RE: Atheism as a spandrel? (was Re: Deep River/Deep Sleep etc)

From: Brett Paatsch (paatschb@optusnet.com.au)
Date: Mon Jun 09 2003 - 06:47:22 MDT

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    Patrick Young wrote:
    >
    > Pardon me for interjecting,
    >
    > The bench scientists are probably lurking, waiting in hope
    > (& desperation) to unearth the occasional posts about
    > science & technology amongst all the political ranting.
    >
    > The ideological stuff is rather off-putting & seems besides
    > the point.

    No pardon necessary. All interjections (especially but not
    only from bench scientists greatfully accepted).

    Welcome to the list btw.

    Are you a bench scientist? What sort of thing do you hope/
    expect to see extropians discussing?

    Regards
    Brett Paatsch

    > > -----Original Message-----
    > > From: Spudboy100@aol.com [mailto:Spudboy100@aol.com]
    > > Sent: 08 June 2003 06:18
    > > To: extropians@extropy.org
    > > Subject: Re: Atheism as a spandrel? (was Re: Deep River/Deep
    > > Sleep etc)
    > >
    > > Brett, what is disturbing to me is my sense of how few bench
    > > researchers have interest in Transhumanism or cryo, or
    > > uploading. Maybe its too new a concept for them. Or maybe
    > > we are all deluded and everything is hopeless, or maybe there
    > > are other answers. (No I am NOT making a stealth attempt
    > > to pimp religion here!).
    > >
    > > When I first climbed aboard the Extropian list, I was hoping
    > > to see some scientists promoting Transhumanism, some
    > > cosmologists or astronomers writing about new, wondrous,
    > > essays; such as Moravec or Tipler. Basically, it ain't
    > > happening and I am not sure why this is? But we seem to
    > > have a dearth of interested theorists. Harvey Newstrom had
    > >a similar question about this last week. I dunno. :-(
    > >
    > > Brett stated:
    <<I wonder then if Einstein would regard those who seek to avoid
    total personal annihilation not through religion or superstition but
    through the scientific pursuit of life extension, uploading, cryonics
    etc as feeble souls and ridiculous egoists?

    I don't think most transhumanists would think of themselves as
    "feeble souls" and "ridiculous egoists".

    I'm an atheist, but the psychology of believing is easier for me to
    explain than the psychology of disbelieving. I can see how believing
    and hoping for some sort of personal survival and continuance
    however irrationally, could be an evolutionary advantage enabling
    one to pass on one's genes, yet disbelieving in all forms of personal
    continuation seems to be self defeating mechanism more likely to
    instil depression and hopelessness.>>



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