind Frog Belly White  Feb 12, 2015 4:54:03pm

BTW, my usual comeback when a Creationist tries to attack Evolution via Abiogenisis is to point and laugh. Creationists need to disprove Big Bang Cosmology, Abiogenesis, and Evolution, and that STILL doesn’t mean Biblical Creation is true.

Evolutionists, OTOH, need not defend either Big Bang or Abiogenesis, since neither needs to be true for Evolution to be true.

This is the point at which they generally call Evolution a ‘Worldview’.

94 Justanotherhuman  Feb 12, 2015 4:54:20pm

re: #92 dog philosopher

[Embedded content]

OTOH, I saw one of these in blue the other night at the Best Buy. A real beauty, although not my kind of car. : P

dodge.com

95 Backwoods_Sleuth  Feb 12, 2015 4:54:47pm

re: #89 Justanotherhuman

Yeah, I was being devilish. You live on a farm, don’t you?

yep.

And skidmarks aren’t just for little boys’ laundry.

;)

96 Prof. Backpfeifengesicht, PhD  Feb 12, 2015 4:58:13pm

re: #83 Blind Frog Belly White

The process is still a complete unknown, and the conditions under which it happened can only be guessed at.

And one might waggishly suggest the probability is actually 1, since it apparently happened.
////

Basic steps that had to happen are known. He has an overview of what is known and not known. I wouldn’t try to catch Koonin in a beginner’s mistake in his own field. Which doesn’t mean that he is right - smart people can have quirky ideas. Me? I have no idea. Let the experts fight it out between themselves.

97 Prof. Backpfeifengesicht, PhD  Feb 12, 2015 4:59:01pm

re: #84 b_sharp

Nothing controversial in that.

He says that it’s more or less impossible in our universe by itself.

98 Prof. Backpfeifengesicht, PhD  Feb 12, 2015 4:59:54pm

re: #87 b_sharp

Nope.

99 OhNoZombies!  Feb 12, 2015 4:59:59pm

re: #78 Prof. Backpfeifengesicht, PhD

If I were the kind of person who’s agenda was to convince my followers that evolution, even life would be impossible without divine intervention, I could break this up and use it to prove my point.

The key is, never use a whole passage, and be sure to insert my own opinions.
I caught on to this trick when I was about 12-13.

100 The Very Reverend Battleaxe of Knowledge  Feb 12, 2015 5:00:07pm

re: #74 b_sharp

I’ll have to read it.

Don’t bother. The guy’s a physicist, but usually it’s mathematicians who “disprove” abiogenesis by calculating how many 10 to the umpty-kajillon years it would take for amino acids randomly bumping together to get (human) cytochrome-c (for example), therefore, couldn’t happen.

It’s just complete ignorance of biology—these enzymes were once much simpler and enormously less effective. 4,000,000,000 years of gradual evolution changed that. It’s Fred Hoyle’s tornado-in-a-junkyard 747 argument all over again.

ETA: Maybe someday I’ll stop hitting blockquote instead of italic.

101 Blind Frog Belly White  Feb 12, 2015 5:01:11pm

re: #96 Prof. Backpfeifengesicht, PhD

Basic steps that had to happen are known . He has an overview of what is known and not known. I wouldn’t try to catch Koonin in a beginner’s mistake in his own field. Which doesn’t mean that he is right - smart people can have quirky ideas. Me? I have no idea. Let the experts fight it out between themselves.

What he has is an hypothesis about what had to happen. Any gap in the process where we don’t know what happened means we really don’t know what had to happen before it to get there.

102 ObserverArt  Feb 12, 2015 5:01:48pm

Later all. I’m going to go all paleo rock and play my guitar and drums a bit down in the cave.

103 b_sharp  Feb 12, 2015 5:02:47pm

re: #97 Prof. Backpfeifengesicht, PhD

He says that it’s more or less impossible in our universe by itself.

Then he would be one of a very few who think so.

104 Prof. Backpfeifengesicht, PhD  Feb 12, 2015 5:03:07pm

re: #99 OhNoZombies!

Thing is, the multiverse is independently predicted by the inflationary theory, currently the most accepted Big Bang theory. Which means that positing a multiverse is not an ad hoc solution to the abiogenesis problem and thus it’s still not evidence for God. So if creationists use Koonin (and they probably do), it still doesn’t really help to prove creationism.

