August 27, 2013

Reincarnation and the Multiverse – with no gods, souls, woo, or any of that crap

Consciousness is only a biological process. Consciousness isn't a separate thing that is attached to neurons. When the body dies, consciousness dies. When someone suffers brain damage their consciousness diminishes or dies. There is no evidence for a separate soul.

Partly based on these facts, I’m inclined to believe that a form of reincarnation must exist. Many people, including most atheists, think it’s impossible. I’m an atheist and I think we all have been reincarnated probably an infinite number of times in the past, and will in the future. I suppose with the influence of religion and the difficulties of understanding consciousness people make false assumptions about the nature of consciousness.

If it were possible to instantly replace every atom in your body with another identical atom, would you be the same person with the same conscious-self? I think yes. If you then instantly evaporate every atom in your body and then with a one second delay replace every atom, would you then be the same person? I think yes. How about doing the same thing except with an hour delay and then reconfigure the atoms in the house next door, would you then be the same person with the same conscious-self? I don’t see why not. Consciousness isn’t attached to any particular atoms and no separate soul disappears when consciousness shuts off.

When you die your consciousness shuts off. You return to the same state you were in before you were alive. The future potential for your consciousness to exist again after you die is the same as your future potential to exist had been before you were alive, since there is no metaphysical force or invisible sky ledger that keeps track of your past lives to prevent future lives. All that needs to happen for your consciousness to return after you die is a duplication of the same biological processes that had created your consciousness in your previous life. In other words, a form of reincarnation must be possible since consciousness is only a biological process and there’s nothing to prevent it. There will be no memories of past lives since memories are destroyed when the old brain dies.

Similarly, in gambling, when you roll dice each roll is independent from the last roll. When you haven’t rolled a particular number combination for awhile you have a no greater chance of rolling that number combination in future rolls. Nothing in nature tracks your rolls to change the odds on future rolls. Nothing in nature tracks your past conscious-selves to prevent future conscious-selves. That would be magical thinking.

In this form of reincarnation, the new consciousness will be the same as the old one (it will have the same self); but it will be in a different brain with different memories, probably have a different personality, and probably will be in a different species on some planet other than earth. Since the conscious-self is the same in the new brain it is obvious why I use the word reincarnation. The particular process that produces the particular consciousness is sufficiently the same, so the consciousness will also be the same. It would require a dying soul or metaphysical force to prevent reincarnation. There is no soul that dies.

Some may claim that there are very long odds to have a new brain after you die with the same consciousness as before. Well, you are here now and the odds are the same for your current existence as your future existence in your next life.

Some claim that your consciousness is your memories. But consciousness is what experiences your memories, consciousness isn’t memories. If you get amnesia and you lose your memories, the same conscious-self probably still exists. The memories are gone after death, but they are only what you are conscious of. Memories are not consciousness.


When I was young I thought it interesting that I was alive at that moment. With only one life the odds were greatly against my existence at that or any particular time, considering how old our Universe is. During most of the life of our Universe I hadn’t existed (as far as I knew). I hadn’t yet thought about reincarnation.

Let’s say that our Universe is the only universe and time will soon end. With only our Universe and one life, someone’s chances of existing at a particular time (with a 75 year life span & our 13.8 billion year old Universe) are 1 in 13,800,000,000/75 = 1 in 184,000,000. Lotteries have much better odds than that.

But the odds get much worse. Our Universe will likely be around extremely far into the future, many times its current age – if not forever. Imagine an infinite time-line to the future representing all of time that will probably ever exist. Let's say that there is no reincarnation and we only get one life. What are the chances that I would be alive at a particular moment if I had only one life on the infinite time-line? It is zero, since (one life time)/(total time Universe will exist) = finite#/infinity = infinitely small number = zero, which would be the odds of me living right now with only one life and our Universe exiting forever into the future.

So it would be impossible for me to be conscious right now if I only got one life and time is infinite. Since my consciousness existing right now is very important for my consciousness, my existence right now is the equivalent of me winning the lottery with zero odds of winning. So it seems with infinite time I must be reincarnated an infinite number of times for it to be possible for me to exist right now.


Non-existence of everything (total nothingness), including before our Universe, is impossible since everything arrived through an existing physics. The existing physics is something (not nothing); and since some always existing physics was able to produce our Universe, it’s likely that it has produced infinite universes through infinite time. At least the always existing physics is able to create infinite universes that have time, so there has always been time in these created universes. This means there is infinite time from the past to the future, and possibly an infinite or huge number of universes at any given time.

With only one universe the odds of having a seemingly designed universe with conditions suitable for life are extremely small. This apparent design of our Universe can easily be explained by the Multiverse (more than one universe) theory. Astronomer Martin Reese covers this in his book “Just Six Numbers”. If any number were minutely changed, our Universe would have been completely different.

