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Tuesday, April 3, 2018
The Knowledge Explosion! The Rapid Pace of Change.
What is YOUR Legacy?
Did you ever have someone close to you die? When I say, close to
you, I mean someone you knew really well and who knew you too. I mean
someone, maybe not a mate, but maybe a parent or close friend whose
death hit you really hard and made you ask yourself what the hell life
is all about anyway?
I did.
Oddly enough it was not a parent, although that was bad enough when my own father died. He was a constant smoker and I always expected to get the call that he had dropped dead from a heart attack, or got lung cancer and was given six months to live. No, it was not my father. It was the mother of my girl friend at the time. Her name was Alice, and she died unexpectedly of an asthma attack at the age of 59. I had known her for about 15 years and we were friends enough that we would argue with each other all the time about all kinds of things.
I guess one of the reasons it hit me so hard was that her death was unexpected. I don't really know why the unexpected part should matter so much, or at all. But I guess an unexpected death is a terrible surprise, something like a terrible tragedy....because it is something that could hit any one of us at any time. That's the unexpected part.
We don't plan to have accidents. We don't plan to have illness. We can't control the economy or whether or not our country goes to war or that we might be nuked when we go to bed at night. So there it is. Death can just happen... to you, to me, to anybody young or old.
So you have to ask yourself. What are you doing with your life, while you are here to live it? What is it that matters so much that you would spend your last day on earth doing it, if you knew for fact that you would be dead tomorrow, or next week, or next year.
And what does anyone else's opinion of you matter? You have to live your life, your way. Because none of us knows when our lives might end. What is the legacy you want to leave?
Leave a comment!
R. Allan Worrell
I did.
Oddly enough it was not a parent, although that was bad enough when my own father died. He was a constant smoker and I always expected to get the call that he had dropped dead from a heart attack, or got lung cancer and was given six months to live. No, it was not my father. It was the mother of my girl friend at the time. Her name was Alice, and she died unexpectedly of an asthma attack at the age of 59. I had known her for about 15 years and we were friends enough that we would argue with each other all the time about all kinds of things.
I guess one of the reasons it hit me so hard was that her death was unexpected. I don't really know why the unexpected part should matter so much, or at all. But I guess an unexpected death is a terrible surprise, something like a terrible tragedy....because it is something that could hit any one of us at any time. That's the unexpected part.
We don't plan to have accidents. We don't plan to have illness. We can't control the economy or whether or not our country goes to war or that we might be nuked when we go to bed at night. So there it is. Death can just happen... to you, to me, to anybody young or old.
So you have to ask yourself. What are you doing with your life, while you are here to live it? What is it that matters so much that you would spend your last day on earth doing it, if you knew for fact that you would be dead tomorrow, or next week, or next year.
And what does anyone else's opinion of you matter? You have to live your life, your way. Because none of us knows when our lives might end. What is the legacy you want to leave?
Leave a comment!
R. Allan Worrell
Wednesday, January 24, 2018
Live as Though You are Dying... Because You Are!
We should all live as though we are dying... Why? Because, in fact, even if we are healthy, we all are dying in slow motion. I'm not
a geneticist, but it appears to me that we are programmed to die from the
moment we are conceived.
My medical doctor once told me that all of medicine just delays the inevitable. Doctors put out one fire after another, until they encounter a fire they can't stop.... and then we die.
My medical doctor once told me that all of medicine just delays the inevitable. Doctors put out one fire after another, until they encounter a fire they can't stop.... and then we die.
I saw this happen to my father who died of leukemia about
eleven years ago, at the age of 83. The doctors
were able to keep his leukemia at bay with one drug after another for over two
years, until the disease mutated, and the docs ran out of new drugs to give him. The disease won, as it often does. Why does nature kill us this way? (That’s the subject for another time.)
Our mortality gives urgency and meaning to our lives. I am now 63 and I believe I have about 20-25 years left to live. I need to remind myself of this fact each and every day. Believe it or not, it helps me to remember to suck up life's hardships and enjoy the simple things in life.
I have always been a money saver, but my mother, who is now 90, once told me to spend more of my money. Tomorrow is not guaranteed. This is wise, but I think we should each plan for tomorrow, even if it doesn't come. To do otherwise would be fool-hardy, IMHO. Consider that we could all go to Vegas and end up destitute playing the slots, roulette or blackjack. Still, there is something to be said for spending a little, and having some fun every day (whether it costs you money, or not).
Our mortality gives urgency and meaning to our lives. I am now 63 and I believe I have about 20-25 years left to live. I need to remind myself of this fact each and every day. Believe it or not, it helps me to remember to suck up life's hardships and enjoy the simple things in life.
