Robot I-Fairy Officiates At Wedding
I-Fairy, I do.
Isaac Asimov may be impressed with how the robotics industry has developed over the past few years, but even the great man himself might balk at the latest ‘task’ assigned to the robots world. A Tokyo couple were married by a white clad robot in a ceremony this week, the I-Fairy creation currently at hire for $68000 from Kokoro of Japan.
Robots ( if you own one) would of course come a lot cheaper than a human priest as robotic needs are simple – a few volts of electricity and a squirt of oil. They don’t require a gratuity, are safe around children and don’t polish off any of the alcohol bought specifically for guests.
However, with 43 percent of marriages ending in bitter divorce, philosophers may begin to question whether Asimov’s first Law of Robotics might apply in conducting wedding ceremonies.
Full Technical Report HERE
Hearing prayer shuts off believers’ brain activity
This is an article that seems to explain a lot about why devoutly religious people cannot intelligently and rationally deconstruct their belief system or faith. When the religious hear someone speak the “word of god” or pray, the regions of their brains involved in skeptical thinking and vigilance appear to shut down.
Parts of the prefrontal and anterior cingulate cortices, which play key roles in vigilance and scepticism when judging the truth and importance of what people say, were deactivated when the subjects listened to a supposed healer. Activity diminished to a lesser extent when the speaker was supposedly a normal Christian.
Schjødt says that this explains why certain individuals can gain influence over others, and concludes that their ability to do so depends heavily on preconceived notions of their authority and trustworthiness.
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New Cop Show: Dawkins & Hitchens
Looks like Uber-Atheists Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens are teaming up to arrest the Pope when he comes to the UK this September. The sting operation which should be filmed and become avid TV fodder, will highlight the current child abuse debacle that the church finds itself in, while also spotlighting the Atheist view.
Dawkins, author of The God Delusion, said: “This is a man whose first instinct when his priests are caught with their pants down is to cover up the scandal and damn the young victims to silence.”
Hitchens, author of God Is Not Great, said: “This man is not above or outside the law. The institutionalised concealment of child rape is a crime under any law and demands not private ceremonies of repentance or church-funded payoffs, but justice and punishment.”
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Jesus Was 5’8” and Swarthy
Behold The Man
The 3D image of Jesus of Nazareth is to be revealed on a History Channel Special next week, timing nicely with the exposition of the Turin Shroud, from which the Computer Generated Image is lifted.
The Nazarene , who has millions of devotees across the globe, was seemingly swarthy and short by todays standards. The Shroud itself goes on display from 10 April till May 23rd in Turin.
Those wishing to see a 3D likeness of Christ’s wounds will be able to purchase 3D specs from the Salesians, who are marketing the visual aids at £1.80 a pair.
Entry to the exposition is free but there is such a demand that people will have to make a reservation, for which a website has been set up.
Full Report HERE
Ark of the Covenant Found In Zimbabwe
The Lost Jewish Tribe of Lemba ( the ancestors of 7 priests who journeyed south ) has been unearthed in Zimbabwe, with geneticists saying the tribe , numbering 80,000, have a common ancestor from the time of Moses.
They also have a special and fascinating artifact which has recently gone on display.
” The oral traditions of the Lemba say that the ngoma lungundu is the Biblical wooden Ark made by Moses, and that centuries ago a small group of men began a long journey carrying it from Yemen to southern Africa. “ reports the BBC.
Professor Tudor Parfitt states:
“Many people say that the story is far-fetched, but the oral traditions of the Lemba have been backed up by science.”
Tests have put the ngoma at 700 years of age - old, but not ancient enough to be of biblical proportions. However, Prof. Parfitt has an explanation, his hypothesis being that the ngoma was used in battles, and would explode and be rebuilt.
Tantalizing news and one to get every Indy fan demanding a sequel.
Full Report HERE
A Flintstones Worldview
Nearly a third of Texans believe humans and dinosaurs roamed the earth at the same time, and more than half disagree with the theory that humans developed from earlier species of animals, according to the University of Texas/Texas Tribune Poll.
The differences in beliefs about evolution and the length of time that living things have existed on earth are reflected in the political and religious preference of our respondents, who were asked four questions about biological history and God:
• 38 percent said human beings developed over millions of years with God guiding the process and another 12 percent said that development happened without God having any part of the process. Another 38 percent agreed with the statement “God created human beings pretty much in their present form about 10,000 years ago.”
• Asked about the origin and development of life on earth without injecting humans into the discussion, and 53 percent said it evolved over time, “with a guiding hand from God.” They were joined by 15 percent who agreed on the evolution part, but “with no guidance from God.” About a fifth—22 percent—said life has existed in its present form since the beginning of time.
