What does it mean for something to be alive?

[tom502]

Well, my theory makes most sense to me.

[sgreger1]

Well, my theory makes most sense to me.

That is because your software has taken your life experience and boiled it all down into a digestible manner for you. I agree almost completely with your theory and I suspect there may be some type of reincarnation may be happening. However, it is in no way a scientific observation. But again, our science is very limited, we are still only answering the most basic of questions and have not yet ventured into the metaphysical aspect of things since we do not have the tools to properly observe or recreate it at this point.

[Darwin]

The brain is indeed the CPU. When the CPU ceases function no more computation is possible. Without computation thought is not possible. Without thought self-awareness disappears. If thought and consequent self-awareness disappears what worthwhile is left to be reincarnated, what would be the point, and how could this possibly benefit our currently living self-awareness? Yeah yeah, kharma, dharma, the glorious afterlife, 72 virgins, streets paved with gold, Satori, ascension of the ancients, reincarnation as a dung beetle, ghosts, saints, angels, demons, devils, yada yada, so forth and so on, thy will be done, world without end, PBUH, say hallelujah sistah!

It is truly staggering how much cogitation human critters expend on all these perfectly unknowable and therefore undisprovable metaphysical magisteria. Even more staggering are the oceans of blood shed murdering apostates and/or forcing "unbelievers" into abandoning belief of one unprovable and hewing to belief in another. And no I can't be tarred with the "humanist" smear if I think that humans are almost all pretty much fruity as nutcakes when confronting the yawning unknown. Bunch of scared of the dark pussies y'ask me.

We now return you to your meta-dreams and sundry comforting illusions which are already in progress. Enjoy.

[Bigblue1]

undisprovable= does not compute. unprovable is enough. any way that's where you lost me.....

[Darwin]

They are different. Unprovable should be obvious. A bit less obvious is something that can not be disproved--undisprovable--an awkward locution but an important distinction.

[Roo]

Big ups to Darwin. If his posts had nuts, I would swing from sac to sac like a tiny little Tarzan.

[Darwin]

Geez Roo. At first blush that looks like a compliment. Further analysis suggests I refrain from having a car breakdown anywhere near the I90 and I5 interchange.

[Bigblue1]

They are different. Unprovable should be obvious. A bit less obvious is something that can not be disproved--undisprovable--an awkward locution but an important distinction.

Still garbage my friend, Undisprovable is not a word in any galaxy that I come from, and by using it you are discrediting any point it is you are trying to make.
Don't want to belabor the point but it is what it is, and you may be making a valid point, but by using made up words you are drawing from that point.

[Roo]

Lol, no that would be perfect. I'd take you under the bleachers at Safeco Field, it's just a few blocks away from there, and very close to my office.

[Darwin]

http://www.wordnik.com/words/undisprovable

[WickedKitchen]

The problem I have with the reincarnation thing is that the population is expanding. If everyone gets reincarnated where did the new people come from?

[Frosted]

I think that we just aren't built to comprehend this question.

We live in a 3 dimensional world which is extremely restrictive (ok 4 dimensions if you include time) whereas physics reckons that there are many many more, but our brains just can't picture or fully grasp what this is like. I believe that rather than being exceptional in our awareness and thinking, that we are in fact extremely limited. We are also extremely limited in the choices that we make in life - on most ocassions in life there really is only one sensible non-life threatening or non- financially damaging decision to make so I'm arguing against freedom of will. When you get to PP's age you'll fully understand this I think. We are for sure the most evolved animal on earth (if you ignore the slaughter).

I'm certainly not religious - I'm dead set against it. I go through life being spiritualist (I've had a few weird things happen) and at other times I go through life believing that we live in a cold, uncaring indifferent universe. I just end up chasing my tail so these days I just don't think about it too much. We're going to die sooner than we think - it's the one cold true hard fact in life - then, every single one of us will know - or not.

[Darwin]

Reasonably sound approach Mr. F.

[Bigblue1]

http://www.wordnik.com/words/undisprovable

sorry that's still lame and not from any dictionary that matters, My friend I am not trying to pick a fight, but please just acknowledge that you were wrong and we can be on our way,,,,,

[Darwin]

Well new word coinage is a fine old art and is not limited to those champions of the practice such as the worlds of science and technology. And I certainly don't claim credit in this instance. Recent citations for "undisprovable" include "The God Delusion" by Richard Dawkins, probably where I remember it from, and "The Post-Modern President" by Joshua Micah Marshall. It may not have made its way into Webster's yet but so what? Lots of stuff isn't in Webster's including zillions of technical terms and niche specific terminology of near infinite variety. I'd be surprised, for instance, if the snus specific terms that litter this site like candy corn are in there either though there are many thousands of people who use them in this country now. I don't doubt we all could fill a couple of DVDs with similar examples. I am as chary of misspellings, egregiously poor grammar, and mangled syntax as the next wannabe scribe but that hardly makes me a fan of etymological inflexibility. If it's good enough for Dawkins it's good enough for me. I did admit the awkwardness of the term but the provenance, although a touch on the skimpy side, meets the case for me in this instance. I naturally respect your right to disagree.