I have always been a money saver, but my mother, who is now 90, once told me to spend more of my money. Tomorrow is not guaranteed. This is wise, but I think we should each plan for tomorrow, even if it doesn't come. To do otherwise would be fool-hardy, IMHO. Consider that we could all go to Vegas and end up destitute playing the slots, roulette or blackjack. Still, there is something to be said for spending a little, and having some fun every day (whether it costs you money, or not).
I think the best thing to do, as often as we can, is to spend time with those we love. Time is our greatest gift. Let those you love... know it, by giving of yourself, your time, to be with them. You may not get a chance to do it tomorrow.
What do YOU think?
Leave me a comment!
R. Allan Worrell
Author: Father John's Gift
e-mail: alw3141@gmail.com
R. Allan Worrell
Author: Father John's Gift
e-mail: alw3141@gmail.com
Friday, November 10, 2017
Stephen Hawkins: We are Destroying Our Planet.
Steven Hawkings, the world-famous physicist, stated that we should be looking for another planet because we are destroying planet Earth.
If true, then nature has a way of "self correcting". We will simply become extinct in our own toxic waste, and nature will try again in another few million years, with some other new, more intelligent species. Any maybe they (whoever "they" are) will do better than us, but I doubt it.
I like to think we are working our way out of our current mess. We are maturing as a species because we have become aware of our own impact on the planet, and we will use advanced technologies to correct the mistakes of the past.
If true, then nature has a way of "self correcting". We will simply become extinct in our own toxic waste, and nature will try again in another few million years, with some other new, more intelligent species. Any maybe they (whoever "they" are) will do better than us, but I doubt it.
I like to think we are working our way out of our current mess. We are maturing as a species because we have become aware of our own impact on the planet, and we will use advanced technologies to correct the mistakes of the past.
Remember
that we are still very young (as a species). The dinosaurs ruled the
planet for about 180 million years, but most anthropologist say our
primitive ancestors walked the earth five to seven million yeas ago. We
only made flint tools about two and a half million years ago. The
Renaissance occurred about six thousand years ago with the Age of
Enlightenment, and the Industrial Revolution just started about three
hundred years ago.
Most would agree that modern technology did not really start until after Edison invented the light bulb about 1880 and we electrified much of the planet. Remember, Rutherford didn't split the atom until 1919, about one hundred years ago. Since that time, we have created plastics, semiconductors, antibiotics, nuclear power, birth control pills, electronic computers, carbon steel, concrete, skyscrapers, contact lenses, nanotechnology, Teflon, solar panels, the internet, e-mail, wind turbines and electric cars. We put men on the moon and we put communication satellites in orbit. We have the science to know what we are doing right and wrong. We can and will, fix our mistakes. (As an example, do you remember the problem with phosphates? Fixed it. DDT? Fixed that too. How about the Ozone Hole?)
We know we must work our way off of fossil fuels, and will will. No, I am not worried about whether or not man will save the planet. We will fix it if we have the time. I am more worried about the prospects of nuclear war as our numbers get too large and we run out of resources.
What do YOU think?
R. Allan Worrell
Author: Father John's Gift
e-mail: alw3141@gmail.com
Friday, November 3, 2017
Struggling with Isses! Hearing Another Viewpoint.
In this digital age of Face Book, Google and Twitter, people flock to find others who agree with them. It's easy and comfortable to be around those who agree with you. We all know that birds of a feather flock together.
But while it is great to be able to find common ground with others, there is great benefit in finding out how we differ with each other as well. If we listen to others with whom we disagree, then maybe, just maybe, we can come to understand a different point of view. We might even begin to change our mind. However, even if we don't change our mind on a subject, just hearing another's viewpoint can help us clarify our own point of view, and help us to understand why we believe the things we do.
What do you think?
R. Allan Worrell
Author: Father John's Gift
e-mail: alw3141@gmail.com
But while it is great to be able to find common ground with others, there is great benefit in finding out how we differ with each other as well. If we listen to others with whom we disagree, then maybe, just maybe, we can come to understand a different point of view. We might even begin to change our mind. However, even if we don't change our mind on a subject, just hearing another's viewpoint can help us clarify our own point of view, and help us to understand why we believe the things we do.
What do you think?
R. Allan Worrell
Author: Father John's Gift
e-mail: alw3141@gmail.com
Thursday, November 2, 2017
The Republican Tax Bill and Elizabeth Warren, The Next President of the United States!!!
