Recent Comments

Talk: How could God have allowed the tsunami? – May 15, 2008

This was by far, the most intelligent discussion of Christianity by a Christian I have ever seen. I am not a Christian by any means, and I have had these pressing questions burning my mind for years; why allow human suffering?

This man has answered this question with an ellegance unmatched by contemporary theologians. The reality of his discussion, the acceptance of logical probabilities, amazing. I am deeply saddened for anyone who disregards or puts down this talk, the world needs to hear this. Now, somebody on "their side" has come out with an honest admission of past failures, and an excellent plan for the future.

This man has given me hope for all Christendom, they're not all lost.

Talk: The amazing intelligence of crows – May 15, 2008

This was great. I did an analysis of why Joshua's presentation works so well. Only for the presentation nerds and communication analysis nuts out there...

http://realsmartnow.net/2008/05/16/joshua-klein-wisdom-of-crows/.

Talk: Why we know less than ever about the world – May 15, 2008

I think her points are well taken but her comment that 52% of the people want to know about what is happening in the world is clearly delusional. If that were true then people would be learning foreign languages, listening to the BBC and actually thinking about what American foreign policy is doing to the world.

Americans are provincial, if they weren't then the Anna Nicole Smith story wouldn't have been number one. Rurbert Murdock isn't our enemy, we are our enemy (just like Pogo told us).

Talk: Why we know less than ever about the world – May 15, 2008

Well, Anna Nicole was pretty big.

Talk: What's wrong with what we eat – May 15, 2008

A few thoughts, and I want to be objective because food is very personal isn't it! Bea Elliot makes great points but we don't need to become vegan. The push for veganism can cause people to recoil from the whole argument. Depending on the species roughly only 10% of the energy produced by an autotroph will be used to produce protein an an herbivore with only ~10% passed on each trophic level. Eating the lowest trophic level possible is most energy efficient.
I think Robert Christener might be a little less serious, I hope, because his argument doesn't seem to be well substantiated. We need to eat something and plants are the lowest on the trophic level and are very healthy. Sure we'd be eating the very CO2 carbon sequestering organisms we need, but by reducing meat production we can repopulate habitats used for herding cattle or growing soy to feed cattle.
I like alot of what Chloe writes but she's a little harsh on the speaker. He does exaggerate with his eating organic/California comment and I like Chloe suggestions - she is quite right - but I think she misses his point that the animal industry is also largely responsible for habitat destruction and CO2 production.
Does it help to become vegetarian, sure, but a pragmatic reduction in meat is a great start. But we also need time to collect this food, store the food and cook the food healthily. Think Global act Local!

Talk: Why we know less than ever about the world – May 15, 2008

Outstanding!

Talk: The amazing intelligence of crows – May 15, 2008

I really enjoyed this presention. I work outdoors and see crows a lot.

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Talk: The amazing intelligence of crows – May 15, 2008

Why is it so hard to see this video- it is easier for me to comment on it- sight unseen - than to see it. Please fix your site, smart people at TED, and make it easier to see the talks that pop up on my google home page.

Talk: Can we domesticate germs? – May 15, 2008

Brilliant idea. More people in the relevant fields need to hear this talk.

Talk: What's wrong with what we eat – May 15, 2008

Looks like I'm the first veg*an to comment: I wish that Mr. Bittman would have stressed the many reasons why the USDA encourages the meat industry to hold it's lofty position. The USDA is one of the meat industry's best customers. The government "purchases" products from the meat industry for school lunch programs, for the elderly, Indian Reservations, assorted institutions and THE MILITARY. Factory farms have devalued property, created health and respitory issues for residents and contaiminated rivers and water sheds - all with sanction from the EPA. From fly infestations around these "farms" to the excess water use needed to "grow" these animals for "food". It takes about 200 gallons of water to make a pound of beef - 50 for a pound of potatoes. It takes 7 times more water to flush pig poop than what the pigs drink a day (which is a good quantity). This wasted resources and damaging practices exist because we want "cheap" meat. All the while the government turns a blind eye to the exploitation of illegals to work the slaughterhouse jobs we don't want..... Why would we? We've got 99cent hamburgers! There..... I said all that without mentioning the unnecessary cruelty to animals.... oooops! go Vegan!

