TED Community » edward long

More About Me

I'm passionate about

The pursuit and defense of Truth.

An idea worth spreading

Selfishness breeds evil. If we cared for one another as much as we care for ourselves life would improve. The hard part is to control the corrupt, sinful heart of Man. Global peace and prosperity depend upon it.

Talk to me about

Truth and Humor (sometimes they are the same).

People don't know that I'm good at

Keeping the one thing I'm good at hidden.

My TED Story

Directed via an aggregator site to TED, I was elated to find an atmosphere charged with optimism and constructive energy where conversations, ideas and debates are monitored for compliance to basic rules of decency, respect and civility.

Comments

• TEDCred score: +145.70 TEDCred reflects your contribution to the TED community.

• A reply on Conversation: Evolution : "just a theory". Scientific caution is sometime confusing.

  1 hour ago: Roger that Entropy! I'm down with Gravity (no pun intended)! Maybe it's time for the supporters of the Theory of Evolution to publicize their disassociation with The Origin of the Species. Perhaps it's time for a fresh explanation and a new name for what we have all been calling Evolution for the last hundred years or so. Is the process, whatever we name it, still based upon natural selection of beneficial mutations over eons of time from a common ancestor? And, does the "new" Evolution answer the question about how life came from non-living chemicals? Does "neo-Evolution" offer any explanation as to how the DNA code developed? Does "Non-Darwinian Evolution" offer an explanation regarding why genetic mutations, which are overwhelmingly non-beneficial, are said to be the reason for the vast diversity of life on Earth? Also, multiple protein/enzyme components are required for essential biochemical pathways and nano-machines to exist. Does "Evolution 2.0" offer any explanation as to how these components came to be? When a piece of ancient pottery is discovered it is accepted as a designed thing. But, when a new biological truth is discovered do the new Evolutionary Scientists still accept it as not being designed, but rather being a result of natural selection of beneficial. . . etc. etc.?. Has the latest version of Evolution answered Karl Popper's accusation that it. ". . . is not a testable scientific theory, but a metaphysical [religious] research program.” ? If Evolution, or whatever it is now called, is not "just a theory", then what is it?
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  A reply on Conversation: A deceptively simple question: What is, was, and will always be impossible to occur?

  9 hours ago: RE: "Any transgender. . . " So a transgender person actually takes-on the chromosomes of their new sex? I don't think so. You are arguing that it is possible for one person to be both a brother (XY) and a sister (XX) at the same time? Pure foolishness. Nature does not say what is male and what is female? Rediculous! Male and female are not mutually exclusive? Sure they are. Even a hermaphrodite cannot be both a brother and a sister. What you are calling labels are actually statements of infrangible facts. I suspect you think I am not serious here, and I have the same suspicion about you, so why don't you take the last word in our thread here and I will sign-off now. Bye.

• A reply on Conversation: When is the last time you did something for the first time?

  10 hours ago: All rightey then. Thanks for the background info. Enjoy your exercises Greg.

• A reply on Conversation: Does creationism indicate bad education? (If so how can we fix this, and should it be taught?) Does Creationism have any credibility to it?

  12 hours ago: RE: "Atheist religion. . . " Here's how I define Religion: ~ having to do with one's beliefs about a superhuman controlling power, especially a personal God or gods.~a pursuit or interest followed with great devotion. (Oxford Condensed).~ service and worship of God or the supernatural. (Merriam Webster).~ a cause, principle or system of beliefs held to with ardor and faith. (Merriam Webster)~ any specific system of belief, worship, conduct, etc. often involving a code of ethics and a philosophy. (Webster's New World).~ a specific fundamental set of beliefs and practices generally agreed upon by a number of persons or sects. (Dictionary.com).~An activity or goal that is extremely important to you. (Macmillan Dictionary).~a collection of practices, based on beliefs and teachings that are highly valued or sacred. (Wiktionary.org).~an activity which someone is extremely enthusiastic about and does regularly. (Cambridge Advanced Learner’s Dictionary and Thesaurus).(These nine definitions, to me, clearly allow the word “religion” to be applied to Atheism).

• A reply on Conversation: Evolution : "just a theory". Scientific caution is sometime confusing.

  14 hours ago: I do not dispute that evolution is "accepted with a great degree of certainty amongst the scientific community." That is off the point here. Are you arguing that Evolution is not a theory (as defined by Science)? If so please state your belief so a simple mind like mine can understand it.

• A reply on Conversation: A deceptively simple question: What is, was, and will always be impossible to occur?

  14 hours ago: RE: "I will take this response . . . " On what do we agree? 1) It is not possible for something to be both 'A' and 'NOT A'. It is possible for you to be brother (A) and a husband (B), but it is NOT possible for you to be a brother (A) and a sister (C) because chromosome laws will not allow it. Therefore, "A" is "NOT C" and "C" is "NOT A". We cannot say that "B" is "NOT A", but we can, and must, say "C" is "NOT A". You cannot be both "A" (brother) and "NOT A" (sister). This truth is not dependent upon you or me believing it, it is true regardless of our assessment of its veracity. You can SAY you are both brother and sister but you cannot BE both brother and sister. Do we agree on this?

• A comment on Conversation: Should we expect anyone in the entertainment industry to be role models?

  15 hours ago: It is said that Adolph Hitler was a painter with better-than-average artistic talent. I could not appreciate his works of art because of what I know about how he used his influence during his life. Knowing intimate, personal details about a famous person has an unavoidable influence on people's view of that person. Role models ought to be selected based upon the personal, intimate details of their life. This prevents a cruel, sadistic murderer from being put forth as a model of decency and responsibility. A great second-baseman who is a drunken debaucher should not be honored as a model of behaviour to be followed by America's youth. He is a great baseball player but nothing more. Fame does not a role model make.

• A comment on Conversation: How does curiosity and hunger for knowledge change the world for the better and what can be done to avoid mistakes?

  15 hours ago: Man's curiosity and hunger for knowledge is nothing less than the fuel powering the engine of science and industry. Without it the engine sputters and dies. "Mistakes" happen when the products of science and industry are used in harmful ways. How can such mistakes be avoided? Only by changing the very nature of Man.
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  A comment on Conversation: Extroverts are valued more than introverts, especially in America.

  15 hours ago: Is a person's value to society really determined by their personality type? That seems superficial and unscientific. Everyone leaves a legacy after they are gone. I doubt that their personality type has much to do with anything lasting or meaningful in that legacy. I find boisterous self-promotion subtracts from a person's "value". It is content and substance that matters, not volume and quantity. I disagree that extroverts are valued more than introverts.
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  A comment on Conversation: It is a fact TED is a unprecedented success. How do you think it differs from other inspirational and original talks available online?

  15 hours ago: TED's selection algorithm: Is there an Idea here? If yes, does the Idea have worth? If yes, should the Idea be shared with enquiring minds? If yes, utilize state-of-the-art production techniques to produce, record, and broadcast the Talk.