Some weird looking animals:
What is the weirdest looking animal you have see?
Weird science fact – Why men have nipples.
Men have nipples because the fetus develops along a female development pathway for the six weeks of life. Nipples are set out before other sexual differentiation begins. Courtesy of Dr. Michael Stebbins in his book “Sex, Drugs & DNA”.
What is the weirdest fact you can think of?
Weired theological questions.
A fertilized embryo won’t develop into a child unless it implants itself into the wall of a women’s uterus. Anywhere from 60-80 %, depending on which source you believe, of all fertilized embryos never do. They are washed away, and die, during a women’s menstruation.
For my Christian friends what do you think is the Christian doctrine for the following questions.
Since conception has occurred do all of these do embryos have souls?
They haven’t even developed a brain so that can’t do, or even think about doing, anything good or bad. Do they all go to heaven when they die?
If they do go to heaven what do they look like? The child they would have become?
If you didn’t already know how weird I was you do now.
The World Through My Eyes 
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February 7, 2009 at 11:41 am
Indian Lake Papa
I haven”T Got a clue to your questions Ed. I will let God sort that all out – He hasn’t let me in on that stuff – yet! Someday I will find out – I’ll try get the answer to you, that may be tough. 😯 😀
February 8, 2009 at 10:25 pm
lovewillbringustogether
Weird fact: Right this second there are molecules of Oxygen and Nitrogen gas in your lungs that were also at one time in the lungs of Adolph Hitler , Martin Luther King and John Lennon (as well as any other human being who has lived in the last 100 years or so – How’s THAT for ‘recycling’???
As for the embryo questions here’s my ‘take’.
We don’t understand ( most of us) what life is or how it ‘works’. It is my belief that life exists before it appears on the ‘physical’ level and gathers physical material together and to itself in such a way as to create a physical form that remains in direct contact with a non-physical entity, or segment, of all life. Science has not developed the ability yet to detect this connection, even though there are a number of humans who have written of experiencing this. Some humans identify this non-physical entity with their soul or with a (holy) Spirit. An aspect of a (The) Universal God.
In my view therefore the embryo ‘has’ a soul, although in the physically detectable domain the soul is about as ‘developed’ as the embryo is having little to no physical experiences in this ‘plane’.
The connection between the physical and the non-physical is very tenuous – but i believe we can learn to ‘tune in’ to it more if we put in time, correct and appropriate effort and have the desire and belief that we can.
The conversation Annie and i have been having at my blog concerning seed and potential relates here – not every ‘seed’ is developed into it’s true potential in our physical domain – probably for very good reason.
That is not to say that Heaven is filled more with ‘unfinished’ embryo’s however than with a ‘completed’ human life/body.
I don’t think we humans have a very ‘clear’ picture of what heaven may be actually like – there might be some ‘similarities’ (as in lines of development/stages we pass through, etc) but i don’t think many views of heaven we hold here are going to come anywhere near to the totality of the truth of it.
As just one ‘example’… The Hubble telescope can see over 10 billion light years in all directions ‘above us’ and heaven is not ‘there’.
Heaven is not in the physical Universe – that is not to say however it doesn’t actually ‘exist’, merely that in our physical form we are unable to detect it.
I believe we humans are far more than our physical body’s limitations…. or our mind’s limited imaginations.
Once a physical body dies it dos not mean to me that the Spirit that created it ceases to exist – either as an individual entity – or as a part of something ‘greater’.
<B
February 9, 2009 at 4:11 pm
edfromct
Papa, there are many mysterious that we are unlikely to see solved, at least not in our lifetime.
Depending on which of us goes first, if I see the name “Papa” suddenly appear on something in front of me I will know I had better run to the local Church and start praying to this God you speak of. 🙂
February 9, 2009 at 5:31 pm
edfromct
Love, as you point out Earth is the great recycler. All the molecules that make up our bodies break down after we die and get transformed into something else. Perhaps a molecule from one of your ancestors is in a plant you grow in your garden. That is both weird and beautiful.
I can follow what you say about a non-physical entity which is connect to it’s corresponding physical form. This isn’t the same thing, but as I understand it current theories in physics are based on particles of matter that can’t be seen. Their existence is inferred by the way they interact with other matter. In this way we can only infer the existence of the non-physical entity (soul) you speak of by the way it influences it’s corresponding physical form.
“in my view therefore the embryo ‘has’ a soul, although in the physically detectable domain the soul is about as ‘developed’ as the embryo is having little to no physical experiences in this ‘plane’.
The connection between the physical and the non-physical is very tenuous – but i believe we can learn to ‘tune in’ to it more if we put in time, correct and appropriate effort and have the desire and belief that we can.”
