Aug 9 2012: thanx for the very illucidating explanation, Luis - I hate to admit it: it's WAY over my head; my mental horizon extends to our comfortable three dimensions and in all other things, including punctuation marks, the here and now.
Uncle. I give up. I threw out the question for gigs and shittles, knowing in advance I'd get answers ranging from ridicule to religious dogma to indecipherable mathematical concoctions. And that's what I got. Thanks one and all, seriously. Universe 101 is over, out, finished, kaput. No mas. My very earth-bound brain hurts. You may, of course, continue to do battle with that subject yourselves, boys and girls but I'm out of the loop.
Jul 30 2012: what makes you so sure you're going that-a-way? we keep this conversation up any longer we might wind up in very old-fashioned 3 dimensional hell :-)
Jul 28 2012: I was fortunate enough to adopt these two guiding principals early on in life; it has become my religion, if you will, and therefor a contented agnostic.
Do onto others as you would have them do onto you
and
When? - if not now?
Who? - if not you?
Jul 24 2012: andrew - Amen to that, brother
I am not sorry to have started this discussion - but I can see that when everyone is done contributing it might just as well be called Garp and smells like a ... where did you ever come up with that one :-)?? Good one.
Have a pleasant evening and don't let the smell get to you
Michael
Jul 20 2012: Thank you for your encouraging comments, Edward
I am sorry to disappoint you. I seem to have have stumbled into a collection of Mensa-sized minds and am way out of my league. Not an excuse – just acknowledgment and acceptance of fact. I's just that I do question my world, it's mysteries intrigue me and with nothing better to do on a lazy afternoon I thought I'd throw out a question and see what happens.
To maybe better understand: after years of WW2 experience up close and personal as a child and totally alone, disillusioned with the world I had inherited from my parents and their peers I couldn’t wait until I was old enough to buy a steam ship ticket to the new world and leave Europe. At 21 I finally was and did. Although incredibly difficult, without a trade or English language skills, I persevered and became exclusively occupied with wordly success. At the expense of education, enjoying the finer things in life – and seeking the company of men and women of intelligence, knowledge, wit and experience.
I never doubted my capacity. Still don't. As sorry as I am now at 76 to never have put this capacity to work on an intellectual level (it has proven itself in many other ways) I have to concede my failure to not have changed, altered course, some 50 years ago.
Again, I thank you and implore you to grab a young mind and mold him or her into something I could have been. You're welcome to use my story as a deterrent to do anything less :-)
Michael
Jul 19 2012: Five answers, nay: opinions, to my query. I am thankful for every one. What did I expect? Empirical answers? that would cause to to slap my forehead and say “Duh, why didn't I think of that?”
Sadly, for me, almost all 'answers' far exceed my minutia-oriented earthly mental horizon. And since it soon won't make much difference, again, for me – I think I'll stick to a good meal, a good woman and a good book. I have empirical evidence for all three.
Thank you one and all.
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A comment on Conversation: If the universe is expanding - what is it expanding into?
Uncle. I give up. I threw out the question for gigs and shittles, knowing in advance I'd get answers ranging from ridicule to religious dogma to indecipherable mathematical concoctions. And that's what I got. Thanks one and all, seriously. Universe 101 is over, out, finished, kaput. No mas. My very earth-bound brain hurts. You may, of course, continue to do battle with that subject yourselves, boys and girls but I'm out of the loop.
A reply on Conversation: If the universe is expanding - what is it expanding into?
If the prospect of that doesn't keep you on the straight and narrow .....
A reply on Conversation: If the universe is expanding - what is it expanding into?
A comment on Conversation: YOUR MOTTO?
Do onto others as you would have them do onto you
and
When? - if not now?
Who? - if not you?
A comment on Conversation: If the universe is expanding - what is it expanding into?
I am not sorry to have started this discussion - but I can see that when everyone is done contributing it might just as well be called Garp and smells like a ... where did you ever come up with that one :-)?? Good one.
Have a pleasant evening and don't let the smell get to you
Michael
A reply on Conversation: If the universe is expanding - what is it expanding into?
I am sorry to disappoint you. I seem to have have stumbled into a collection of Mensa-sized minds and am way out of my league. Not an excuse – just acknowledgment and acceptance of fact. I's just that I do question my world, it's mysteries intrigue me and with nothing better to do on a lazy afternoon I thought I'd throw out a question and see what happens.
To maybe better understand: after years of WW2 experience up close and personal as a child and totally alone, disillusioned with the world I had inherited from my parents and their peers I couldn’t wait until I was old enough to buy a steam ship ticket to the new world and leave Europe. At 21 I finally was and did. Although incredibly difficult, without a trade or English language skills, I persevered and became exclusively occupied with wordly success. At the expense of education, enjoying the finer things in life – and seeking the company of men and women of intelligence, knowledge, wit and experience.
I never doubted my capacity. Still don't. As sorry as I am now at 76 to never have put this capacity to work on an intellectual level (it has proven itself in many other ways) I have to concede my failure to not have changed, altered course, some 50 years ago.
Again, I thank you and implore you to grab a young mind and mold him or her into something I could have been. You're welcome to use my story as a deterrent to do anything less :-)
Michael
A comment on Conversation: If the universe is expanding - what is it expanding into?
Sadly, for me, almost all 'answers' far exceed my minutia-oriented earthly mental horizon. And since it soon won't make much difference, again, for me – I think I'll stick to a good meal, a good woman and a good book. I have empirical evidence for all three.
Thank you one and all.