The smartest man in universe believes in Intelligent Design

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Christopher Michael Langan, often referred to as the "smartest man in the universe," advocates for Intelligent Design (ID), linking it to his interpretation of Biblical accounts as metaphorical truths. Critics argue that his beliefs lack scientific grounding and question his credibility, noting that high IQ does not equate to sound reasoning or expertise in scientific disciplines. The discussion highlights skepticism about Langan's motivations, suggesting he may promote ID for political or financial gain rather than genuine belief. Participants express frustration at the conflation of science and theism, emphasizing that ID does not fit within scientific frameworks. Overall, the conversation reflects a mix of humor, skepticism, and critique regarding Langan's views and his self-portrayal.
  • #31
Moonbear said:
Smartest man in the universe? Pfft, big deal! As usual, all of us smarter women will have to set him straight. :biggrin:

I refuse!
 
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  • #32
Moonbear said:
Smartest man in the universe? Pfft, big deal! As usual, all of us smarter women will have to set him straight. :biggrin:
:smile: :smile: :smile:
That is what this guy needs ! The smartest women in the universe to live with ! He is probably married with a regularly smart women, which is the cause of subconscius tension and frustration in their couple. That perfectly makes sens to me :biggrin:

Don't supersmart people wear costumes ? :confused:
At least a lab coat ?
 
  • #33
arildno said:
I refuse!
:smile: :biggrin:
 
  • #34
You are all giving him a hard time, but it seems to me that he is just telling it how he sees it, and being so different from everyone else, he is alone and is not politically skilled.

He sees our differences as petty, and so naturally believes that genetically engineering ourselves to be smarter will result in us coming to the same political conclusions, whatever they are, and thereby becoming a hive-like society. It's not fascism per se, rather voluntary fascism, where everyone volunteers to do their part. It would be a fascism with no coercion.

But the problem with that is it only works if everyone is on that level. Unfortunately, while there are systems in our society, those systems are run by greedy people. A hive-like society can only work if everyone is beyond greed.
 
  • #36
I should add, lest people think I am two faced, that you could say I gave him a hard time for his God-speak, but since watching the videos, I now think he doesn't believe it himself but is pursuing that for political reasons.
 
  • #37
verty said:
I should add, lest people think I am two faced, that you could say I gave him a hard time for his God-speak, but since watching the videos, I now think he doesn't believe it himself but is pursuing that for political reasons.
Or the money he's getting from the ID people.
 
  • #38
Seems an odd thing for someone that smart to do, to preach about ID because he wants money. What would he buy, anyway?
 
  • #39
I'd preach about the Flying Spaghetti Monster if it'd ensure me money:smile:

Seriously I place ID and YEC on the same level, supposition trying to destroy science, at least the FSM's writers have some real knowledge about science.

Ahaha me jimlads, come over to the FSM, we has pirates, grog, a midgit and a tree, and if mountains be your thing we have them too.

When ye be dead we have wall to wall hooker factories and beer volcanoes, so what ye be waiting for?

Ninjas is a ghostly lot.

Oscar Wilde.
 
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  • #40
I'd preach about the Flying Spaghetti Monster if it'd ensure me money

But if that money could only buy what interests buffoons, what would you buy? That's the situation he faces...

I suppose he could buy a relaxing life away from civilization, but not much else.
 
  • #41
verty said:
But if that money could only buy what interests buffoons, what would you buy? That's the situation he faces...

I suppose he could buy a relaxing life away from civilization, but not much else.

True but since I consider my situation, I'd sell my soul to the Devil or the great vegan in a heartbeat, just so I could pursue my studies without the need to worry about money. I.e. I had to leave college for the lack of it and have only started learning when I earned enough money to do so.
 
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  • #42
PIT2 said:
smartest guy in universe

? Huh really ? So they "tested" everybody in the universe in the same way ? Huh ?


marlon
 
  • #43
Christopher Michael Langan (born c. 1957) is an American autodidact who says that he taught himself mathematics, physics, cosmology and the cognitive sciences.[1]
Sounds to me like he needs a better teacher...
 
  • #44
verty said:
Seems an odd thing for someone that smart to do, to preach about ID because he wants money. What would he buy, anyway?
Buy food? The way the Wik link reads, he's not very successful.
 
  • #45
Think of it like this: If he believes in Intelligent Design, then he is obviously not the smartest person on the planet.
 
  • #46
I don't think he explicitly stated he believed in intelligent design (unless I missed it for I was doing other things simultaneously). I'm not sure it was implicit either.

EDIT: Oh well reading the wikipedia entry it seems he does.
 
