Dark Matter and expectations

My head is still digesting the news that direct evidence for dark matter now exists! I guess it was because I just expected it to be a MOND effect or poor averaging effect. Well my expectations are now shattered and I must adjust to the new reality. Unfortunately (as Igor and I were discussing) this doesn't give us any extra data on what dark matter 'is' (or isn't). In some sense that' still fun since we can speculate all kinds of things that remain in the constraints we currently have. But in another way it is very frustrating to be so clueless. I love a mystery but I love solving it (or reading about the solution in this case) to.

On another note after spending time on fighting to have the Ontario public school system secularized (my American audience must be stunned at this) and hearing about 'just' wars, it is so great to hear that the interesting stuff is being attended to (yes I feel for these people suffering but another war will surely pop up and if we increase humans understanding in the mean time that will benefit all humanity).

So maybe I should put it like this: I expected another war but I didn't expect proof of dark matter's existence and so I was stunned. Wouldn't it be great o stunned by no war...

Reconciling (seemingly) contrary beliefs

At a recent event at the Secular freethought Center one of the persons attending happened to be a Ralian and a humanist. At first I was taken back since I didn't see how one could advocate searching for knowledge via evidence (humanist) with the belief that aliens contacted some guy and told him unverified truths (Raliens). So yes these are contradictory, but it is a much smaller step than the people in the big religions make. In Islam, christianity and Judaism they all have, "Thou shall not kill" but through some twisted logic get holy wars and "just" wars!

I think some people will always have some small degree of nonsense they believe (god, Santa, recycling paper saves trees) and all we can try to do is provided them with enough real knowledge that they feel less and less compelled to have these beliefs. They say set your sites high, so how's that!

Starchild's case

In the US a battle was on between parents and a 16-year old who wanted to stop chemotherapy to go on herbal/naturalistic medication instead. The government initially intervened and said he had to take the chemotherapy (see here). He recently worked out a deal where he "will be treated by an oncologist of his choice who is board-certified in radiation therapy and interested in alternative treatments." While I think his decision foolish I agree with the fact that he and his parents should be allowed to choose their therapy. It isn't impossible that chemotherapy was hurting/not helping and we should not be so arrogant as to force treatments on people. Personally though I would always side with whatever science has found the best results with, but that's an individual choice. If things go wrong at least he made the call and not someone else. But I am not optimistic about his chances and so we will see.

Logical end to preemies

Considered a miracle by some what is the inevitable end to this situation? Well as technologies advance we can save earlier and earlier preemies. But the cost is a child that may be extremely life long scars that may not allow the person to fully develop. Although we now try everything to keep alive any preemies, should we? More importantly who decides when to pull the plug? Note, these are babies being born months too early and weigh under a kg, not a few weeks early where the smallest was just under 300g!! Here I think some research would be good advice and since most preemies do well if they don't die (need to be resuscitated) and so it may be best to not resuscitate unless the parents say know the risks and say yes. But then again 1/3 come out physically fine but mentally a little weak. But it seems 28 weeks is a good approximate cutoff.

But in the end, just like multiple sclerosis, Parkinson and other diseases these are only a temporary problem. I think as biotechnology continues it's exponential growth it seems very likely that we should be able to take a preemie and incubate it in an artificial womb. The question that I think will be more interesting is why should a woman bear the child? Why not have the whole pregnancy in an artificial womb? Simple answer for at least early on: cost. But afterwards it may be a choice.

Meditations on Yoga, meditations etc

I still don't understand why people want to stop their minds? The idea that you need to "stop your mind" to reach "inner peace" seems to imply people walk around in "inner turmoil." Since I have never been someone else this seems very odd. It must be very hard to live everyday with only short peaceful stints. Well if it makes them feel better great. But I wonder why they are always in such turmoil? Is it just that they are slaves to many obligations or maybe they never learned to enjoy life's little pleasures? Friends who do Tai-chi also claim similar "inner peace" stuff and physical benefits (to moving very slowly) but then still throw out their backs lifting items. As someone who is always trying to think faster, do more and lift heavier weights: I don't get it. Ideas?