For example: if the amount of matter in our Universe would have been a tiny fraction different, our Universe would have quickly collapsed or quickly flown apart and no life could have arisen. Some have proposed a many universes theory to explain this (each universe with its own conditions). This greatly increases the odds of there being a universe suitable for life.

Here’s astronomer Martin Reese’s reasoning for the existence of the Multiverse at 11:10 to 26:40 in video – ignore the rest:

The Multiverse brings up the possibility of there being a huge (or infinite) number of universes, and also the possibility of there being a huge number (or infinite number) of universes with life. With so many universes there will inevitably be universes with properties that can evolve life. The Multiverse eliminates the need for some miraculous explanation for our existence – including gods.

The reason that our Universe appears fine tuned is the same reason that our Earth appears fine tuned: there are many planets and most can’t evolve life, but only on those planets that can evolve life will there be a consciousness to contemplate its own existence. This fools the consciousness into thinking the planet is fine-tuned just for it. The same logic holds for our Universe: there are a huge number of universes with many different properties, but only on a very small percentage will life ever evolve. Inevitably we are in such a universe.

The Multiverse allows for the possibility of there being many universes with life and for there being infinite time from the past to the future with life evolving universes. This gives a huge number of opportunities for a consciousness to be reincarnated to planets and universes beyond Earth, and it greatly increases the odds that our conscious-selves can and must be reincarnated.

The possible, given infinite opportunities (or a huge number), is guaranteed to happen an infinite number (or possibly a huge number) of times. By our very own existence our conscious-selves are shown to be possible. Since there is no separate soul that dies or invisible sky ledger that keeps track of whether a particular consciousness has yet existed, reincarnation can happen. And with an infinite Multiverse reincarnation must happen.

February 3, 2013

Rosy Finches – Sandia Crest, New Mexico

On the drive I just made to San Diego I stopped by Sandia Crest, New Mexico to see the Rosy Finches that winter there. This is the best place to see all three species of North American Rosy Finches.


BLACK ROSY-FINCH

Sandia Crest is a short drive from Albuquerque, New Mexico; so it's convenient if you're driving by on I-40 or I-25. East of Albuquerque, take exit 175 off of I-40 and then go north on Hwy 14 for about 6 miles to Sandia Crest Rd (Hwy 536). Go west on Sandia Crest Rd for about 13 miles, and at the end of the road turn left into the middle of three parking lots. The bird feeder will be up the hill on the right by the building. (at least in the winter of 2012/2013).

Get there really early in the morning or you may miss them. The light was bad for pictures, but I walked up a path above the feeders to get close and OK results. The birds are rather tame.


SANDIA CREST IS PAST THE SKI AREA AND IS AT OVER 10,000 FT IN ELEVATION


TURN LEFT BEFORE BROWN SIGNS AT MIDDLE PARKING LOT AND FEEDER WILL BE ON RIGHT TOWARD END OF LOT.


GRAY-CROWNED ROSY-FINCH


BROWN-CAPPED ROSY-FINCH


BLACK ROSY-FINCH


ABERT'S SQUIRREL

November 9, 2012

Israel evacuates hundreds of Palestinians to conduct army training

Source: Ma'an News Agency

Hundreds of Palestinians are being evacuated from the northern Jordan Valley to make way for an Israeli military training exercise, local officials told Ma'an.

Villagers received orders this week from the Israeli army to leave their homes for the duration of the exercise, which begins on Sunday.

Daraghmeh said some families would be permitted to return after a two-day exercise, while others were told to leave their homes permanently.

He said several Israeli departments were working together to pressure Palestinians to leave the Jordan Valley in order to build Jewish settlements and military bases.

Read more: http://www.maannews.net/eng/ViewDetails.aspx?ID=535050

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This is ethnic cleansing at work, on land that Israel has no right to be in. This is news, but unfortunately it happens below the US radar, and by the country that receives far more support from the US than any other.

October 24, 2012

Osama Confession Video

There's a thread in General Discussion where someone questions the authenticity of the "Osama Confession Video."

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10021587491

Some point to this picture taken from the video of Osama's conversation about his foreknowledge of 9-11:

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That looks fat for Osama. I haven't seen any frame in the "Confession Video" where Osama looks like that. I think there are other versions of the video where Osama may look fat. Here's some evidence that the video is genuine.

They may have used a cheap subtitle editing program on the video that seems to have created a variable appearing Osama in the "Confession Video." That may be what altered the aspect ratio. But there seems to be different copies with some videos showing Osama particularly fat in parts. There are also scenes in the better videos where Osama looks perfectly like himself.

It seems to have been, at the minimum, a deliberate attempt to mislead by choosing the worst moment in the video where Osama looks the least like himself.

From same video, compared with known Osama pictures:

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That sure looks like Osama to me, and he talks about his foreknowledge of 9-11 in the video.

More info here: http://www.911myths.com/index.php/Confession_video

August 27, 2012

Arizona Birding

Late last month I drove from my home in Florida to southeastern Arizona and Southern California for a few weeks of birding and visiting my family in San Diego.

