Temat: Five for Friday 10.07.2009

1. Is war an inherent feature of man? Is the human world capable of existing without war?

Man is probably the only creature on this planet getting high on killing for the sake of killing only. And on such a mass scale! Predator hunt their prey to eat, birds dig bugs out from dung piles to feed their offspring. Except for the birds raids in Hitchcock;s The Birds, I am not aware of war - like behavior in the animal world. Feel free to prove me wrong.

2. Why is a human being able to commit suicide? Do you know any other creature capable of doing so?

Free will baby! Free will is a bitch!

3. Have you ever heard about the 2012 year prophecy? What's your opinion about it?

2012 rings a bell, not sure in which church though. I was much more concerned about the Millenium Bug prophecy. That was some scarey kack...

4. Do you think cruelty depicted in some computer games and movies negatively affects people's behaviour in the real world?

Do you think aggression exhibited during football/rugby/other games negatively affects people's behavior in their real life? Moderation is the key.
PS. Also steer clear of Raf W's basement, should he ever get one.

5. Have you ever dreamed about a journey around the world?

Yes.

Temat: Five for Friday 10.07.2009

Rafal W.:
To make the long story short - Inca, Maya, Aztek, Tybetian and ancient Egyptians believed in the 2012 profecy... so did Nostradamus... and few others.

So I shall explore the subject. Btw: I am planning trip to North Siberia to find real shamans. But I don't really care what happens to the world if I can't help it...

Temat: Five for Friday 10.07.2009

Rafal W.:

To make the long story short - Inca, Maya, Aztek, Tybetian and ancient Egyptians believed in the 2012 profecy... so did Nostradamus... and few others.

And they are all extinct already. See where this is going? :D

Temat: Five for Friday 10.07.2009

Steve Jones:
Thanks to Marek Kardysz for these questions!

THX

1. Is war an inherent feature of man? Is the human world capable of existing without war?

War... If we broaden this concept to "escalation of conflicts" I think it's inherent. The scale changes - but the 'war' stays. Guess the world isn't capable to survive without it.

2. Why is a human being able to commit suicide? Do you know any other creature capable of doing so?

It simply works this way like bricks fall down. I heard that a whale can commit suicide. My uncle's dog comitted suicide when he got quite old and weak - it simply jumped against a car.

3. Have you ever heard about the 2012 year prophecy? What's your opinion about it?

Yep, i guess it's bullshit.

4. Do you think cruelty depicted in some computer games and movies negatively affects people's behaviour in the real world?

Unfortunatelly yes.

5. Have you ever dreamed about a journey around the world?

Sure. When i was a kid. Still thinking about it sometines.

Temat: Five for Friday 10.07.2009

I wish people could rest assured knowing that their pets didn't commit suicide. I can understand how the situations could seem, and it happens a lot. But they didn't see the vehicle or maybe hear it, or maybe it's fight or flight mechanism went haywire - running from something in an effort to do anything to stay alive, or going ketoacidosis and hypokalemic and then cardiac arrest or breathing through a complex relationship between organ systems. It wasn't a hunger strike. If you were to say that Russian glass-ball lifter's pet monkey accidentally saw her in training...okay. Maybe.

They don't contemplate nor are they self-conscious. They don't have the architecture, and they don;t manufacture a conscious sensation to "end it all."

EDIT: And yes. I need some sleep. :)))Joj Y. edytował(a) ten post dnia 12.07.09 o godzinie 07:32

Temat: Five for Friday 10.07.2009

Jarek A.:

1. Is war an inherent feature of man? Is the human world capable of existing without war?

Man is probably the only creature on this planet getting high on killing for the sake of killing only. And on such a mass scale! Predator hunt their prey to eat, birds dig bugs out from dung piles to feed their offspring. Except for the birds raids in Hitchcock;s The Birds, I am not aware of war - like behavior in the animal world. Feel free to prove me wrong.

Not to proove you wrong, but killing for pleaseure (or sort) is not pertain to Homo Sapiens.
Baboons sometimes kill for showing off, for instance.

I believe "aggression" and "war" though, are 2 terms which should not be interchangeably used for this subject.

The war is a political decision, and the aggression is a feeling. It may look like a very close relationship, but if we consider that we study these 2 different things with 2 different sciences (maybe even 3-4), we should better off mixing them.

Temat: Five for Friday 10.07.2009

1. Is war an inherent feature of man? Is the human world capable of existing without war?

Answering second question first: man can not live without war, as it structly goes with possesion and wealth.
Yes, war is inherent feature of man. There is always something behind such action, mostly money, desire for greater power.

2. Why is a human being able to commit suicide? Do you know any other creature capable of doing so?
hmm.. that's very tricky question. I just can't think of any other creature able to do so and other qeustion comes to my mind: how?
Problably only we are capable of doing so. Why? Culture and civilization development might be one of the factors

3. Have you ever heard about the 2012 year prophecy? What's your opinion about it?
do you mean that Ukraine will lose European Chmaps and we will do it together with Germans? yes, i heard about it many times :)

4. Do you think cruelty depicted in some computer games and movies negatively affects people's behaviour in the real world?
If it comes for me the most demanded option which I have i computer games and don't in real life is "save"! When you screw something you just load the game and do it again, properly :)
Maybe people sometimes forgot that they have only chance to do something proper and there is no second time!

5. Have you ever dreamed about a journey around the world?
yes, many times :)

Temat: Five for Friday 10.07.2009

Tomasz Laskowski:

3. Have you ever heard about the 2012 year prophecy?
What's your opinion about it?

do you mean that Ukraine will lose European Chmaps and we will do it together with Germans? yes, i heard about it many times :)

That's funny :)

Temat: Five for Friday 10.07.2009

I wonder how many of the 1500 plus members of Anglosphere will bother answering...

Not many, as it turns out!

1. Is war an inherent feature of man? Is the human world capable of existing without war?

Humans seem to be territorial. This means war.

2. Why is a human being able to commit suicide? Do you know any other creature capable of doing so?

Lemings

3. Have you ever heard about the 2012 year prophecy? What's your opinion about it?

To be honest, I haven't heard of it. It's probably shite. It isn't possible to predict the future.

4. Do you think cruelty depicted in some computer games and movies negatively affects people's behaviour in the real world?

I think seeing violence can wind you up a bit and can be temporarily desentitising.

5. Have you ever dreamed about a journey around the world?

I wouldn't mind doing this. Might be cool. What would the purpose be, though, I wonder...?