• Most of the Texans in the survey—51 percent—disagree with the statement, “human beings, as we know them today, developed from earlier species of animals.” Thirty-five percent agreed with that statement, and 15 percent said they don’t know.
• Did humans live at the same time as the dinosaurs? Three in ten Texas voters agree with that statement; 41 percent disagree, and 30 percent don’t know.
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Weapons Inscribed With Secret ‘Jesus’ Bible Codes
ABC News is reporting that high-powered rifle sights provided to the US Army and Marines by Michigan weapons maker Trijicon include coded references to Bible passages about Jesus Christ.
One of the citations on the gun sights, 2COR4:6, is an apparent reference to Second Corinthians 4:6 of the New Testament, which reads: “For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”
Other references include citations from the books of Revelation, Matthew and John dealing with Jesus as “the light of the world.” John 8:12, referred to on the gun sights as JN8:12, reads, “Whoever follows me will never walk in darkness, but will have the light of life.”
Interestingly, U.S. Military code strictly prohibits the preaching or advertising of any religion in the war zone. This seems to be a way to validate this “holy War”, abet secretly.
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Our world may be a giant hologram
How do we experience reality? To quote the Matrix, “If real is what you can feel, smell, taste and see, then ‘real’ is simply electrical signals interpreted by your brain“.
Given access to or the creation of the correct technology, the brain could be stimulated in such a way as to render a reality that is indistinguishable from what we now perceive to be real.
Next question is…
Could we all be encased in some sort of simulation right now? Could the world and all that we perceive, be nothing more than illusion? Scientists in Hanover Germany think that they may have found the proof, that the simulation hypothesis may have some legs. Judging from their research, it seems that all of physical reality is holographic in nature.
For the past seven years, this German set-up has been looking for gravitational waves – ripples in space-time thrown off by super-dense astronomical objects such as neutron stars and black holes. GEO600 has not detected any gravitational waves so far, but it might inadvertently have made the most important discovery in physics for half a century.
The idea that we live in a hologram probably sounds absurd, but it is a natural extension of our best understanding of black holes, and something with a pretty firm theoretical footing. It has also been surprisingly helpful for physicists wrestling with theories of how the universe works at its most fundamental level.
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Social Activists Call For Ban On Church Wine
Buckfast Abbey in Devon is world famous for it’s wine production. The brew was first produced in 1890s by the Benedictine monks at at the Abbey using a recipe brought to the UK from France, as indeed is the wine base used today.
The wine was originally sold in small quantities by the Abbey itself, as a medicine with the slogan “Three small glasses a day, for good health and lively blood”.
The Abbey lost its licence to sell in 1927 and a wine merchant was used to distribute the product.
But now the fortified broth is being blamed for spiralling anti-social behavoiur in an area not necessarily associated with fine wines. Buckfast – or Buckie as it is known in parts of Scorland – was linked to 5000 crimes in Scotland’s largest police force area in the last three years.
And almost one in 10 of those crimes in Strathclyde was violent, figures obtained under freedom of information laws show.
Researchers said the number of times Buckfast was associated with violence was shocking, as sales account for under half a per cent of the Scots drinks market.
The revelations are made in a BBC documentary to be shown tonight ( 18th January 2010) . It also looks at ingredients in the tonic wine and how they may affect behaviour.
Neuroscientist Dr Steven Alexander calculated there are 281mg of caffeine in a bottle of Buckfast – as much as in eight cans of cola.
Some drinkers get through two bottles of Buckfast a day.
Dr Alexander said: “It’s going to have the person bouncing around all over the place.”
The monks of Buckfast Abbey and their distribution partners strenuously deny that their product is particularly harmful, saying that it is responsibly and legally enjoyed by the great majority of purchasers. They also point out that the areas identified with its acute misuse have been economically deprived for decades.
Full Report Here
Thank the Maker!
Faith , Hope and Technology
A Church in the City of London , UK has tried to attract workers by offering blessings to their cell phones and laptops.
The Reverend David Parrott yesterday gave his maiden blessing over cellphones , iPods and laptops at St. Lawrence Jewry church in London’s financial centre.
“We decided to have the service with a modern twist – I prayed for the people who support the technology, who use it,” Rev. Parrott stated.
It is unclear whether , at the start of service , Mr. Parrott asked for all mobile phones to be switched off , a common practice in churches throughout the world.
Around 80 parishioners took out their gadgets as Rev. Parrott intoned a prayer over them. “As I prayed for God’s blessing on the technology, they were holding their phones in the air.”
The church has been standing since 1136 and was rebuilt in 1670 by Sir. Christopher Wren following the Great Fire of London. “God’s grace can reach them ( the workers) in many ways,” Rev. Parrott said.
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