In San Diego I met up with a friend and we headed out for a quick three days in southeastern Arizona. We started at Madera Canyon, which is a few dozen miles south of Tucson, for the first of two hikes up a couple of trails (Super Trail - which starts from the top of the road in Madera Canyon, and then Kent Springs Trail - which starts from Bog Spring Campground).

The following montage is a sample of some of the birds and other critters we had on the two hikes. Going clockwise starting from the upper left: Scarlet Tanager (a rare bird for Arizona that is summered there), Yarrow Spiny Lizard, Graces Warbler, Black-throated Gray Warbler, Plumbeous Vireo, Hepatic Tanager, Brown Creeper, and Red-faced Warbler:
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After our hike we headed southwest almost to the Mexican border hoping to reach California Gulch for the localized Five-stripe Sparrow. Unfortunately this is when I discover my friend’s vehicle had very old tires. He had a flat. We had to quickly get to a tire shop before they closed. We’ll try again tomorrow for the Five-stripe Sparrow. About an hour after getting a replacement tire my friend had a second flat!

The next morning we visited lower elevation areas in and around Madera Canyon, including nearby Montosa Canyon. Going clockwise starting from the upper left: Black-chinned Hummingbird, tarantula, Gray Fox, American Black Bear, Rufous-winged Sparrow, Botteri’s Sparrow, Varied Bunting, and Lesser Nighthawk in the center:
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After he replaced the rest of his tires we tried again for the Five-striped Sparrow. The monsoon summer rains have been good this year in southeastern Arizona, and we saw ominous clouds where we were going. This was our last chance for the Five-striped Sparrow so we went anyways – bad idea.

It started raining hard when we were on a dirt road (Ruby Road) and the water started rushing across the road at spots. At this time we turned back east – too late. We were trapped by a flash flood and we soon found out (from another trapped motorist) that Ruby Road was washed out on the west side. Fortunately, after a couple of hours of listening to my very unhappy friend, the waters receded and we headed east out of the area.

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FLASH FLOOD

The next day, after doing our second hike above Madera Canyon, we headed to Miller Canyon in the Huachuca Mountains. We visited Beatty’s Guest Ranch http://www.beattysguestranch.com/ where we saw nine species of hummingbirds and a Spotted Owl that is regularly found nearby.

Going clockwise starting from the upper left: Broad-billed Hummingbird, Spotted Owl, Blue-throated Hummingbird, Sulphur-bellied Flycatcher, and White-eared Hummingbird:
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After this we drove back to San Diego.

I recently got back home from San Diego.

July 5, 2012

Maine Atlantic Puffin and more

Recently I took a trip to Maine. I took several boat trips out to some Atlantic Puffin colonies.

The first two photos are an Atlantic Puffin and a Razorbill. These were taken on Machias Seal Island, Maine. This island near Canada is the only place in the US where you can land on an island and photograph Atlantic Puffins through a blind. The trip departs from Cutler, Maine:
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The next photos were taken near Eastern Egg Rock, which is a small island near New Harbor, Maine. This has the most southerly breeding colony of Atlantic Puffins in the US. This trip is much shorter and cheaper than the one to Machias Seal Island. Unlike Machias Seal Island, Razorbills are scarce here; but the birding is still good.

The first photo is a Common Murre. The second photo is a Magnolia Warbler, which followed the boat for a while. The montage includes endangered Roseate Terns, with a Common Tern (top middle) and an Arctic Tern (lower right) (both perched in the same photo near a Roseate Tern) for comparison. It takes some effort to spot the few Roseate Terns among the numerous terns. Their black bills and paler coloration helps. The trip departs from New Harbor, Maine:
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I look forward to making a return trip to Maine sometime soon.

December 15, 2011

Large massive objects don't behave like small light objects.

Try balancing a toothpick on your finger. I find it impossible. Its very low mass, and therefore its very low inertia, gives it a very low resistance to falling over. Plus the distance it has to move to fall over is very small.

Try doing the same with a broomstick. It is easy to balance, though it is also easy to tip over. Unlike a large building the broomstick is built solid, and is proportionally very strong. The broomstick also has much less mass and is far shorter than a large building. The larger the object the more the tendency for it to maintain its verticle orientation. Plus the less solid, and less proportionally strong (like a building), an object the less likely it is to maintain its structural integrity as it falls.

A tall object must accelerate much faster to tip over, which requires a greater force. A tall object must move farther horizontally to tip over, which requires a greater force. A heavy object has more mass which requires more force to tip over.

A less solid, and less proportionally strong (like a building), object has less ability to apply horizontal force on itself when falling. An object that is already breaking apart has less ability to apply a horizontal force on itself when falling. But gravity is always present, and gravity pulls straight down. Gravity wins.

WTC7 did fall across the street causing great damage to adjacent buildings. So it wasn't straight down.