Today I watched Elizabeth Warren's Democratic response to the Republican Tax Bill put forth by the House of Representatives. She convinced me that once again, the Republicans do not have the best interest of the country at heart. They will try to tell you the new tax bill is designed to bring jobs back home to America. How? By lessening taxes earned overseas. This is BS. Read on.
Somebody ought to explain to our Congressmen how taxation works! If you don't want something, you should tax it. For example, if you want to discourage and decrease smoking, you increase taxes on cigarettes. The reverse is true also. You can encourage behavior by decreasing taxes on it. So, by decreasing the taxes paid by international companies on overseas workers, it will only serve to increase the number of jobs overseas!!! (And in all probability it will decrease jobs here at home.)
The Tax Bill still has a way to go and it will be negotiated with members of the Senate. But if left largely in its current form, it will be a giveaway to Corporate America and the super rich will get richer. What's worse is we can ill afford it. In case you haven't noticed, we are running a National Debt of 20 Trillion Dollars and we haven't had a balanced Federal Budget since the Clinton administration!
Elizabeth Warren is one smart lady and an advocate of the middle class. She was a major contributor of the Dodd-Frank Bill following the 2008 financial disaster and is something of a financial wizard. I hope the American people will listen to her and defeat the current Republican Tax Bill. And I hope they will elect Elizabeth as President in the 2020.
After getting Trumped in 2016, we should now have clear 2020 vision and elect E. Warren in 2020!!!
I would vote for her in a heartbeat!
Here is a link to Elizabeth's Biography:
https://www.biography.com/people/elizabeth-warren-20670753
R. Allan Worrell
Author: Father John's Gift
e-mail: alw3141@gmail.com
Somebody ought to explain to our Congressmen how taxation works! If you don't want something, you should tax it. For example, if you want to discourage and decrease smoking, you increase taxes on cigarettes. The reverse is true also. You can encourage behavior by decreasing taxes on it. So, by decreasing the taxes paid by international companies on overseas workers, it will only serve to increase the number of jobs overseas!!! (And in all probability it will decrease jobs here at home.)
The Tax Bill still has a way to go and it will be negotiated with members of the Senate. But if left largely in its current form, it will be a giveaway to Corporate America and the super rich will get richer. What's worse is we can ill afford it. In case you haven't noticed, we are running a National Debt of 20 Trillion Dollars and we haven't had a balanced Federal Budget since the Clinton administration!
Elizabeth Warren is one smart lady and an advocate of the middle class. She was a major contributor of the Dodd-Frank Bill following the 2008 financial disaster and is something of a financial wizard. I hope the American people will listen to her and defeat the current Republican Tax Bill. And I hope they will elect Elizabeth as President in the 2020.
After getting Trumped in 2016, we should now have clear 2020 vision and elect E. Warren in 2020!!!
I would vote for her in a heartbeat!
Here is a link to Elizabeth's Biography:
https://www.biography.com/people/elizabeth-warren-20670753
R. Allan Worrell
Author: Father John's Gift
e-mail: alw3141@gmail.com
"The Day the Earth Stood Still" (A 1951 Science Fiction Black and White Movie.)
If you have never seen the movie,"The Day the Earth Stood Still", I highly recommend you take the time to watch it. It is classic science fiction in every sense of the word.
Yes, it was made in 1951 and it is a black and white film. Believe it or not, that is part of the appeal. There are so many great aspects to this movie I hardly know where to begin.
First, let me say most of the acting is superb. Oh, there are a few minor shots done by "fill-in" actors that look and feel like they are made of cardboard. (And I can even smile or laugh at how corny they are.) But the star performers, Patricia Neal, Michael Rennie and Sam Jafee are nothing short of fantastic.
Secondly, one must consider the time period in which the film was made. The special effects are good for the period, but are nothing like the computer generated art we take for granted in today's science fiction thrillers. But the effects are good enough to pull off the story, and they are good enough to scare young children with vivid imaginations. (My next door neighbor told me he was scared by the movie as a kid.)
But most importantly, the story works. It makes sense on many levels, and it gives you a plausible concept to show our place in the universe. The mere fact that a flying saucer shows up and parks itself in Washington DC speaks volumes, all by itself. It screams the idea that we are NOT alone. We share this galaxy with other intelligent, perhaps some of which may be technically superior to us. Is that a scary idea? Yes, because it represents a big unknown.
What would happen if uninvited creatures from outer-space would suddenly come for a visit? No one can know what they will do. I leave that idea to your imagination. We can only hope that if they are superior to us that they will either be friendly, smile at how cute we are and share their technology with us, or go away and leave us alone.
