SmarterEveryDay #134

[Richard Head]

They are mutually exclusive. Stop sitting on the fence.

[EEVblog]

Science is all about discovery via repeatable, objective evidence. A belief in something based on nothing more  than cultural traditions and writing from an era when nobody knew any better can only  undermine credibility as a scientist.

Your fallacy is that the two are mutually exclusive.

Mike is bang-on.
It makes no difference whether or not the two are mutually exclusive, that is completely beside the point Mike was trying to make.
Note Mike's use of the phrase "can only  undermine".
Destin is free to do whatever he wants, that doesn't change the fact that Mike is right, it does not do him any good at all, it can only undermine his credibility in the eyes of many people. Well, except perhaps where he lives in Alabama.
If he doesn't care about that, then that's fine, more power to him, doesn't change the fact that's it's true.
If I was to put L. Ron Hubbard Scientology quotes at the end of my videos it could only undermine my credibility in the eyes of many people.

[Mechanical Menace]

I love how you pick and choose what I say- but don't get to the real conservation.

That was actually a point by point response to everything you had to say, there wasn't any cherry picking at all and he addressed everything you said. But please do explain how you think he avoided the real conversation.

And yeah, I know this will look like I'm brown nosing the forum admins lol.

They are mutually exclusive. Stop sitting on the fence.

If that was aimed at me I believe some religions (maybe all but  don't know them all) and science indeed are mutually exclusive and believing scientists must have some cognitive dissonance going on, but again if it doesn't effect their science and only their personal lives what's the issue?

[EEVblog]

I love how you pick and choose what I say- but don't get to the real conservation.

That was actually a point by point response to everything you had to say, there wasn't any cherry picking at all and he addressed everything you said. But please do explain how you think he avoided the real conversation.

He's trolling. I avoided the conversation he wanted to drag me into. Yep, no cherry picking on my part, just responded to his points.

[george graves]

No Dave - you're wrong.  Sorry - You pick and choose.  I wasn't dragging you into anything - only calling you out.

He's trolling.

No - I'm not.  Sorry.  I am a Christian.  Do I think Dinosaurs are 2000 year old? - of course not.  That's retarded. 

So do I believe in the big bang?  Well - just as much as you do.  All thing point to it.  I don't "believe" in it - any more then I "believe" in gravity.

Go and google the percentage of "scientist" that believe in a higher power - and let me know what you find.

[Mechanical Menace]

No - I'm not.  Sorry.  I am a Christian.  Do I think Dinosaurs are 2000 year old? - of course not.  That's retarded.

That's a nice strawman you're building there.

Go and google the percentage of "scientist" that believe in a higher power - and let me know what you find.

That there's no definitive studies, that the studies so far suggest it varies enormously between disciplines (real scientists like physicists are much less likely to believe than so called "social scientists"), and that the studies so far suggest that it's always lower than the genral populations level of belief.

[EEVblog]

No Dave - you're wrong.

Tell me what I'm factually wrong about. Please be very specific.

[EEVblog]

I am a Christian.

Out of curiosity, which one?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Christian_denominations
or do you have your own brand adding to the maybe 41,000 already out there?

[george graves]

It's a discussion of religion.  You're not wrong.  I've never said that.  You win Dave - you're 100% right.

[tom66]

I have absolutely no problem with anyone's religious beliefs provided they do not adversely affect others (or my own) personal well-being and they do not preach to me or tell me I'm going to hell - I don't want to hear that nonsense.

Quoting a bible verse in my opinion is absolutely fine. Anyone getting upset over this needs to re-evaluate their priorities, IMHO.

Neither does a belief in a higher power affect my opinion of an engineer or scientist, provided they do not allow their religious beliefs to conflict with known scientific facts. It's fine to think of a higher power initiating life on earth and if it makes them feel like their life has more purpose - whatever - it makes them feel better. It's not in agreement with known scientific facts to suggest all life was created 6,000 years ago and that there existed a giant flood that wiped out most of life on earth. Stating that  would reduce my opinion considerably.

[mikeselectricstuff]

..of course if one were to look at it totally cynically....
For someone who makes a living from making videos, Given that the majority of income will be from the US, I suspect that adding some hint of having religious belief is probably more likely to increase than decrease subscribers.


 
 

[george graves]

Ok, I'll leave this here - and all you want to know about him is there.



Skip to 13:20 - and there ya go.  He said it better then I could.  Watch the whole thing if you want to know more.

[dexters_lab]

well from my POV i dont see why the references need to be there in the first place

Ok, I'll leave this here - and all you want to know about him is there.



Skip to 13:20 - and there ya go.  He said it better then I could.

wow, now that is something i do find very surprising, a belief in something that cant be proven. I would rather it be not believing in something until it's proven

[Mechanical Menace]

...

Ok, so he shifts the burden of proof when it comes to his faith then goes into an argument from authority, very common if unusually nicely done.

Oh, you might get a response more to your suiting if you argue against what people are actually saying.

[han]

Is there any one that use quote from FSM bible for his/her video?

[EEVblog]

Quoting a bible verse in my opinion is absolutely fine. Anyone getting upset over this needs to re-evaluate their priorities, IMHO.

Mentioning you don't like something does not imply any " priority ".
You could say we all lack priority by getting upset about the latest bit of test gear  instead of the endless suffering and death of thousands of 3rd world children every day.

[madires]

..of course if one were to look at it totally cynically....
For someone who makes a living from making videos, Given that the majority of income will be from the US, I suspect that adding some hint of having religious belief is probably more likely to increase than decrease subscribers.

So his true belief is in money. Nothing's wrong with that

[zapta]

It's ironic that some of the atheists here that get bothered by bible references have biblical names themselves.

[tom66]

It's ironic that some of the atheists here that get bothered by bible references have biblical names themselves.

That's not irony.

[kakureru]

I remembered being a little irked but the useful / entertaining content outweighs the bible verse,
but in the end, the content is very very palatable for anyone with an interest in science.
Think of him as a gateway drug into science for those otherwise with their heads in the sand.

THough on the other hand, I dumped kipkay for making one of his videos centering on his brand of christianity (a while ago)
and the overall content of his videos in my opinion did not have enough weight for me to look past it.

Like going to In and Out burger, you go for the food, not the bible verses on the bottom of the cups and packaging.