Sebsastian, friend, dare I comment on your post ? Because if you're going to demolish my argument using one of thoses esquisite flowing repostes of yours, then I'm not going to say anyfing, because you make me sound stupid. And I'll stomp off in a terrible huff.
Anywho;
I think it's funny how so many people are willing to disregard the notion of the "supernatural" on the sole premise that it is something that science can't, as yet, explain
First, why is it funny ? Anyway, secondly, what we are dismissing is appeals to something that has absolutely no basis in consensual and recognised reality. We dismiss it in the same way as we do, as adults, Father Christmas. It is less-than-idle-speculation-based-on-tabloid-paranormal-cultural-wonts. Something deep inside me desperatly would love it to be Goblins or whatever, but I can't see any reason for it to be so. Never in the history of paranormal investigations has anything 'spooky' been proved to be other than selective induction (noting the hits, ignoring the misses), illusion, misunderstanding or fraud. I, however, find it funny that people have to put their hands over their mouths when they say 'science' or 'reason'. They seem to think they are dirty words - it's all Genetic Modification, Nuclear Bombs or forcing Beagles to smoke cigarettes in the name of research. Yet I doubt they'd so so ready to dismiss the laws of gravity as they were about to fall off a bridge, or submit to conventional medicine to the realm of quackery when they discover they have appendicitus.
I'm sure they would have exhaustively examined every possible verbal exchange they had
Doubtful. Do you remember how many times you've broke wind today ? Do you remember how many times you've used the word 'purple' ? And, in the heat of the moment, I doubt if SB or Gav remember exactly what they said. I'd put my money on either of them saying something like...'Come on SB/Gavin, let's get out of his way'. Isn't that more sensible than appeals to the fairies ? Unromantic, I know, which is why it's frequently ignored. And lest we forget, our brains are hard-wired to latch onto coincidences and forget the mundane. A good example, for me, was a couple of nights ago when reading Da Quincey's ravaging of Coleridge (I'm a pompus t.w.a.t, I know. Incidently - did you know that T.W.A.T is short for The War Against Terror ?
) , when three times in a row I looked at the clock at 11 minutes past the hour. Has that got to do with something supernatural ? Spooky, yes. Unexplicable, I doubt it.
1. Anything is possible. Given infinite time, a sparrow could fly unimpeded through a 50 foot thick concrete wall
This, to paraphrase Homeskooled, is Pop-Quantum Theory, and you are talking about two different things anyway. While Quantum theory indicates that anything 'may' be possible (
at the quantum level) it doesn't mean that it 'is' possible if, and this is this is important, the universe existed for an infinate length of time (oh, hang on, you said that), but which accoring to current cosmology, it certainly won't, or has not. If this were the case, we'd see mountains spontaneously disappearing (as is 'possible') or you'd slip through the pavement (which is possible - like your Sparrow - but not because of Quantum Theory - because of the fact that atoms are mostly space, and it is only because of the (strong and weak) nuclear and magnetic forces repel each other that this doesn't happen.) But we don't see these things. We see weeping statues, 'evidence' of telepathy and black cats. So when something 'spooky' happens, the more educated (or desperate) like to attribute it to Quantum Theory. I doubt many Quantum Physicists would agree. Either that, or like everyone who's shipped out to Thailand on the sub-culture boat, it's got something to do with a strange blending of Quantum Theory and Buddhism.
Particles (electrons for example), literally "know" whether people are watching them or not and can make decisions based on this knowledge
You're talking about the Uncertinty Principle here, yes ? If so, what you have said is a human emotive. Sub-atomic particles do not 'know' whether they we looking at them - rather, the direct act of observation (human or not) interferes with their action. So rather than thinking of them as particles or waves, we think of them as fuzzy clouds. Confuses the hell out of me, coz I'm not a not one of the three quarks for muster Mark.
But I agree with you, yet - and this is my most important point I think, while Quantum Theory
is almost too incredible to believe, the consequences of this theory can be touched, seen,
verified, used....televisions, silicon chips, microwaves. And that's believable enough for me.
Despite my plundering of all things mystical, I don't think I am as creatively barren as people might imagine - the souless, unmagical atheist that I am. Life, the universe and everything has enough to light a fire under the arse of my imagination.
But when there is no other explanation...look further.
What do you mean by 'further' ? :wink: As I understand it, modern science doesn't understand how a Bee can actually fly. By studying it's anatomy and the way their wings beat it seems that's it's physically impossible. Yet they fly, the bastards. How is that possible ?