Let's just hope we don't have something they want. Now there's a scary thought!
R. Allan Worrell
Author: Father John's Gift
e-mail: alw3141@gmail.com
Yes, it was made in 1951 and it is a black and white film. Believe it or not, that is part of the appeal. There are so many great aspects to this movie I hardly know where to begin.
First, let me say most of the acting is superb. Oh, there are a few minor shots done by "fill-in" actors that look and feel like they are made of cardboard. (And I can even smile or laugh at how corny they are.) But the star performers, Patricia Neal, Michael Rennie and Sam Jafee are nothing short of fantastic.
Secondly, one must consider the time period in which the film was made. The special effects are good for the period, but are nothing like the computer generated art we take for granted in today's science fiction thrillers. But the effects are good enough to pull off the story, and they are good enough to scare young children with vivid imaginations. (My next door neighbor told me he was scared by the movie as a kid.)
But most importantly, the story works. It makes sense on many levels, and it gives you a plausible concept to show our place in the universe. The mere fact that a flying saucer shows up and parks itself in Washington DC speaks volumes, all by itself. It screams the idea that we are NOT alone. We share this galaxy with other intelligent, perhaps some of which may be technically superior to us. Is that a scary idea? Yes, because it represents a big unknown.
What would happen if uninvited creatures from outer-space would suddenly come for a visit? No one can know what they will do. I leave that idea to your imagination. We can only hope that if they are superior to us that they will either be friendly, smile at how cute we are and share their technology with us, or go away and leave us alone.
Let's just hope we don't have something they want. Now there's a scary thought!
R. Allan Worrell
Author: Father John's Gift
e-mail: alw3141@gmail.com
The World is Complex!!! There are No Simple Solutions!
I saw David Brooks' New York Times article, "When Politics Becomes Your Idol" which showed a picture of a woman with a sign which read, "Donald Trump is our Savior!"
You can see the picture and read his article here:
When Politics Becomes Your Idol
Seeing Trump as "Our Savior" reminds me of people who look for one drug to cure them aging, or cancer, or .....whatever disease currently ails them.
We
all wish there was a simple single solution to all of our problems.
Unfortunately, the world doesn't work like that. It is incredibly more
complex and messy. Solving big problems (world peace, nuclear fusion,
interplanetary space travel) takes complex solutions which are not
solved in a day, or a year, or a lifetime.
The problems of the world are complex, and we will need smart people who can understand and embrace complex ideas to solve them. (Express my sorrow to the lady with the sign, Donald Trump is not one of those guys. He doesn't seem to "Get It.")
Thoughts to ponder.
What do YOU Think? Leave me a post!
R. Allan Worrell
Author: Father John's Gift
e-mail: alw3141@gmail.com
You can see the picture and read his article here:
When Politics Becomes Your Idol
But
look at the progress we have made in the last 100 years! Yes, we have
created some new problems by solving older ones, but that is the nature
of scientific progress. You always have to weigh the benefits against the
side effects. If you can't life with the side effects, then you look
for some other solution to your problem.
For
Example: Burning fossil fuels such as coal and oil to generate
electricity was once a very good idea. We needed it and we did it for a long time.
But now we are smarter and we know we can't continue to pollute our air with heavy metals
and warm the planet with CO2, a green house gas. So we look for clean energy
technology elsewhere. Wind, solar, electric vehicles and energy conservation
(Negawatts) are coming to the rescue. In the future, we will learn how
to be more efficient and do more with less.
Thoughts to ponder.
What do YOU Think? Leave me a post!
R. Allan Worrell
Author: Father John's Gift
e-mail: alw3141@gmail.com
Wednesday, November 1, 2017
Open Letter to General Motors Marketing Department.
Many of you know I have been a proponent of "Green Energy". Yesterday, I wrote General Motors an e-mail letter which follows:
(Note: I was constrained by the total number of characters allowed in my feedback to GM. I modified it below so as to not abbreviate some of the words. The basic ideas expressed have not been changed from my original note.)
To The General Motors Marketing Department
GM should partner with Solar Companies around the world to help people convert to Green energy (sustainable).
Electric Vehicle (EV) Consumers would benefit as follows:
1) They (would) "Fix" the price of energy at the time they purchase their Solar panels.
2) The Solar Panel payback period is decreased, because the electricity usage is increased. (by buying Electric power instead of gasoline.)
3) They eliminate forever the cost of buying gasoline, and are therefore immunized from future price hikes of gasoline.