105 EPR-radar  Feb 12, 2015 5:04:05pm

re: #100 The Very Reverend Battleaxe of Knowledge

Bingo. Scientists can run into real trouble when they start playing in fields outside their area of expertise, so a physicist considering abiogenesis is a questionable start right there.

106 Prof. Backpfeifengesicht, PhD  Feb 12, 2015 5:04:37pm

re: #100 The Very Reverend Battleaxe of Knowledge

Don’t bother. The guy’s a physicist

Heh.

Eugene V. Koonin (born October 26, 1956) is a Russian-American biologist and Senior Investigator at the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI). He is a recognised expert in the field of evolutionary and computational biology.[1]

107 Eclectic Cyborg  Feb 12, 2015 5:05:17pm

It’s just hard to accept that the writer of Genesis indeed had all the answers and information about the creation of the universe. We are supposed to believe that God gave Moses all the knowledge and the tools to understand the knowledge and Moses decided to whittle that all down to six days and “Let there be light!”?

A man who existed more than 3000 years ago is now suddenly a scientific authority?

Genesis has always been one of the most challenging books of the Bible for me. I think it contains more things unwritten than it does written.

108 Prof. Backpfeifengesicht, PhD  Feb 12, 2015 5:05:24pm

re: #105 EPR-radar

Bingo. Scientists can run into real trouble when they start playing in fields outside their area of expertise, so a physicist considering abiogenesis is a questionable start right there.

I love how the false claim that he’s a physicist is repeated without checking.

109 Backwoods_Sleuth  Feb 12, 2015 5:05:45pm

re: #101 Blind Frog Belly White

What he has is an hypothesis about what had to happen. Any gap in the process where we don’t know what happened means we really don’t know what had to happen before it to get there.

Continues to amaze me how many people do not know/refuse to understand the difference between a hypothesis and a theory.

110 Blind Frog Belly White  Feb 12, 2015 5:06:39pm

re: #104 Prof. Backpfeifengesicht, PhD

Thing is, the multiverse is independently predicted by the inflationary theory, currently the most accepted Big Bang theory. Which means that positing a multiverse is not an ad hoc solution to the abiogenesis problem and thus it’s still not evidence for God. So if creationists use Koonin (and they probably do), it still doesn’t really help to prove creationism.

Yes, they do. And then they run into what I said above. They also want you to think that Bibilical Creation is the only reasonable alternative to Evolution, but since it relies on magic, it is not a useful hypothesis. That is, it makes no testable predictions.

111 b_sharp  Feb 12, 2015 5:07:54pm

re: #100 The Very Reverend Battleaxe of Knowledge

Don’t bother. The guy’s a physicist, but usually it’s mathematicians who “disprove” abiogenesis by calculating how many 10 to the umpty-kajillon years it would take for amino acids randomly bumping together to get (human) cytochrome-c (for example), therefore, couldn’t happen.

It’s just complete ignorance of biology—these enzymes were once

simpler and

less effective. 4,000,000,000 years of gradual evolution changed that. It’s Fred Hoyle’s tornado-in-a-junkyard 747 argument all over again.

He’s a biologist with a strong career in mathematics. That’s why I’m not just rejecting his work out of hand.

I’ve argued with more than a few creationists who throw up the tornado in a junk yard argument. This doesn’t sound quite the same.

112 Prof. Backpfeifengesicht, PhD  Feb 12, 2015 5:08:01pm

re: #109 Backwoods_Sleuth

Continues to amaze me how many people do not know/refuse to understand the difference between a hypothesis and a theory.

True. Not the case with Koonin, but true.

113 Decatur Deb  Feb 12, 2015 5:08:41pm

re: #110 Blind Frog Belly White

Yes, they do. And then they run into what I said above. They also want you to think that Bibilical Creation is the only reasonable alternative to Evolution, but since it relies on magic, it is not a useful hypothesis. That is, it makes no testable predictions.

Turtles.

114 klys (maker of Silmarils)  Feb 12, 2015 5:08:58pm

re: #113 Decatur Deb

Turtles.

Kittens.

