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  1. Penumbra

    Who feel entitled?

    Yes, but not in the way you're referring to. They're called entitlements, originally, because they're based on people getting back roughly what they put in, with a smaller chunk going to those in great need. Entitlements are a majority of the federal budget because people pay into them and...
  2. Penumbra

    A definition of "determinism"

    Until someone proposes something resembling a theory of consciousness, all models are speculative. Orch-OR is not convincing to me either. But there are literally no good evidenced models explaining how consciousness works. So it's pretty hard to make definitive statements about something...
  3. Penumbra

    Low sodium anyone?

    Not eating much processed foods/drinks almost always results in a reasonable sodium intake.
  4. Penumbra

    Poll. How many people of different faiths etc on RF

    I selected "Nothing".
  5. Penumbra

    A definition of "determinism"

    And the Orch-OR speculative model of consciousness proposes that quantum mechanics does play a role. Until someone provides an evidenced theory for how consciousness arises in the brain, it will remain a rather speculative field. And until then, considering that every fundamental particle...
  6. Penumbra

    Do we really need a reason to live? Why not just live

    I think that usually when people seriously wonder what the reason to live is more than just briefly, it's because they're dissatisfied in some way, or they feel incomplete. Very happy people generally don't seem to require a meaning or a reason of life. The answer is self-evident: because life...
  7. Penumbra

    What if *you* were God?

    If I were an omnipotent and omniscient transcendent being of some sort, I would no longer be "me". What I would do as a random mammal that evolved on Earth suddenly given omnipotence, would likely be very different than whatever I'd do if I had access to all knowledge.
  8. Penumbra

    A definition of "determinism"

    Without understanding how consciousness works, I don't think one should limit their definition of determinism to one particular size. And if we're talking philosophically rather than only physically, then the key difference between determinism/randomness isn't really necessary because neither...
  9. Penumbra

    Paranormal Experiences and Sleep Paralysis

    I've had a few experiences of sleep paralysis in my life. They occurred on the transition from sleeping to waking. The first time was when I was a young teenager. I had an experience that lasted for an atypically long time (a few minutes), where I could not move at all, and saw out of the...
  10. Penumbra

    A definition of "determinism"

    For most interpretations of quantum mechanics, that's not how it works. What you're describing is hidden variable theory which has generally not faced well in experimentation. This really short video gives a brief explanation: Here's a more detailed explanation by Stephen Hawking: Does...
  11. Penumbra

    Religion and Politics are Serious Topics

    I think disregarding the importance of politics is mainly from a perspective of privilege. Those who are majorly victimized by politics can literally have life-changing results from political changes, like being able to access healthcare or not, be able to realistically get a quality education...
  12. Penumbra

    A definition of "determinism"

    Merriam-Webster defines determinism as "the belief that all events are caused by things that happened before them and that people have no real ability to make choices or control what happens." That second part has a lot of nuance and semantics, imo, so I'd personally just stick with the first...
  13. Penumbra

    When have you experienced shock the last time?

    I honestly have a hard time thinking of an example of being emotionally shocked. The closest I can think of, which others have listed as well, are certain automotive scenarios where someone nearly causes an accident with me and my heart rate spikes briefly from it.
  14. Penumbra

    Is it fair?

    I don't think the word "fair" has much meaning in the billion years of life on this planet. It's a race of things evolving ways to keep getting food and keep not being food. In the modern context I certainly support personal and political means of keeping social mobility at good levels, though.
  15. Penumbra

    Will playing violent games make a person violent? Opinions needed

    Are there any studies on it? I haven't really looked. The violent crime rate in the U.S. has dropped dramatically in the last 25 years though, despite broad surveys that show that most people believe it's increasing. And the U.S. is a big market for violent games and movies.
  16. Penumbra

    Man arrested for wearing Star Wars Stormtrooper costume outside school

    If someone is acting oddly near a school, I think it's a reasonable idea for a police officer to go over and ask them a few questions to make sure they're not dangerously disturbed and have no obvious weapons, and then either move on or keep an eye on them if all seems clear. Arresting someone...
  17. Penumbra

    Public school required reading lists....

    I didn't have any issues with my reading lists in school, even if I disagreed with some. The main disagreement I had was that most books were boring. Reading various viewpoints isn't bad, as long as there is sufficient diversity of viewpoints. If the class has a reading assignment and they...
  18. Penumbra

    Being "transgender" is a form of gender stereotyping.

    Just the recent movements, or transgender people in general? Transgender people, including people that take steps to transition their body or hormones, have existed for thousands of years in cultures all over the world. I agree in letting people be who they are. Source? There are butch trans...
  19. Penumbra

    Quantitative Easing...worked?

    Based on back of the envelope calculations ($3.5 trillion quantitative easing over like 7 years vs. $10+ trillion total money supply), the money supply increased by something like 5% per year for roughly seven years. That doesn't necessarily equate to massive price increases, especially once...
  20. Penumbra

    Genetically Modified Organisms

    I think it should have to be labeled. Gradual selective breeding is rather different than Monstanto-style engineering and business tactics.
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