4) Once the Solar panels have paid for themselves (over the payback period) the owners can drive for free! Their EV is charged everyday by Sunshine!
5) With an intelligent charge controller, the homeowner can run his house appliances from his car battery when needed. (This is NOT a new idea, but is still a good idea.)
6) This is a patriotic idea because it helps to make our air and water cleaner, and it makes the USA less dependent on foreign oil.
I did receive a nice canned reply from the GM Marketing Department.
What do you think? Join in the discussion. Leave a comment below the blog entry!
R. Allan Worrell
Author: Father John's Gift
e-mail: alw3141@gmail.com
(Note: I was constrained by the total number of characters allowed in my feedback to GM. I modified it below so as to not abbreviate some of the words. The basic ideas expressed have not been changed from my original note.)
To The General Motors Marketing Department
GM should partner with Solar Companies around the world to help people convert to Green energy (sustainable).
Electric Vehicle (EV) Consumers would benefit as follows:
1) They (would) "Fix" the price of energy at the time they purchase their Solar panels.
2) The Solar Panel payback period is decreased, because the electricity usage is increased. (by buying Electric power instead of gasoline.)
3) They eliminate forever the cost of buying gasoline, and are therefore immunized from future price hikes of gasoline.
4) Once the Solar panels have paid for themselves (over the payback period) the owners can drive for free! Their EV is charged everyday by Sunshine!
5) With an intelligent charge controller, the homeowner can run his house appliances from his car battery when needed. (This is NOT a new idea, but is still a good idea.)
6) This is a patriotic idea because it helps to make our air and water cleaner, and it makes the USA less dependent on foreign oil.
I did receive a nice canned reply from the GM Marketing Department.
What do you think? Join in the discussion. Leave a comment below the blog entry!
R. Allan Worrell
Author: Father John's Gift
e-mail: alw3141@gmail.com
My (New) Heroine! Hedy Lamarr !!!!
I hadn't known about Hedy Lamarr except that she had been mentioned in a few Mel Brooks films. Although I never understood the references to her, I never forgot her unusual name. I never heard of anyone named, "Hedy", before.
But this last week I read an article in Time Magazine about Hedy Lamar which blew my socks off!!! It turns out that Hedy was a co-inventor (along with a music composer named, "George Antheil") of the spread-spectrum broadband algorithm which is present in WiFi, CDMA, GSM and Blue Tooth algorithms, incorporated in all wireless routers and cell phone products all over the world!
How, and why did Hedy do this?
It turned out that Hedy was once married to an Austrian engineer who worked for a munitions plant which was taken over by the Nazis during WWII. Hedy fled both her husband, and the Nazis and landed in Hollywood USA where she continued her acting career and was cast in several major movies and was billed as, "The Most Beautiful Woman in the World." But she must have known a good deal about the Nazis' electronic communication protocol, and she wanted to help the Allies war effort by creating a torpedo communication protocol which would be immune to the Nazis electronic jamming techniques. She, and her co-inventor patented the idea but gave their spread spectrum algorithm free of charge to the US Navy.
As they say, "the rest is history"!!! It just goes to show you what you can do, and the impact that we can all have upon the world by having a unique idea and acting upon it. Hedy Lamarr should be an inspiration to us all.
R. Allan Worrell
Author: Father John's Gift
e-mail: alw3141@gmail.com
References:
1. Ben Cosgrove, Time.com, http://time.com/3881293/hedy-lamarr-stardom-scandal-and-one-amazing-invention/ , accessed 11/01/2017.
2. Author Unknown, Wikipedia.com, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hedy_Lamarr, accessed 11/01/2017.
But this last week I read an article in Time Magazine about Hedy Lamar which blew my socks off!!! It turns out that Hedy was a co-inventor (along with a music composer named, "George Antheil") of the spread-spectrum broadband algorithm which is present in WiFi, CDMA, GSM and Blue Tooth algorithms, incorporated in all wireless routers and cell phone products all over the world!
How, and why did Hedy do this?
It turned out that Hedy was once married to an Austrian engineer who worked for a munitions plant which was taken over by the Nazis during WWII. Hedy fled both her husband, and the Nazis and landed in Hollywood USA where she continued her acting career and was cast in several major movies and was billed as, "The Most Beautiful Woman in the World." But she must have known a good deal about the Nazis' electronic communication protocol, and she wanted to help the Allies war effort by creating a torpedo communication protocol which would be immune to the Nazis electronic jamming techniques. She, and her co-inventor patented the idea but gave their spread spectrum algorithm free of charge to the US Navy.