115 OhNoZombies!  Feb 12, 2015 5:08:59pm

re: #104 Prof. Backpfeifengesicht, PhD

Thing is, the multiverse is independently predicted by the inflationary theory, currently the most accepted Big Bang theory. Which means that positing a multiverse is not an ad hoc solution to the abiogenesis problem and thus it’s still not evidence for God. So if creationists use Koonin (and they probably do), it still doesn’t really help to prove creationism.

That’s the thing though, isn’t it? That kind of solution only works on people who already want to believe in creationism. It’s not meant for people who will actually read the book.
What it’s meant to do, is add an air of authority or expertise to the creationist.

116 Blind Frog Belly White  Feb 12, 2015 5:09:12pm

re: #113 Decatur Deb

Turtles.

All the way down?

117 EPR-radar  Feb 12, 2015 5:09:31pm

re: #104 Prof. Backpfeifengesicht, PhD

Thing is, the multiverse is independently predicted by the inflationary theory, currently the most accepted Big Bang theory. Which means that positing a multiverse is not an ad hoc solution to the abiogenesis problem and thus it’s still not evidence for God. So if creationists use Koonin (and they probably do), it still doesn’t really help to prove creationism.

The multiverse is not a very satisfactory hypothesis, even within cosmology. It’s very easy for that idea to collapse into a pile of untestable (even in principle) predictions and ‘just so’ arguments using versions of the anthropic principle.

Of course, even the most speculative aspects of cosmology are science, while creationism is not.

The real disqualification for creationism is simply that the answer is always known in advance (i.e., Goddidit).

118 Justanotherhuman  Feb 12, 2015 5:09:34pm

re: #101 Blind Frog Belly White

What he has is an hypothesis about what had to happen. Any gap in the process where we don’t know what happened means we really don’t know what had to happen before it to get there.

I don’t know what they put in cleaning duster, either, and why the can gets so cold (I have a general idea, the use of tetrafluoroethane ), but i still use it without a qualm. : )

119 Decatur Deb  Feb 12, 2015 5:09:51pm

re: #114 klys (maker of Silmarils)

Kittens.

“Kittens all the way down” makes for a very squishy world.

120 Charles Johnson  Feb 12, 2015 5:09:58pm

Says the guy with the Mohammed bomb turban avatar.

121 klys (maker of Silmarils)  Feb 12, 2015 5:10:14pm

re: #119 Decatur Deb

“Kittens all the way down” makes for a very squishy world.

Or a really comfy bed.

Until the claws get involved.

Then it’s just painful.

122 Backwoods_Sleuth  Feb 12, 2015 5:10:35pm

re: #114 klys (maker of Silmarils)

Kittens.

Oysters

123 Charles Johnson  Feb 12, 2015 5:11:17pm

I notice that National Review writers seem to have it in for me.

124 b_sharp  Feb 12, 2015 5:11:44pm

re: #109 Backwoods_Sleuth

Continues to amaze me how many people do not know/refuse to understand the difference between a hypothesis and a theory.

That’s a big one. Too many insist on using the common definition of theory to suggest a scientific theory is a supposition. It comes from the idea that there is a ladder of proof starting from hypothesis to theory to law. They’re big on ladders. They also believe evolution is supposed to be a ladder from simple organisms through more complex organisms reaching humans at the top. You can see this in all the ‘if we evolved from monkeys why are there still monkeys.’

125 klys (maker of Silmarils)  Feb 12, 2015 5:11:49pm

re: #118 Justanotherhuman

I don’t know what they put in cleaning duster, either, and why the can gets so cold (I have a general idea, the use of tetrafluoroethane ), but i still use it without a qualm. : )

Actually that one is just the drop in pressure inside the can while the volume remains the same. P1/T1 = P2/T2, so if P2 goes down, so must T2.

SCIENCE.

126 klys (maker of Silmarils)  Feb 12, 2015 5:12:23pm

re: #122 Backwoods_Sleuth

Oysters

I saw a gif of a kitten and an octopus once.

It looked painful for both parties involved.

127 b_sharp  Feb 12, 2015 5:12:44pm

re: #113 Decatur Deb

Turtles.

It is turtles all the way down.