Is the devlopment of your “soul” in synic, or somehow intune, with the devlopment with our physical form? That is our soul grows in whatever state it is in, just as our body grows as we mature?
Christian doctrine(?) does indicate that Heaven is on a plane(my word) of existiance that we can not see in our physical form.
Many religions believe that the beings in Heaven, God, Angels, even the devil in Hell, do intereact with humans on earth. Also through prayer humans interact with God in Heaven.
The multi-dimensions, mulit-univereses, of string theorist are certainly as difficult for me to understand as the world of religion. Of course my faith is in the process of science, not religion.
February 9, 2009 at 10:45 pm
lovewillbringustogether
Ahhh – now we are getting to what i feel is the very crux of human intelligence and understanding – the point where educated men of Religion might be able to ‘share’ on a similar ‘level’ with educated men of Science and find common ‘ground’.
‘The multi-dimensions, mulit-univereses, of string theorist are certainly as difficult for me to understand as the world of religion. Of course my faith is in the process of science, not religion.’
While these areas are mostly as yet ‘Theories’ and little to no ‘proof’ exists with which to show the ‘common man’ in a form he could usefully recognise they are the very height of Science and Reason’s attempts to ‘explain’ the modern Universe we can all observe and spend ‘most’ of our awarenesses in.
Anyone who claims to possess no ‘faith’ or who puts their faith in Science is required to accept purely on faith (for the most part) the ‘evidence’ of the Cosmologists, Physicists and Mathematicians. In ‘theory’, ‘anyone of us’ who put in the study and research required by following the Scientific Method could ‘prove’ for themselves, the validity or otherwise of these theories, but the Truth is few to no atheists will ever do it to prove it for themselves but will trust in good faith the work of others.
The same is true of Religion – if we did the ‘ground work’ we could all prove to ourselves the ‘truth or otherwise’ of God but few do – most ‘believers’ just ‘accept’ He is ‘real’ and believe in their own way in something they have no direct proof of (that cannot be ‘explained’ in other ways by ‘men of reason’/Priests).
I am not sure if you were referring to sub-atomic particles (which can actually be detected in ‘real world’ experiments for infinitesimal periods of time but which leave distinct trace evidence of their brief existance), or to ‘Dark Matter’ and ‘Dark Energy’ which remains completely undetectable by science but which the maths implies MUST exist and is, in fact, what constitutes 96% of ‘our’ known Universe while every atom, molecule and erg of energy/light radiation comprises the ‘remaining’ 4%.
Whether or not this stuff (which might exist right alongside of us here on earth, in your very room perhaps?) and cannot yet be physically detected is in any way related to our Soul and to the ‘Spirit world’ i have no idea, but it is ‘proof’ that we don’t see or are aware of ALL THERE IS merely because we can see, touch or experiment on it scientifically.
To answer your questions.
‘Is the devlopment of your “soul” in synic, or somehow intune, with the devlopment with our physical form? That is our soul grows in whatever state it is in, just as our body grows as we mature?’
I cannot state conclusively, but i believe that Our individual human Soul/Spirit ( i have difficulty distinguishing delineating characteristics between these two non-physical criteria) exists as a fairly complete identity along with/tied to our physical bodies and that it can ‘recall’ and benefit from our physical body’s learning and experiences in the physical world as we generate them.
I further believe that from our earliest life experiences (some say babies in the womb ‘experience’ some of the feelings/sensations their mother undergoes before birth) our physical body develops a ‘shell’ that prevents clear connection between the physical and non-physical ‘us’.
I believe that through awareness of and practicing the techniques we can all ‘learn’ how to break down this ‘shell’ and make stronger connections to our non-physical self – thus ‘building up’ our ‘spiritual’ bodies by reason of our increased awareness of it’s existance than most ever achieve.
Sort of a similar fashion to how some people through undergoing various consistent exercise and eating of a certain diet can look like Arnie Shwarzawhatsit in his Mr Universe days while others might look more like a 98 pound baby weakling – what we choose to do with our selves determines how ‘developed’ we become in those areas.
I believe all ‘souls’ have a basic inherent ‘body’ before we are born – but it can both grow intrinsically and we can ‘grow’ our perceptions of it as we apss through this life.
Some develop and strengthen their connection to the ‘visible’ ‘real’ world (of science) while others develop more their non-physical side (of Spirit which some equate to man’s religious dogmas).
You might like to ask some of our common friends in the blogworld who say they ‘know’ God exists’ just what exactly it was that they underwent that convinced them of His Validity?
Similarly you could ask your blogfriends who follow the ‘God’ of Reason just what they think of Dark Matter/Energy and explain why this is ‘different’ to believing there is no ‘Universal Spirit’ that is in constant contact with physical ‘creation’ ( if they can get past their own biases on those emotive terms).