Talk: Why we know less than ever about the world – May 15, 2008

How can we permit this to happen?

Talk: What's wrong with what we eat – May 15, 2008

@Robert Christner - he's not saying eat plants *as well as* eating lots of meat, he's saying eat plants *instead of* eating lots of meat. The logic is that it takes more plants to make cows to feed carnivorous people, than it would take to feed vegetarians directly.

Talk: Hip-hop dance and a little magic – May 15, 2008

I'm disappointed by Laia Rodriguez de Guzmán Soria's narrow minded and slightly jealous sounding comment. The performer has an amazing control of his body, the blending and fusion of dance and magic was interesting. I'd love Laia to post us a link to one of her performances so we can compare...

Talk: Juggling rhythm and motion – May 15, 2008

Juggling as philosophy... Wonder if he knows that he's a Zen master

Talk: What's wrong with what we eat – May 15, 2008

I try to eat the super foods like apples, beans, garlic, onions and oats. Fish high in omega 3, like salmon, is a much healthier alternative to meat.

Talk: The amazing intelligence of crows – May 15, 2008

One more about Lucy. She did not need "training" she watched and learned very quickly. One of our favorite activities was gardening together. She would fly around a bit, then join me pulling weeds and tossing gravel back in to the gravel path. She did quite well, but did not quite understand the weeds from the non-weeds and pulled any little plant where I was weeding. She did this with no rewards of any kind, it was just being sociable.

Talk: Looking inside the brain in real time – May 15, 2008

Quick, get Douglas Hofstadter in that thing.

Talk: The amazing intelligence of crows – May 15, 2008

We raised an abandoned baby crow many years ago. She lived with us in our house with 4 cats for many years before having a "birdie" thought and taking off with her kind. Lucy was stunningly smart - much smarter than the cats who provided her with amusement as she toyed with them. One anecdote. I put out an open can of tuna for the cats to share. Lucy was got in with them in their feeding frenzy to have some, too. (They never fought, not once.) Lucy quickly decided the tuna was too good for the cats and did not want to share. She watched for an opportunity then ran into the melee, grabbed the entire can, and quickly ran off with it while the cats were chewing their bits. Lucy scampered off with the can to the floor beneath her cage. There she pulled back the towel, pushed the can under, then pulled the towel back over the can. The cats were oblivious to this and soon left Lucy to pull out the can and finish it off by herself.

More - One ongoing problem with a crow loose in the house was her curiosity. She learned that Susan's purse contained many interesting things to explore and take back to her cage or hide about the house. Susan switched to a zippered purse. This was no problem. It only took a day or so when Lucy learned to work the zipper. Another problem was Lucy loved to open bottles with screw tops. She would get into any bottle she could by knocking it over and then pecking the lid to unscrew it.

Talk: What's wrong with what we eat – May 15, 2008

OK so no doubt excessive consumption runs rampant in most countries, but taking it out on our friends in the plant world can't be the answer. All our green friends are instrumental at the business of carbon sequestration, and harvesting them in their prime only furthers the carbon load on the planet. Meanwhile the gaseous herbivores are busy with the process of methanogenesis, while munching down on earth friendly green plants. So clearly herbivores must be eaten to save the planet. Furthermore, we can help reduce greenhouse gases by starting to eat more insects (the natural enemies of our friends in the plant world). So next time you are eating out, skip the salad, have a steak with a bowl of grasshoppers on the side. A green plant will reward you by sequestering additional carbon from the atmosphere..

Talk: The amazing intelligence of crows – May 15, 2008

We were driving home one day and as we approached our house saw there was a huge column - a cyclone - of crows circling it. When we entered the back yard we saw a wounded or young crow had found its way into our enclosed sun porch, which was also occupied by our dog, a large (and stupid) boxer. The crows were continually bombarding the plate glass windows from the back yard and making such a ruckus that the dog was cowering in a far corner of the room, not daring to approach the bird! Somehow the few crows that had witnessed the plight of the bird had alerted every one one for miles around to raise the alarm.