128 Eclectic Cyborg  Feb 12, 2015 5:14:32pm

re: #109 Backwoods_Sleuth

Continues to amaze me how many people do not know/refuse to understand the difference between a hypothesis and a theory.

The problem comes from a misunderstanding of the word “Theory”. In general usage we say: “I have a theory…” When we do NOT know for certain how something occurred but have an idea based upon available evidence, etc.

In science and mathematics, a Theory is very different.

Not everyone understands the word has different meanings depending on usage.

129 Prof. Backpfeifengesicht, PhD  Feb 12, 2015 5:15:00pm

re: #117 EPR-radar

True, it’s philosophically difficult (if one can explain one series of improbable events with it, why not any other - say miracle claims) - but as long as it is predicted by the inflationary theory (which is not a “fact”, strictly speaking, but which is pretty strong), its truth-value is independent of whether we consider it philosophically satisfying.

130 jaunte  Feb 12, 2015 5:15:38pm

re: #123 Charles Johnson

Night of The Short Spoons

131 Blind Frog Belly White  Feb 12, 2015 5:15:47pm

re: #124 b_sharp

That’s a big one. Too many insist on using the common definition of theory to suggest a scientific theory is a supposition. It comes from the idea that there is a ladder of proof starting from hypothesis to theory to law. They’re big on ladders. They also believe evolution is supposed to be a ladder from simple organisms through more complex organisms reaching humans at the top. You can see this in all the ‘if we evolved from monkeys why are there still monkeys.’

Gawd, how I hate dealing with the ones who say that. They refuse to believe something they don’t even understand.

132 Decatur Deb  Feb 12, 2015 5:16:31pm

re: #125 klys (maker of Silmarils)

Actually that one is just the drop in pressure inside the can while the volume remains the game. P1/T1 = P2/T2, so if P2 goes down, so must T2.

SCIENCE.

Applied to chilling a 6-pack in the field by dumping a couple 3000 PSI fire extinguishers.

MILITARY ENGINEERING.

133 Charles Johnson  Feb 12, 2015 5:16:50pm
134 klys (maker of Silmarils)  Feb 12, 2015 5:17:06pm

re: #132 Decatur Deb

Applied to chilling a 6-pack in the field by dumping a couple 3000 PSI fire extinguishers.

MILITARY ENGINEERING.

Excellent application. I approve.

The best ice cream ever involves liquid nitrogen.

135 Blind Frog Belly White  Feb 12, 2015 5:18:02pm

re: #129 Prof. Backpfeifengesicht, PhD

True, it’s philosophically difficult (if one can explain one series of improbable events with it, why not any other - say miracle claims) - but as long as it is predicted by the inflationary theory (which is not a “fact”, strictly speaking, but which is pretty strong), its truth-value is independent of whether we consider it philosophically satisfying.

As I say to those who don’t believe Evolution because they don’t like it, “Reality requires neither your comprehension nor your approval.”

136 OhNoZombies!  Feb 12, 2015 5:19:28pm

Well, the kids have a snow day tomorrow, and I’m not telling them till the morning.
The upside is, I can have a cop of coffee tonight! YaY!
*sigh*My life… when did an extra cup of coffee become a reason for such joy?
Time to par-Tay ! :-P//

137 Backwoods_Sleuth  Feb 12, 2015 5:19:37pm

re: #124 b_sharp

That’s a big one. Too many insist on using the common definition of theory to suggest a scientific theory is a supposition. It comes from the idea that there is a ladder of proof starting from hypothesis to theory to law. They’re big on ladders. They also believe evolution is supposed to be a ladder from simple organisms through more complex organisms reaching humans at the top. You can see this in all the ‘if we evolved from monkeys why are there still monkeys.’

Why is there still dirt???

Why is there still dust???

Why are there still RIBS???

Sorry, I can’t help but laugh…

138 Justanotherhuman  Feb 12, 2015 5:19:47pm

re: #125 klys (maker of Silmarils)

Actually that one is just the drop in pressure inside the can while the volume remains the same. P1/T1 = P2/T2, so if P2 goes down, so must T2.

SCIENCE.

Why I’m not a scientist. I just assumed, since tetrafluoroethane is used as a refrigerant, it was the reason the can got cold as I used it.

139 Decatur Deb  Feb 12, 2015 5:20:14pm

re: #134 klys (maker of Silmarils)

Excellent application. I approve.