As they say, "the rest is history"!!! It just goes to show you what you can do, and the impact that we can all have upon the world by having a unique idea and acting upon it. Hedy Lamarr should be an inspiration to us all.
R. Allan Worrell
Author: Father John's Gift
e-mail: alw3141@gmail.com
References:
1. Ben Cosgrove, Time.com, http://time.com/3881293/hedy-lamarr-stardom-scandal-and-one-amazing-invention/ , accessed 11/01/2017.
2. Author Unknown, Wikipedia.com, https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hedy_Lamarr, accessed 11/01/2017.
Monday, October 30, 2017
What Will You Do Today to Give Meaning to Your Life?
I heard a great discussion on the radio the other day. It was an interview of a medical doctor, a cancer surgeon by the name of Atul Gawande. He had a great deal to say about his dying patients.
He would do his best to give all the medical options to his dying patient, and then ask them what they wanted to do. The patient would then try to turn the table on him and ask him what he would do if he were in their shoes. He would then reply that he could not make that decision for the patient, because he didn't know and couldn't guess what they were living for. In other words, he turned the table back on the patient by asking the patient what they wanted out of the rest of their life.
What would one more day buy you? What would you do with it? What would give meaning to your life (or to that one more day... if you could live it)?
After listening to this, it occurred to me we are ALL in the patient's situation. We are all dying, albeit in slow motion. We should ALL be asking ourselves what we want out of the rest of our lives.
We should ask ourselves this each and every day when we get out of bed.
It has been said that youth is wasted on the young. I agree. When we are young, most of us pursue all kinds of ridiculous hobbies and past times that consume an enormous amount of time, as if we will live forever.
But what is it that gives your life meaning? What will you do today that will make your life worthwhile?
What do YOU think? Leave a comment!
He would do his best to give all the medical options to his dying patient, and then ask them what they wanted to do. The patient would then try to turn the table on him and ask him what he would do if he were in their shoes. He would then reply that he could not make that decision for the patient, because he didn't know and couldn't guess what they were living for. In other words, he turned the table back on the patient by asking the patient what they wanted out of the rest of their life.
What would one more day buy you? What would you do with it? What would give meaning to your life (or to that one more day... if you could live it)?
After listening to this, it occurred to me we are ALL in the patient's situation. We are all dying, albeit in slow motion. We should ALL be asking ourselves what we want out of the rest of our lives.
We should ask ourselves this each and every day when we get out of bed.
It has been said that youth is wasted on the young. I agree. When we are young, most of us pursue all kinds of ridiculous hobbies and past times that consume an enormous amount of time, as if we will live forever.
But what is it that gives your life meaning? What will you do today that will make your life worthwhile?
What do YOU think? Leave a comment!
Big Ideas, Big Ideas, Big Ideas!
You may know Google has a subsidiary named, 'X' whose goal is to come up with revolutionary ideas that they affectionately call, "Moon Shots". Moon Shots are projects, which by Google's definition, will take ten years or more to pay off in some big way.
What are the top ten problems the world that you would solve if you could?
Here's my list:
The first two are a given. These are usually expressed by contestants in a Miss America contests. The third, "Population Control", has several possible solutions. We do have birth control drugs and barrier methods.
"Life extension - What is aging?" is a tough nut to crack. But with the human genome now mapped, who knows? We may someday find the, "Fountain of Youth". Eternal life? Snake oil anybody?
Several of these are interdependent. When you make progress on one of them, you will help the others. Fusion will allow us unlimited energy and we can address several of the others, such as waste reclamation, clean the air, and de-acidify the oceans.
What do you think? What are YOUR top ten problems? Leave the world a message to call attention to what you believe are the most important problems we need to solve.
What are the top ten problems the world that you would solve if you could?
Here's my list:
- World Hunger
- World Peace
- Population Control
- Life Extension - What is aging?
- Global Warming (Climate Change)
- Wildlife Preservation ("Save the Whales")
- Energy Generation (Nuclear Fusion)
- Waste Reclamation - Plastic & Metals
- Air Pollution
- Water Pollution - De-Acidify the Oceans.
The first two are a given. These are usually expressed by contestants in a Miss America contests. The third, "Population Control", has several possible solutions. We do have birth control drugs and barrier methods.
"Life extension - What is aging?" is a tough nut to crack. But with the human genome now mapped, who knows? We may someday find the, "Fountain of Youth". Eternal life? Snake oil anybody?
Several of these are interdependent. When you make progress on one of them, you will help the others. Fusion will allow us unlimited energy and we can address several of the others, such as waste reclamation, clean the air, and de-acidify the oceans.
