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Those worldviews are unsupported by empirical evidence. Dreaded Anomaly Send a noteboard - 01/12/2010 01:41:27 AM
Several worldviews assert that the universe or a creator thereof does possess human qualities. Tom's entire point is that the discovery of extraterristrial life provides justification toward framing this universal tendency towards biogenesis in non-physical terms--not, as you accuse him of, characterizing the cosmos in such a manner as an axiom.


The discovery of extraterrestrial life does not, objectively, provide any justification for anthropomorphizing the universe. Adding human qualities to the universe solely as an explanation for alien life violates Occam's Razor. Explanations exist which do not require adding those qualities, and further, there is no other indication that those qualities exist, so they would have to be added in a manner consistent with every other observation that did not identify or require them. Given all of this, it's much more likely that someone who sees evidence of alien life as support for an anthropomorphic universe is selectively interpreting the evidence to support his preexisting bias toward such a universe.

Also, as an additional comment on Tom's post, the existence of some form of alien life is very far from the existence of sentient life, and the suggestion that life in any environment would tend toward sentience demonstrates a misunderstanding of evolution.
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Is NASA set to reveal on Thursday signs of possible extraterrestial life within the solar system? - 30/11/2010 03:49:40 AM 1121 Views
Interesting. - 30/11/2010 04:43:15 AM 607 Views
crap! I will be watching this! - 30/11/2010 05:04:58 AM 739 Views
Goddammit Wikileaks get on this *NM* - 30/11/2010 05:05:19 AM 304 Views
There's no one to smear, why would wikileaks be interested? *NM* - 30/11/2010 01:45:58 PM 285 Views
If there is life in the solar system then it is likely a natural development in the universe. - 30/11/2010 05:12:38 AM 641 Views
Seems to put atheists in a bit of a catch-22 there. - 30/11/2010 05:54:25 AM 764 Views
Bwa? - 30/11/2010 06:45:33 AM 691 Views
Sorry, yeah. That is not my position. - 30/11/2010 07:03:17 AM 683 Views
The best will be when we find other intelligent life - 30/11/2010 02:32:35 PM 607 Views
Well, I don't actually agree with the first part of your Catch-22. At least, not entirely. - 30/11/2010 02:43:13 PM 732 Views
Using anthropomorphic terms to describe the universe only reflects on you, not on the universe. *NM* - 30/11/2010 07:31:04 PM 310 Views
What an arbitrary and meaningless statement. *NM* - 30/11/2010 07:52:13 PM 248 Views
Anthropomorphizing concepts is a cognitive bias. - 30/11/2010 11:19:23 PM 596 Views
Only given a certain metaphysical framework. - 01/12/2010 12:18:09 AM 639 Views
Mind dumbing that down a bit? - 01/12/2010 12:43:47 AM 579 Views
I think he is saying - 01/12/2010 01:26:34 AM 773 Views
That ain't not a lot simpler - 01/12/2010 01:35:38 AM 705 Views
Yes. - 01/12/2010 01:44:41 AM 672 Views
Those worldviews are unsupported by empirical evidence. - 01/12/2010 01:41:27 AM 750 Views
No worldviews are supported by empirical evidence. *NM* - 01/12/2010 01:57:23 AM 292 Views
Empiricism is unsupported by empirical evidence. *NM* - 01/12/2010 02:21:52 AM 257 Views
Empirical evidence is the only objective standard. - 01/12/2010 02:59:18 AM 636 Views
Empirical evidence cannot fully explain reality. - 01/12/2010 03:28:41 AM 713 Views
Re: Question (use google now!): what's the net energy of the universe? - 01/12/2010 03:35:57 AM 660 Views
Re: - 01/12/2010 03:45:22 AM 859 Views
Re: Re: - 01/12/2010 04:04:38 AM 643 Views
Yes. I know what empiricism is. - 01/12/2010 05:17:05 AM 951 Views
Re: You are a smart person. - 01/12/2010 03:09:13 AM 625 Views
Thanks. - 01/12/2010 03:30:46 AM 867 Views
Interesting. I agree with what you're saying, actually. - 30/11/2010 07:49:51 PM 575 Views
It won't change the argument in the least. - 01/12/2010 05:26:16 AM 768 Views
I have the feeling it's probably not going to be that. - 30/11/2010 06:02:48 AM 651 Views
Ohh, exciting! - 30/11/2010 08:37:32 AM 610 Views
noooo! - 30/11/2010 10:19:27 AM 575 Views
Boring primitive things would be cool. - 30/11/2010 02:54:10 PM 581 Views
Hey, there's a name I recognize, "Iron Lisa" - 30/11/2010 09:25:01 AM 715 Views
WE'RE ALL GONNA DIEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE - 30/11/2010 02:33:30 PM 675 Views
I, for one, welcome our new alien overlords. *NM* - 30/11/2010 02:35:04 PM 257 Views
"I, for one, welcome our new INSECT overlords"! - 01/12/2010 12:40:27 AM 652 Views
but we don't know if they're insects yet! - 01/12/2010 12:55:52 AM 593 Views
I'll not bow to any mere Bacterial Overlords, Eukaryote Overlords only!!! *NM* - 01/12/2010 01:02:20 AM 264 Views
So you're prejudiced against the nuclearly challenged? - 01/12/2010 01:09:57 AM 608 Views
Down right genocidal toward them - 01/12/2010 01:31:47 AM 586 Views
Genocide is a bit extreme - 01/12/2010 02:13:18 AM 618 Views
They had better have a green man *NM* - 30/11/2010 10:45:56 AM 230 Views
Because you need somebody to attack Aginor and Balthamel? *NM* - 01/12/2010 01:04:23 AM 233 Views
Oh no you didn't *NM* - 01/12/2010 01:14:55 AM 230 Views
Seriously. - 01/12/2010 01:26:54 AM 574 Views
Re: But then you got turned on just thinking about the phrase? - 01/12/2010 02:23:02 AM 674 Views
I'm actually a tiny bit giddy about this. *NM* - 01/12/2010 01:04:49 AM 244 Views
Re: Arsenic. *NM* - 01/12/2010 02:09:51 AM 260 Views
Re: Perhaps just as awesomely: - 01/12/2010 02:21:35 AM 720 Views

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