The best ice cream ever involves liquid nitrogen.

The fastest BBQ lightup involves liquid oxygen.

…

140 Blind Frog Belly White  Feb 12, 2015 5:20:27pm

re: #117 EPR-radar

The multiverse is not a very satisfactory hypothesis, even within cosmology. It’s very easy for that idea to collapse into a pile of untestable (even in principle) predictions and ‘just so’ arguments using versions of the anthropic principle.

Of course, even the most speculative aspects of cosmology are science, while creationism is not.

The real disqualification for creationism is simply that the answer is always known in advance (i.e., Goddidit).

Who are you to say that observation, testing, and logic are good ways to determine what’s true?

141 The Very Reverend Battleaxe of Knowledge  Feb 12, 2015 5:21:19pm

re: #106 Prof. Backpfeifengesicht, PhD

Heh.

Eugene V. Koonin (born October 26, 1956) is a Russian-American biologist and Senior Investigator at the National Center for Biotechnology Information (NCBI). He is a recognised expert in the field of evolutionary and computational biology.[1]

So where did the “Stanford-educated physicist” part come from?

142 klys (maker of Silmarils)  Feb 12, 2015 5:21:25pm

re: #138 Justanotherhuman

Why I’m not a scientist. I just assumed, since tetrafluoroethane is used as a refrigerant, it was the reason the can got cold as I used it.

I just like that one because it’s something that’s very easy to tangibly demonstrate to kids. The Exploratorium in SF has an excellent demonstration of the theory behind it.

143 dog philosopher ஐஒஔ௸  Feb 12, 2015 5:21:35pm

“‘if we evolved from monkeys why are there still monkeys.”

Public Religion Research Institute/Religion News Service. Jan. 14-18, 2015. N=1,012 adults nationwide. Margin of error ± 3.6.

“God rewards athletes who have faith with good health and success.”

Completely agree 22
Mostly agree 31
Mostly disagree 19
Completely disagree 26
Fish 3

there are still monkeys

144 EPR-radar  Feb 12, 2015 5:21:46pm

re: #129 Prof. Backpfeifengesicht, PhD

True, it’s philosophically difficult (if one can explain one series of improbable events with it, why not any other - say miracle claims) - but as long as it is predicted by the inflationary theory (which is not a “fact”, strictly speaking, but which is pretty strong), its truth-value is independent of whether we consider it philosophically satisfying.

I’m not familiar with this link between inflationary cosmology and the multiverse idea. Is there a link I could check this out at?

145 Prof. Backpfeifengesicht, PhD  Feb 12, 2015 5:22:06pm

re: #141 The Very Reverend Battleaxe of Knowledge

So where did the “Stanford-educated physicist” part come from?

No idea what you’re talking about.

Eugene V. Koonin is a Senior Investigator at the National Center
for Biotechnology Information (National Library of Medicine,
National Institutes of Health), as well as the Editor-in-Chief of the
journal Biology Direct. Dr. Koonin’s group performs research in
many areas of evolutionary genomics, with a special emphasis on
whole-genome approaches to the study of major transitions in life’s
evolution, such as the origin of eukaryotes, the evolution of eukaryotic
gene structure, the origin and evolution of different classes of
viruses, and evolutionary systems biology. Dr. Koonin is the author
of more than 600 scientific articles and a previous book Sequence—
Evolution—Function: Computational Approaches in Comparative
Genomics (with Michael Galperin [2002] New York: Springer).

146 Eclectic Cyborg  Feb 12, 2015 5:22:34pm

re: #143 dog philosopher

Because Tim Tebow has had such an awesome NFL career!

147 The Very Reverend Battleaxe of Knowledge  Feb 12, 2015 5:23:37pm

re: #108 Prof. Backpfeifengesicht, PhD

I love how the false claim that he’s a physicist is repeated without checking.

The first time he was referred to in this thread, he was called a “Stanford educated physicist”. That’s all I know about him, since he’s apparently some kind of fringe figure.

148 William Barnett-Lewis  Feb 12, 2015 5:24:56pm

re: #134 klys (maker of Silmarils)

Excellent application. I approve.

The best ice cream ever involves liquid nitrogen.

