Recent content by Tasthius

Possible to stop thinking? I think you misunderstand Descartes' definition of "thinking." Thinking is used more in the sense of consciousness in the Cogito proof. Once you lose consciousness (as in death), how do you prove your existence?

Interesting discussion on IQ as always. Though I think Mandrake got the best of this one, I wanted to point out one error he/she made. He/she stated that IQ tests are only good for "one usage" in a person's life. This isn't true. Statistical studies show that a person's IQ over life (except...

Well I had all A's and B's in the liberal arts basic courses, and the same in the core science Biology courses (I was a Bio major), with a few C's here and there. And that was me putting about half an effort into it. I have a question here for anyone in the know. Would it be possible for me...

**** Outta Luck That's right. They are mine, I own them. I am not married, have no kids. It's just they have sentimental value, that's all.

This is a hypothetical question for most of you, and I realize that answers will be relative for each person based on a number of factors, however I will summarize my current predicament: I want to attend college and major in physics. I already have about two years under my belt in another...

Number 2, this is a fake study. Several people I know have researched this so-called "Lovenstein Institute" and determined it does not exist, nor has ever existed. But of course, you seem to allude to this fact anyway, but I find it curious why you posted the list. Nixon's IQ is almost...

Although IQ is a statistically predictive concept, as far as academia is concerned, it is overall a futile concept. Smart people will succeed and dumb ones wont. What is the point of testing? It's like the argument for better "gifted children" education. Many people proclaim the utter lack...

MY IQ was measured at age 16 on the WAIS-R as 82, full scale. I was a bit below the normal range (90-110), but am still able to function quite well as an adult.

Not true. There have been numerous studies done on both gifted children and adults. High IQ and success only correlate up to a certain IQ level (about 150 S.D. 16) Often times, those with IQs in the stratosphere are not very successful. For more info, see...

How does the Renaissance have anything to do with the Indian caste system, since they are separate events in history by about 3,000 years?

Well if you want to be nitpicking then it isn't correct to name Parmenides, Democritus and numerous other commonly referred to "Pre-Socratics" as Pre-Socratic. Socrates lived during the lives of all of the above and studied under Parmenides as a kid. "Pre-Socratic" is simply a generalization...

Yeah the environment over genetics argument. Tell me, if whiteness is a trait obtained via living near the poles, explain blonde, red and brown hair, as well as eye color differential commonly only found in caucasian populations. What evolutionary utility does blonde hair play for cold...

This is precisely what pre-Newtonian physicists said. They believed essentially the same thing as Newton except had it reversed, and as we all know they were wrong. They thought that the natural position of an object was at "rest" until a force acted upon it. This seems completely in line...

The Ionians which include the atomists, the Pythagoreans and others, essentially were concerned more with the physics and cosmogony than with epistemology, metaphysics, ethics, logic etc.. Basically, they were much closer to today's modern physicists than were their successors, Plato and...

Better yet, have them read the much better book by the same title. Greene, though being a Quantum theorist does a good job at explaining relativity, however, there is a good pop physics book by one of the foremost experts in GR, Kip Thorne, entitled "Black Holes and Time Warps: Einstein's...