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  • #47
Most people don't like people that are smarter than themselves.
I like him.
 
  • #48
jeez, the camera work is annoying...
 
  • #49
But...

arildno said:
I refuse!
Resistance is futile. (Star Trek;"Borg").
arildno,my buddy,looks like we are doomed...
 
  • #50
humanino said:
I did watch them, but the second half of the last my attention dropped. This was verry funny (because stupid) at some points, very scary at others (the smartest guy in the world is fascist !)
His mustaches ,clear sign!
 
  • #51
tehno said:
Resistance is futile. (Star Trek;"Borg").
arildno,my buddy,looks like we are doomed...

Oh, as long as you are my buddy, I'll cope! :smile:
 
  • #52
PIT2 said:
Most people don't like people that are smarter than themselves.
I like him.
Most smart people think they are dumber than they really are and most dumb people think they are smarter than they really are.

I'm not surprised he thinks he's the smartest person in the world.
 
  • #53
He has the ability to score well on IQ-tests, though..:smile:
 
  • #54
to actually http://www.iscid.org/papers/Langan_CTMU_092902.pdf
the universe is “intelligent” because this is precisely what it must be in order to solve the problem of self-selection... intelligence itself is a natural phenomenon that could never have emerged in humans and animals were it not already a latent property of the medium of emergence.
and
The CTMU says that reality is a language…a self-explanatory, self-theorizing, self-modeling structure identical to its universe.

Doesn't it sound familiar to anyone? Hint. EDIT: I now begin to think that anyone who tries to come up with interpretation of the universe in closed form, will end up in something like this. EDIT2: or how about this:
Reality is a relation, and every relation is a syndiffeonic relation exhibiting syndiffeonesis or “difference-in-sameness”... Syndiffeonesis implies that any assertion to the effect that two things are different implies that they are reductively the same
 
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  • #55
If I dropped a box of matches do you reckon he could give me the number :smile:
 
  • #56
Well, latency does not imply pre-existence prior to the existence of humans.

There is a latency in the hammer to fall off the table; it doesn't follow it already has done so.
 
  • #57
arildno said:
There is a latency in the hammer to fall off the table; it doesn't follow it already has done so.
But it follows that gravity exists.
 
  • #58
thanks this thread for a pointer to rather nice reading, btw. this guy DOES make some sense. but. to somehow make ID opponents here a bit more happy, let me quote him again:
that the universe is somehow prohibited from serving as its own source, means, or reason. But this amounts to saying that the universe could only exist “by magic”, popping out of the apeiron with a spontaneity exceeding that by which a genuine magician might pull a magic rabbit out of a hat. For whereas magic rabbits can at least be said to originate by magic associated with magicians who pull them out of top hats into the bright light of reality, or to magically bootstrap themselves out of their own hats into their own realities, the universe would be denied any ontological basis or medium whatsoever…even a bootstrap.
 
  • #59
the universe is “intelligent” because this is precisely what it must be in order to solve the problem of self-selection... intelligence itself is a natural phenomenon that could never have emerged in humans and animals were it not already a latent property of the medium of emergence.

How does that follow? Why? Sounds like arm wavery to me? Thought must be an intrinsic part of the universe or thought itself could not arise, er why? So in order for intelligence to exist there must be an intelligence, any proof of that? Any logical reason to believe that? It sounds more reasonable to believe that given enough monkeys and enough typewriters x...

The CTMU says that reality is a language…a self-explanatory, self-theorizing, self-modeling structure identical to its universe.

I have no idea what the CTMU is but if this is either in terms of those who view reality it's self evident - or if he's referring to some sort of conscious direction which I think he is - also nonsense, why would he make that assumption?

Reality is a relation, and every relation is a syndiffeonic relation exhibiting syndiffeonesis or “difference-in-sameness”... Syndiffeonesis implies that any assertion to the effect that two things are different implies that they are reductively the same

YEEEESSS OOOOKAY, time for you medication now Mr Langen...:smile:
 
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  • #60
whatta said:
thanks this thread for a pointer to rather nice reading, btw. this guy DOES make some sense. but. to somehow make ID opponents here a bit more happy, let me quote him again:
So it makes more sense that some magical, mystical "intelligent designer" created the universe? :smile: Where did this "intelligent designer" come from? Sorry, I will stick with science.

The CTMU and Intelligent Design

Design theory, which traces its origins to traditional theological “arguments from design” holding that nature was more or less obviously designed by a preexisting intelligence
:bugeye: OY. There is no science here, it's mysticism.
 

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