And I thought we were daring using dry ice in Jr. High School…

149 jaunte  Feb 12, 2015 5:24:59pm

Darwin night.

150 klys (maker of Silmarils)  Feb 12, 2015 5:25:58pm

re: #148 William Barnett-Lewis

And I thought we were daring using dry ice in Jr. High School…

Neither dry ice nor liquid nitrogen should ever be poured down the drain.

Thankfully that one is not first hand experience.

151 William Barnett-Lewis  Feb 12, 2015 5:26:15pm

re: #146 Eclectic Cyborg

Because Tim Tebow has had such an awesome NFL career!

That was God being kind to the _fans_…

152 William Barnett-Lewis  Feb 12, 2015 5:27:13pm

re: #150 klys (maker of Silmarils)

Neither dry ice nor liquid nitrogen should ever be poured down the drain.

Thankfully that one is not first hand experience.

I shudder just thinking about that.

Did nearly burn down the school when the home made thermite came “that close” to getting out of hand.

153 Prof. Backpfeifengesicht, PhD  Feb 12, 2015 5:27:22pm

re: #144 EPR-radar

From one of the originators of the inflationary theory:

154 Blind Frog Belly White  Feb 12, 2015 5:27:29pm

re: #149 jaunte

They’re still lizards. When they change to birds or squirrels, get back to me..

Says the guy with the Imaginary Friend.

155 Backwoods_Sleuth  Feb 12, 2015 5:27:43pm

re: #149 jaunte

[Embedded content]

Darwin night.

Good thing they don’t know our sekrit transformational powers when the sun revolves around the other side of the Earth at night…

156 Prof. Backpfeifengesicht, PhD  Feb 12, 2015 5:28:03pm

re: #147 The Very Reverend Battleaxe of Knowledge

The first time he was referred to in this thread, he was called a “Stanford educated physicist”. That’s all I know about him, since he’s apparently some kind of fringe figure.

I don’t see any such reference. And of course he’s not any kind of a fringe figure.

157 klys (maker of Silmarils)  Feb 12, 2015 5:28:05pm

re: #152 William Barnett-Lewis

I shudder just thinking about that.

Did nearly burn down the school when the home made thermite came “that close” to getting out of hand.

The counters in modern chemistry labs are pretty snazzy, hard to break stuff.

But they are not unbreakable.

I’m told it was impressive.

158 Blind Frog Belly White  Feb 12, 2015 5:28:48pm

re: #150 klys (maker of Silmarils)

Neither dry ice nor liquid nitrogen should ever be poured down the drain.

Thankfully that one is not first hand experience.

I have some 2nd hand experience. Somebody didn’t know that about LN2, and poured it down a sink. Blew out the traps in two labs.

159 jaunte  Feb 12, 2015 5:29:00pm

Another very angry follower of the prince of peace.

160 Decatur Deb  Feb 12, 2015 5:29:22pm

re: #152 William Barnett-Lewis

I shudder just thinking about that.

Did nearly burn down the school when the home made thermite came “that close” to getting out of hand.

That’s when you wish you hadn’t used the fire extinguishers to chill the brew.

(Yeah—CO2 doesn’t work on thermite, but it’s handy for extinguishing the drapes.)

161 Charles Johnson  Feb 12, 2015 5:29:26pm

re: #149 jaunte

Good grief. They think they’ve got a winning point, but all they’re doing is showing what fucking idiots they are.

162 b_sharp  Feb 12, 2015 5:30:17pm

re: #131 Blind Frog Belly White

Gawd, how I hate dealing with the ones who say that. They refuse to believe something they don’t even understand.

That’s why my previous comment about arrogant ignorance. They’re too ignorant to know they’re ignorant.

163 b_sharp  Feb 12, 2015 5:31:39pm

re: #137 Backwoods_Sleuth

Why is there still dirt???

Why is there still dust???

Why are there still RIBS???

Sorry, I can’t help but laugh…

There are still ribs because my grandson isn’t here so they didn’t all get eaten.

164 Decatur Deb  Feb 12, 2015 5:31:46pm

re: #162 b_sharp

That’s why my previous comment about arrogant ignorance. They’re too ignorant to know they’re ignorant.