What do you think? What are YOUR top ten problems? Leave the world a message to call attention to what you believe are the most important problems we need to solve.
Wednesday, October 25, 2017
Let's Use Our Untapped Talent... Retired Engineers and Scientists.
Just imagine... You are an eighth grade math or science teacher. You have forty kids to teach in each of your five classes during the day. You struggle to get through the lesson plan, much less to help every student in all of your classes.
Now let's change the equation.
You are the instructor, and you still have forty kids in each class to teach. But you have ten helpers in your classroom who know the material, because they have sat through your lecture numerous times, and they could teach the material themselves, except they are not certified teachers. They are retired scientists and engineers who care about kids, and they are patriotic. They care about our the future of our country.
Why? They know, more than most, what kind of knowledge and persistence is required by our technological society. They know first hand the talent and skills which will be required to do well on an SAT or ACT exam to get into college, and to do well once they get in.
And finally, they know how important it is for the future of the United States to have smart young people who understand science and engineering and how the world works.
Are YOU a retired engineer or scientist? Get involved! Volunteer at your local High School or Middle School. You can change the world, one child at a time!
What do YOU think? Leave a comment!
R. Allan Worrell
Author: Father John's Gift
e-mail: alw3141@gmail.com
Saturday, March 25, 2017
What Does it Mean to be an Atheist?
Why, I ask,
is the atheist so maligned? Why are
people shocked to learn, or even admit to themselves or others, that they don’t
believe in spiritual ideas, or that they are an atheist? What does it mean to be an atheist?
The lack of evidence for spiritual ideas is so great it is the proverbial elephant in our living rooms. It is there, but no one talks about it. Do angels exist? Do devils? How about heaven, hell, souls, purgatory or gods? These are all mystical ideas created by whimsical, imaginative men who had everything to gain over an ignorant populace, most who could not read, and if they did, they would find no opposition to the stories in the bible, written over two thousand years ago, before the age of enlightenment and long before modern biology, chemistry and physics were discovered. It was a time when the stars were points of light in the sky, people feared the solar eclipse, witches were burned at the stake, and one could be stoned to death for even suggesting that god was not real.
But the atheist of today is a critical thinker. The atheist is unafraid to speak the truth about religion. The atheist is proud to have a good, if not great understanding of Science and mankind’s place in the universe. The atheist is an existentialist who knows that he is part of the animal kingdom, and like all other animals, he will rot after he dies. He knows he will never see his dead relatives again in some wishful make-believe afterlife. These are not pleasant thoughts, but they are real nevertheless. It is sobering to know that life is short and often filled with hardship. Like all people, we cannot escape death. We just don't kid ourselves about what death really is, and what it means for all of us.
Many if not most atheists were raised in a religion. And for some it took great courage to overcome the religious heritage and the religious mindset it created. Just telling a family member or a friend that we no longer believe is hard for many, but once done, it allows the atheist to be released from the burden of having to pretend to believe. After telling others, we can be true to ourselves and to those who mean the most to us. Sometimes the revelation will enable the friend or family member to admit that they too, have similar doubts, but were afraid to admit them.
There is
tremendous freedom in being an atheist. We do not let someone else tell us what
to think, or what to believe. We judge every idea on its merits and accept only
those ideas that make sense. We know all
new ideas must fit with all that we already know and understand about the
world. We are not influenced by religious icons, superstitions, voodoo or holy
waters. We don't care where we are buried, because we know that when we are
dead, it won't make any difference. Most of us would prefer to be cremated, and
that our families keep the money to improve their lives, or donate the funeral
savings to a good cause. After all, caskets are a waste of good metal, and a
waste of the money that buys them.
Our lack of belief in a god or an afterlife makes each day more precious than the last. At the end of each day, I often wonder how I could have lived it better, and know that I will try harder the next day to be a better person. A friend once said to me that the only thing that matters in life is how we treat other people. And I would add...how we treat others is all that matters, because in the end, it will be all that will be remembered of us. We want others to know and remember how much we loved them, and how much joy and laughter we brought to their lives. We want to know now, that when we are gone, we made a positive difference in the lives of those we touched. And when they remember us, they will smile and know we were unafraid of public scrutiny. They will understand we were unafraid to speak our minds and to state the truth about religion for all to see.
For more information, see the following link! What Does it mean to be an Atheist?
