Last night my immediate family in town went out to NPR's live recording of Science Friday. If you listen closely to the airing on Friday, you may be able to distinguish my clap from the rest of the crowd. /s The topic was a mix of robotics and space. Boy do I wish I had gone up and gotten my questions heard. Overall, it was a reminder of why I don't tune into that section. On the topic of human exploration of space, there was a question about why we should be looking to space for human preservation and the two answers given back from the NASA employees boiled down to: (I) Humans are explorers by nature. (II) Resources are easier/cost efficient to extract from the Asteroid belt rather than middle earth for the reasons of safety and quality of life. What. Anyways. I'd be happy to discuss what you guys think once you hear the segment aired. The final speaker was interesting, and talked about exercise in space by using machines with springs to increase the work astronauts do during a workout in rather than sustain the work done over time. In theory, the machine(s) will reduce the amount of equipment and time spent for exercise in space. Onto my own life, (hot off the press) I'm spending a month under the wing of a geothermal company's founder where the intention is to learn all I can about the industry and how it works, then apply it in the field during my remaining time there. Planning on taking a local engineer out in May (closer to the date, when I'm free from school) for lunch and getting good information to read up on as well so I'm more prepared. (Thanks to kleinbl00 for the suggestion) A peer of mine from grade-school died by suicide this week. While I wasn't close with him, it's someone I saw everyday for a few years. Hard to think looking back now how short a time he had here. This in combination of my surviving grandparent's recent illness has really been provoking existential thoughts. My brain keeps reference an older discussion when goobster had lost his friend Mark: As cliche as it is, I say a glimpse of what this means after re-reading Siddhartha for a go-around. There was a deeper appreciation for the life and general place around where I stood. This, most recently was compounded with a discussion shared with my uncle along similar lines, since he, too believed death is absolute. His reason being his experience as a doctor. He said I hadn't understood what that meant until a week before my peer's successful suicide attempt: your experience of the world, in your conscious self is no longer. That sounds basic, but for some reason it sunk a bit deeper knowing that my mind as a sanctuary will be eradicated. Further, death won't mean just black absence since I won't even have the consciousness to perceive said absence... for the eternity of my passing from the blink on Earth. Holy shit. I think I'm starting to finally understand why people may fear death, and yet I find that doubly as sorrowful knowing that such a permanent solution to a (circumstantially) temporary problem is found in suicide. In other words, I've found yards of compassion for loss of life where I've previously procured inches. While I may not have known my peer deeply, I'm told just showing up and shedding light into my (positive) perception of them will be more than enough. Both of my roommates knew/knew of him. I'm attending the visitation tomorrow and offering them rides. Finally, school. Sorta getting my groove on in class, but outside of it I'm still a work in progress... There's more to the story, but I really can't get over the thoughts on death and re-evaluating what's really worth living for in my life and my place here for the time I have."Whatever happens after death (if at all), it's nothing like what you'd experience in this life because your brain stops."
Interesting thinking about suicide... phrased another way, it could be said that atheists have a harder time committing suicide because they know this is the only chance they get. If you think you live beyond death, or that you are reincarnated, suicide is a viable - and temporary - solution. Hm. Interesting. And hey... I'm glad something I wrote had an effect on you! I'm honored.
Of course. I use hubski as a vent for thoughts I don't express openly much, so they have quite a bit of time to marinate in my brain. On the flipside, I really appreciate what others write on here as well. Yourself, lil, kb, and ob got the hamster wheel spinning in my head a lot - granted the little I know. If anything, thank you.And hey... I'm glad something I wrote had an effect on you! I'm honored.
There's lots of blending that goes on with these terms. There are Atheist Buddhists who don't believe that they are going to be reborn as a dog or something, but instead believe that treating others as if they were yourself in a different life is simply the best and most ethical way to go about living. There are Buddhists who call themselves Atheists because they don't believe in any specific deity, but who do believe in supernatural entities/processes. They believe that they will be reborn into a life befitting their karma. They are Atheists because they don't believe in a God, but some other people who call themselves atheists would say that they are not actually atheists because they believe in supernatural beings/processes.
Ideally seeing yourself as a work in progress aligns you with others who are aware that, like everyone else, they are learning to live in the ever-changing world.outside of it I'm still a work in progress
that's exactly the way you want to be - a work in progress. -- not smugly on top of everything -- but A. Work. In. Progress. There's more to the story,
Tell more when you get a chance. pm if you like.