My impression as an atheist is that there is no special sauce that makes human intelligence impossible to achieve. It will happen eventually.
Our brains are computers made of meat. Nothing more. Our thoughts, our dreams, our consciousness itself is quite literally just chemicals, hormones and synapses instead of circuits, binary code and wiring. There is no soul that would prevent true life from arising once the computing becomes powerful enough for it.
There's a kink for everything. It may not be a large base, but I'll bet it's there.
What pisses me off the most about Conservative politics is two-fold:
Their use of simplified three-word demagoguery specifically with the goal of making their base hoot and holler at some perceived enemy, but not actually have any policy to back up what is in truth a very complicated issue. (ie. axe the tax)
And second, their constant banging on about "Corporate handouts" to businesses that they blame the liberals for doing, when everyone (except their cultists) know that they do it ten times more. And yet media never calls them out on it.
Sorry. I know this is all well trodden territory by now. But every time I see that smug puncheable face, he repeats the bullshit behind that idiotic sign.
Three minutes before. No more. No less.
If he wasn't okay with being set on fire, his body has ways of shutting down things like that.
Trump's entire business sense amounts to "slap my name on everything so I look rich and powerful".
Dollars to Donuts says that his first thought was to call it "The Gulf of Trump" and some quick thinking aide changed the post before it could be released.
Too few spelling errors.
The Thirteenth Floor is a truly under appreciated gem of a movie, FYI
I've always believed deeply that the European Union was a model for how we, as a species, have to evolve in order to reach that next step. Not in a Star Trek ideal of "one planet", but at least in a "cooperation" that allows us to stop fighting each other.
Hell...I'm even a believer IN a North American version of the same thing. Just not in the way that Trump is wanting it and NOT with Trump anywhere near the decision making process. A North American federation on good terms with the EU federation would be great as long as adults were in charge and sovereignty was respected rather an a man-child shouting out bullshit all the time.
I think he already has. The U.S. is still militarily influential of course, but no one...NO ONE...takes their political leaders as anything more than unhinged toddlers anymore.
"Racist" is probably too strong a word, you're right.
I think "Tasteless" is more fitting. Racist would imply that they "satirise" some groups while protecting others, while Charlie Hebdo paints everyone with the same tasteless brush.
The first two thirds of Seveneves is really good at exactly what you describe. Once you get to the third part (you'll recognize it) just pretend the book ended before that.