Our lack of belief in a god or an afterlife makes each day more precious than the last. At the end of each day, I often wonder how I could have lived it better, and know that I will try harder the next day to be a better person. A friend once said to me that the only thing that matters in life is how we treat other people. And I would add...how we treat others is all that matters, because in the end, it will be all that will be remembered of us. We want others to know and remember how much we loved them, and how much joy and laughter we brought to their lives. We want to know now, that when we are gone, we made a positive difference in the lives of those we touched. And when they remember us, they will smile and know we were unafraid of public scrutiny. They will understand we were unafraid to speak our minds and to state the truth about religion for all to see.
For more information, see the following link! What Does it mean to be an Atheist?
What do YOU think? Leave a comment!!!
R. Allan Worrell
Robots, Robots, Robots - Part 2
Thinking about sentient robots gave rise to a number of
other related ideas. Let me show you.
Questions:
1) What rights should a sentient, self aware robot have?
2) What laws should apply to intelligent robots?
3) Should robots be allowed to marry humans?
4) Should robots be allowed to marry each other?
OK, I know these questions sound ridiculous, but let’s explore each of these questions, just for the sake of an intellectual argument. You might be surprised where this takes me.
1) What rights should a sentient, self aware robot have?
2) What laws should apply to intelligent robots?
3) Should robots be allowed to marry humans?
4) Should robots be allowed to marry each other?
OK, I know these questions sound ridiculous, but let’s explore each of these questions, just for the sake of an intellectual argument. You might be surprised where this takes me.
Question 1) What
rights should a sentient, self-aware robot have?
Let’s assume any self-aware being should have rights. How about dogs and cats? Any pet owner would certainly say his pets
are conscious, sentient beings. Can we
kill them outright? If you are shocked
at this idea, you are not alone. How about cows, pigs and chickens? This is dangerous territory which would turn
our society into vegetarians. PETA
(People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) PETA Link would agree, stating unequivocally
that we should not kill animals for food, and even Kosher Jews have their own
laws about killing animals without making them suffer.
Sentient Robots, particularly ones who can talk and tell you
how they are feeling will be a cut above cats and dogs, cows and chickens. I would have a hard time turning off a
sentient robot who pleads for me not to turn it off.
Can you imagine the discussion you would have with such a machine? One could argue
that you and I are both biological machines.
Think about it. We might be little different than a truly intelligent, thinking,
speaking, feeling robot.
Question 2) What laws should apply to robots?
Let’s assume all our laws apply and see where that leads
us. Robots should not kill humans or
other robots. Isaac Asimov created the
three laws of robotics, (Three Laws of Robotics )the first of which stated robots should do no harm to a
human and no harm to itself unless it was forced to in the protection of a
human life. This is not encoded into our
Western laws today, but it seems like a good place to start should robots ever
become sentient. And speaking of that,
it occurs to me that the robots may establish their own set of laws,
particularly if they are smarter than us.
Wow. Now we are in for real
trouble.
Question 3) Should
robots be allowed to marry humans?
I suspect there will be humans, so enamored with their sexy
sentient robot that the humans will request the right to marry it! This will, of course, have our legislators
scratching their proverbial collective heads.
Some of them may be having affairs with a robot.
In the movie, AI, there is a sentient robot character named, “Gigolo Joe”, played by actor Jude Law, who services lonely women. But was Gigolo Joe just an elaborate vibrator? You might be inclined to think so, but consider a truly evolved robot that has feelings and is highly intelligent. I suspect if it could be emotionally hurt might be a significant test. But how would you really know? I believe a learning, self-programming machine can exceed its initial code, very much like a human grows into adulthood. You would not be able to predict the behavior of such a robot person. Wow, I just used the ‘P’ word. Can a robot be a “Person”?
In the movie, AI, there is a sentient robot character named, “Gigolo Joe”, played by actor Jude Law, who services lonely women. But was Gigolo Joe just an elaborate vibrator? You might be inclined to think so, but consider a truly evolved robot that has feelings and is highly intelligent. I suspect if it could be emotionally hurt might be a significant test. But how would you really know? I believe a learning, self-programming machine can exceed its initial code, very much like a human grows into adulthood. You would not be able to predict the behavior of such a robot person. Wow, I just used the ‘P’ word. Can a robot be a “Person”?
Question 4) Should
sentient robots be allowed to marry each other?
This begs the question why we have marriage in the first
place. The Catholic church states the
institution of marriage is for one man and one woman. Why? It occurs to me they come to this
conclusion for the protection of any children that might result from the union. This would explain why the church is against
gay marriages. But do they permit
divorce between married partners when one of them is sterile and cannot
conceive? I wonder.
What do YOU think? Leave a comment below!!!!!
R. Allan Worrell
Author: Father John's Gift
Contact: alw314@yahoo.com
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