Does time exist?

Originally posted by scottishinnz
Um, okay, basically the book takes the reader through a simplified version of the theory of relativity, explaining the consequences it has for, well, all sorts of things ("E=mc2" by David Bodanis is also a good book). It explains the concepts of Minkowski space, Black holes / singularities, and, if I remember rightly, gives a discourse on the first fe ...[text shortened]... ever, it was a number of years ago that I read it, so it'd be wise not to quote me on this...

Actually, rather than 'A Brief History of Time', which was written quite a long time ago now and as such has less of Hawking's later evolved ease in writing, I'd suggest 'The Universe in a Nutshell'; the sequel and in my opinion a far more accessible book for the lay person. The illustrations are clear and concise and the explanations of quite dense particle physics are simple and understandable.

E=MCsq is also a great book, but more about the history of physical investigation and its impact on culture and society, rather than the physics in essence. It does have a very good section about Voltaire and his wife, which was of much pleasure to me as I have a thing about Voltaire.

Originally posted by Starrman
Actually, rather than 'A Brief History of Time', which was written quite a long time ago now and as such has less of Hawking's later evolved ease in writing, I'd suggest 'The Universe in a Nutshell'; the sequel and in my opinion a far more accessible book for the lay person. The illustrations are clear and concise and the explanations of quite dense partic ...[text shortened]... Voltaire and his wife, which was of much pleasure to me as I have a thing about Voltaire.

It was Voltaire that said that he would wipe out the Bible within a hundred years.

And a hundred years later he was dead and his house belonged to the Geneva Bible society.

Originally posted by dj2becker
It was Voltaire that said that he would wipe out the Bible within a hundred years.

And a hundred years later he was dead and his house belonged to the Geneva Bible society.

Blah blah blah.

There's a Cathedral in Cordoba that was built on the site of Europes largest mosque, I guess that's proof that god exists too...

Idiot.

Originally posted by Starrman
Blah blah blah.

There's a Cathedral in Cordoba that was built on the site of Europes largest mosque, I guess that's proof that god exists too...

Idiot.

Starrman the master of the strawman.

Originally posted by dj2becker
Starrman the master of the strawman.

What exactly was the intention of your idiotic post then, if not to suggest that it is a sign of god's triumph over unbelievers?

Originally posted by Starrman
What exactly was the intention of your idiotic post then, if not to suggest that it is a sign of god's triumph over unbelievers?

I was merely stating a fact about your hero. Strawman.

Originally posted by dj2becker
I was merely stating a fact about your hero. Strawman.

No, you were stating a fact about his house, big deal. Go play with your other creationidiot friends.

Originally posted by Starrman
No, you were stating a fact about his house, big deal. Go play with your other creationidiot friends.

So his house said that it would wipe out the Bible in a hundred years?

Go play with your chimpanzee friends! 😀

Originally posted by dj2becker
It was Voltaire that said that he would wipe out the Bible within a hundred years.

And a hundred years later he was dead and his house belonged to the Geneva Bible society.

According to Wikipedia his actual statement was:
"One hundred years from my day there will not be a Bible in the earth except one that is looked upon by an antiquarian curiosity seeker."
which does not translate to "I will wipe out the Bible in 100 years".

He clearly misjudged peoples lack of affinity for enlightenment. But that is nothing new. If Einstein had said "In one hundred years everyone will understand relativity" he would have been equally wrong.

I believe some biblical figures believed that the world would end in their lifetimes.

It does not however in any way make his other writings or ideas less valuable.

The ownership of his house is irrelevant.

Originally posted by twhitehead
According to Wikipedia his actual statement was:
"One hundred years from my day there will not be a Bible in the earth except one that is looked upon by an antiquarian curiosity seeker."
which does not translate to "I will wipe out the Bible in 100 years".

He clearly misjudged peoples lack of affinity for enlightenment. But that is nothing new. If Ei ...[text shortened]... ke his other writings or ideas less valuable.

The ownership of his house is irrelevant.

Here's the full story:

Voltaire, atheist, French author, humanist, rationalist (1694 - 1778), held up a copy of the Bible in the air and smugly proclaimed, "In 100 years this book will be forgotten and eliminated...". Shortly after his dead, Voltaire’s private residence became the headquarters of the Geneva Bible Society and became a major distribution hub for the very Bible he assigned to extinction.

http://www.bible.ca/indexBible.htm

Originally posted by dj2becker
Here's the full story:

Voltaire, atheist, French author, humanist, rationalist (1694 - 1778), held up a copy of the Bible in the air and smugly proclaimed, "In 100 years this book will be forgotten and eliminated...". Shortly after his dead, Voltaire’s private residence became the headquarters of the Geneva Bible Society and became a major distribution hub for the very Bible he assigned to extinction.

http://www.bible.ca/indexBible.htm

Yes, and he was wrong.

However, he never said that he'd do it, just that in his opinion it'd happen.

Of course, there remains as many stupid people today as always there were.

Originally posted by scottishinnz
Don't try to impose your own issue onto me. I'm a scientist, I just try to squash lies, and de-mask fraudsters.

The word you are looking for is projection , but you are right it is my issue and yours too. It's human nature to want to reach a black and white view on something. We love to think "i'm right and the other guy is stupid" . So we discredit any opinion that challenges us. We squash what we fear. I do it. You do it. We all do it. Did you miss the "we" bit. ?

Originally posted by dj2becker
So his house said that it would wipe out the Bible in a hundred years?

Go play with your chimpanzee friends! 😀

Your point is only complete by a dig about the house, which is clearly irrelevant to the rest of Voltaire's life and works. Many people, christian and atheist alike, have expressed opinions that have been incorrect, so what? What amuses me about this particular example is that this is the third or so time that you have used it. And in previous examples for the very reason of discrediting Voltaire, which it clearly does not; not only because it fails to pick out anything other than his hope that religion would die out, but because it is actually pretty pointeless anyway.

Now perhaps you'd mind not tangentalising the discussion any further with your blathering.

Originally posted by dj2becker
Here's the full story:

Voltaire, atheist, French author, humanist, rationalist (1694 - 1778), held up a copy of the Bible in the air and smugly proclaimed, "In 100 years this book will be forgotten and eliminated...". Shortly after his dead, Voltaire’s private residence became the headquarters of the Geneva Bible Society and became a major distribution hub for the very Bible he assigned to extinction.

http://www.bible.ca/indexBible.htm

Actually, there is no historical evidence that Voltaire ever made this comment (which is why it is never included in any list of quotes by him) and there is no evidence that any Bible society ever owned his home. In fact, his home is currently owned by the French government and is a tourist attraction. They also deny that it was ever owned or used by the Geneva Bible Society.

Originally posted by jebry
Actually, there is no historical evidence that Voltaire ever made this comment (which is why it is never included in any list of quotes by him) and there is no evidence that any Bible society ever owned his home. In fact, his home is currently owned by the French government and is a tourist attraction. They also deny that it was ever owned or used by the Geneva Bible Society.

Could you provide any evidence to the fact?