“So tup as not to know they’re tup…”

h/t Englishman Who Went Up a Hill..

165 Prof. Backpfeifengesicht, PhD  Feb 12, 2015 5:31:49pm

re: #144 EPR-radar

And something more up-to-date from another originator: arxiv.org

166 EPR-radar  Feb 12, 2015 5:33:00pm

re: #153 Prof. Backpfeifengesicht, PhD

Thanks for the link.

167 Blind Frog Belly White  Feb 12, 2015 5:34:37pm

re: #153 Prof. Backpfeifengesicht, PhD

From one of the originators of the inflationary theory:[Embedded content]

He said evolution in his first paragraph! So there, godless homosexual communist!!!!

168 Prof. Backpfeifengesicht, PhD  Feb 12, 2015 5:34:49pm

re: #165 Prof. Backpfeifengesicht, PhD

And something more up-to-date from another originator: arxiv.org

According to Guth:

Thus, once inflation happens, it produces not just one universe, but an infinite number of universes.

169 De Kolta Chair  Feb 12, 2015 5:38:09pm
Rebecca Watson aka Skepchick, 1988

If I’d known it was going to be a landslide, I would’ve.

170 Justanotherhuman  Feb 12, 2015 5:40:59pm

re: #160 Decatur Deb

That’s when you wish you hadn’t used the fire extinguishers to chill the brew.

(Yeah—CO2 doesn’t work on thermite, but it’s handy for extinguishing the drapes.)

Ah, were these guys “chilling the brew” or what hapened?

Update: All Marines injured in training accident in Twentynine Palms, Calif., in stable condition, official says; incident occurred when a fire extinguisher accidentally went off - @jhlad
see original on twitter.com

171 Romantic Heretic  Feb 12, 2015 5:41:36pm

re: #162 b_sharp

That’s why my previous comment about arrogant ignorance. They’re too ignorant to know they’re ignorant.

in the words of Heinlein, it’s what you learn after you know it all that really counts.

172 Prof. Backpfeifengesicht, PhD  Feb 12, 2015 5:43:58pm

re: #147 The Very Reverend Battleaxe of Knowledge

The first time he was referred to in this thread, he was called a “Stanford educated physicist”. That’s all I know about him, since he’s apparently some kind of fringe figure.

You may be confusing him with Steve Koonin, who’s an AGW “skeptic”:

Koonin received his Bachelor of Science from Caltech and his Ph.D. from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.[2] In 1975, Koonin joined the faculty of the California Institute of Technology as a Professor of Theoretical Physics, and served as the Institute’s provost from 1995 to 2004.[3]

173 William Barnett-Lewis  Feb 12, 2015 5:44:53pm

re: #170 Justanotherhuman

Ah, were these guys “chilling the brew” or what hapened?

Update: All Marines injured in training accident in Twentynine Palms, Calif., in stable condition, official says; incident occurred when a fire extinguisher accidentally went off - @jhlad
see original on twitter.com

Probably not. The AAV en.wikipedia.org is an infantry carrier and the fire extinguishers going off leaves no oxygen for people to breath in a very small space. Best case, something broke. Worst case, someone was dicking around and pulled the handle.

174 Decatur Deb  Feb 12, 2015 5:53:37pm

re: #173 William Barnett-Lewis

The linked Marine twitter calls them “inhalation injuries”, still could be asphyxia rather than toxin.

175 The Very Reverend Battleaxe of Knowledge  Feb 12, 2015 5:57:38pm

re: #172 Prof. Backpfeifengesicht, PhD

You may be confusing him with Steve Koonin, who’s an AGW “skeptic”:

Ah, OK. My bad. Too many Koonins!

176 Dark_Falcon  Feb 12, 2015 6:45:57pm

re: #151 William Barnett-Lewis

That was God being kind to the _fans_…

No, that was the New England Patriots beating on the Denver Broncos like a rented mule. It was one of the Bill Belichick - Tom Brady one-sided playoff massacres and his inability to move the football against the Patriots’ defense left Tim Tebow’s career in ruins.

But that game could hardly have gone any other way: Tebow was essentially a gimmick player and, whatever may be true of his sportsmanship, Bill Belichick is superlative at figuring gimmicks like him out and training the Patriots to hammer the gimmick into the ground.


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