Bigthink - User Ideas Feed

Why do people continue to commit acts of animal cruelty?

Bigthink — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 17:18:35 +0100

Why is it that just about everywhere you look, someone is commiting an act of animal cruelty? Is it inherent; an evolution of the hunter instinct of our ancestors? Because it seems as though that from childhood, we are taught subliminally to mistreat animals: to eat their flesh, to wear their pelts, to take them from their natural environments and use them as slaves, or merely another entartainment medium (such as a circus, a zoo). Why do we do it people, and what will it take to end the suffering?

Beyond space...

Bigthink — Fri, 15 Feb 2008 02:20:30 +0100

As we all know, space is currently considered to be "the final frontier". However, once we have accomplished the goal of planetary colonisation, where do we go from there? What lies beyond space? Personally, I think that when you consider how it took less than 100 years to go from the wright brothers plane to the space shuttle, interdimensional travel could be possible within the next 1000 years. Of course there are variables (will we have blown ourselves up by then?), but apart from that, what are your thoughts?

What would happen if we discovered an alien civilization?

Bigthink — Thu, 24 Jan 2008 13:46:49 +0100

I`m sure that I am not the only person who has ever looked up at the stars at night, thinking to myself ``someone is out there, looking up at me as I look up at them``. Now, considering the size of the Milky way galaxy alone, there must be somewhere out in space other than Earth where life has developped. Now, hypothetically, let`s say that we were to run into said an advanced alien civilization. What would be the implications? How would a cultural exchange work between our two races when there are numerous cultures on Earth, and possibly on their planet. What about exopolitics and economic? Would peace be an option, or would a war be inevitable? There are endless possibilities here people, so voice your opinions please.

What is freedom, exactly?

Bigthink — Mon, 21 Jan 2008 15:02:10 +0100

: As the question states, what is freedom? Do we really have freedom, or are we limited by any number of things. Take, for example, an election: we are given the choice between two people, each with opposing vewpoints. Unfortunately, we are not given the option of bringing in a third, completely arbitrary person who has a sort of ``middle ground`` position. As such, can democracy really be called free? Of course not, because if it were, then we would be given said option. In a world that is truly free, I would be capable of flying at will. But I can`t, so then what does that say about freedom? Exactly. You can have your cake and eat it to, but you can`t pitch it out the window and demand pie.

Have the United States of America become a fascist nation?

Bigthink — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 17:29:41 +0100

When I look at America today, I notice some disturbing parallels with fascist nations such as Nazi Germany. Now, what could possibly posess me to make such a rash comparison? Well, there are alot of things. I would like for anyone who is interested to take a look at the following link, and respond however you feel appropriate. It really is an eye opening website.

http://www.oldamericancentury.org/14pts.htm

Unnatural Evolution

Bigthink — Fri, 18 Jan 2008 15:55:05 +0100

: We all know that evolution is a natural process, and one that is required if a species is to survive. Now, we humans have gotten to the point where we can no longer evolve naturally. So then what do we do? We use gene therapy, we grow new organs out of animals, we have ``designer babies``. Now of course, this can be called evolution. But can evolution through an unatural process truly be called natural? Is it even ethical? Please respond before my brainwaves are converted into digital files on a flash drive.

How conservatism is hindering our own evolution.

Bigthink — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 15:13:14 +0100

We humans are, in terms of sapience, the most intelligent organisms on the face of this planet. We can do absolutely anything that we set our minds to. So then, you would expect that we would have bubble domes on Mars, or better yet FTL drive systems on our spacecraft. So then, why don`t we? The Stanley Kubrick film 2001: A Space Odyssey was, at the time of its release, an accurate portrayal of life in the early twenty first century. But for some reason, almost none of the technology seen in the film has yet to be invented. So then, what happened? Well if you ask me, it was the human condition: we are fearful of new things; we are instinctually conservative. That is why we elect conservatives to make all of our decisions for us, and what do we have to show for it? A pointless, expensive war with no end in sight. Worse still, it is this instictual conservatism that is currently hindering our evolution. As Neil Shubin recently stated in an interview with Stephen Colbert, ``we have become the first organisms capable of altering our own evolution through the use of technology``. Although there is much of an ethical issue behind this (I myself am conflicted: evolution is natural, but what of evolution through unnatural means?), that is not the issue at hand. The issue at hand is how our conservative values are hindering are own evolution. Think about it: had the precursor to our own kind never descended from the trees and onto the savannahs of Africa, we wouldn`t be here talking about it. Now, what that says for the future is that we are currently at the next stage of our evolution, and we now face a choice: move out onto the savannah and become Man, or maintain our position in the trees and become trapped in evolutionary limbo. Which will it be? That is for we, the people, rather than a little man behind a big desk, to decide.