Ultimately i believe that all of us are here to learn ‘something’ about our true nature – to unveil the ‘deceptions’ and misunderstandings we might live with for our entire lives in some cases.
Some may say that requires us to know ourself and to know ‘God’.
Neither is easy and both would, for the majority, require much of, if not more than, one lifetime.
i cannot say what is ‘best’ for any single person besides myself, of course. 😉
i might have an opinion tho’ 🙂
<B
February 9, 2009 at 11:49 pm
edfromct
Thank you love for another very well though out response. I absolutely agree that religion and science are compatible. When I listen to our friend Michio Kaku sometimes he sounds like he is describing a scientifc idea, sometimes a religious one.
“I believe that through awareness of and practicing the techniques we can all ‘learn’ how to break down this ’shell’ and make stronger connections to our non-physical self – thus ‘building up’ our ’spiritual’ bodies by reason of our increased awareness of it’s existance than most ever achieve.”
I am skeptical about there being a non-physical self however I agree it is important to continue a life long program of self examination. Why do I think the way I do, what connects me to everyone and everything. My goal is to understand myself better, not break down a shell between my non-physical & physical halves(?). The result of this self examination could be the same as the process you describe. I may discover a side of myself that I did not think existed. If there is a God he could decide to speak to me in some manner.
“Ultimately i believe that all of us are here to learn ’something’ about our true nature – to unveil the ‘deceptions’ and misunderstandings we might live with for our entire lives in some cases.”
I agree again. The jouney of discovering ourselves can be a life long one. An open mind, being willing to call in to question everything we have done, or think is right, is required.
The process of science must start with the idea that anything is possible. Critical thinking is required. I also need some kind of evidence, affirmation, before I will accept an idea, theory, as being believeable.
February 10, 2009 at 6:44 pm
lovewillbringustogether
It is heartwarming to know we have such ‘similar’ beliefs ( please do not assume that i have always believed in ‘God’ to the extent i do now – or, indeed, at all for long periods of my life) 🙂
‘The process of science must start with the idea that anything is possible. Critical thinking is required. I also need some kind of evidence, affirmation, before I will accept an idea, theory, as being believeable.’
I find it extremely interesting to, on a personal level, investigate just exactly what ‘evidence’ people will accept in order for something to be ‘believeable’.
I find that generally, the ‘boundaries’ of what can and cannot be believed are VERY ‘fuzzy’ for just about all of us (only fanatics are totally convinced of their area of belief/disbelief and i don’t think any such people are in any way ‘reliable)’ 🙂
Of course, this fuzziness is never very apparent until one starts asking the right kind of questions of one’s own ‘belief’.
An open mind is – as you said – essential to the process of Knowing Thyself.
Critical reasoning is likewise.
And a ‘final’ criteria – i’m certain you will agree – is some appreciation of how truly little about the Universe and our own consciousness/awareness of it we actually possess as individual human beings.
Certainty is for fools. we can only be ‘certain’ if we know Everything.
Science relies upon rigorous application of Scientific Method to ‘assure’ ‘certainty’ (actually it does the oppostie: it ‘eliminates’ certain specific forms of uncertainty – or attempts to)- the problem is the fundamental axioms it uses do not cover every possible situation – just every situation science is currently aware of ( and actually not always even that).
Michio helped me understand this more 😉
Thank you for an ‘enlightening’ discussion – am always happy to chat on these lines 🙂
<B
February 10, 2009 at 11:45 pm
edfromct
“Of course, this fuzziness is never very apparent until one starts asking the right kind of questions of one’s own ‘belief’.”
I agree 100%. Finding the right questions is the key to understanding anything, at least as well as we can ever hope to understand life. Even when I think I have found “the” answer I recognize that there could very well be someone else who has found a better one.
“And a ‘final’ criteria – i’m certain you will agree – is some appreciation of how truly little about the Universe and our own consciousness/awareness of it we actually possess as individual human beings.”
I agree again. We humans collectively know very little about how the Universe actually works. I am optomistic that we are beginning to ask better questions, and that our body of knowledge has been growing rapidlely over the last 20 or so years. However we still have only been taking little baby steps.
I have no idea how much of “everything” we will ever know, even in a thousand years. I believe that what we will learn will lead to us building much better socities, here on Earth and perhaps even on some distant plant.
Science a process for testing ideas. For every theory that does pass this test the most we can say is that it is the best theory that fits the evidence we currently have. We gather more evidence, find better ways to test it, then we throw out the old ideas and think of better answers.
With the process of science we never stop asking questions.