top 50 comments

sorted by: hot top controversial new old
[–] 52 points 3 years ago (3 children)

Yep, programming. It used to be mathematics and logic, nowadays we just include the whole of NPM and pray to the Omnissiah.

  • source
  • hideshow 4 child comments
  • load more comments (2 replies)
    [–] 41 points 3 years ago (1 child)

    This probably doesn't count, but Sosigenes of Alexandria was an Ancient Greek astronomer who designed the Julian calendar in 45 BC. This was replaced in 1582 AD with the Gregorian calendar (named after Pope Gregory XIII) and is still in use today. Of course both were found by science, but it took the weight of the Catholic Church to push for the more accurate calendar.

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gregorian_calendar

  • source
  • hideshow 2 child comments
  • [–] 25 points 3 years ago (4 children)

    I think the vast majority of scientists, at least computer scientists, would argue against the efficacy and accuracy of the Gregorian calendar.

    It's more of a "we're stuck with it" situation than a testament to its scientific veracity.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 7 child comments
  • [–] 12 points 3 years ago (1 child)

    The Gregorian calendar is pretty solid actually. Other than a leap second every few years, it'll stay in sync for a few thousand years. You can easily calculate all leap days in a one-liner.

    365 is semi prime, so we could do a 5 day week, but that's pretty minor in the grand scheme of things. There isn't a lot to improve on the Gregorian calendar

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 2 child comments
  • [–] 7 points 3 years ago (1 child)
    • leap days only coming at the end of the year, not in the middle
    • 5 day week
    • 73 day months
    • 30 day months with 5 non month days

    Don't get me started on timezones

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 2 child comments
  • [–] 4 points 3 years ago

    And that's the way science should be, with more data and better tools, you adjust and make things more accurate. I'm not sure what the efficacy issues are, but it's my understanding that current UTC leap seconds are put in place to reflect slight variation in the rotation of the earth. It is done in reaction to the earth's movement, so not something that could be predicted 450 years ago.

  • source
  • parent
  • [–] 4 points 3 years ago (5 children)

    at least computer scientists, would argue against the efficacy and accuracy of the Gregorian calendar.

    Agreed. If I had it my way, basically everything would be using unix time.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 8 child comments
  • load more comments (2 replies)
  • load more comments (1 reply)
  • [–] 37 points 3 years ago (1 child)

    "Can you name me one thing that was found by science that was later replaced by religion?"

    Yes, it's called politics.

  • source
  • hideshow 2 child comments
  • [–] 36 points 3 years ago (3 children)

    Simulation hypothesis is just theism with extra steps.

    Come at me bro.

  • source
  • hideshow 6 child comments
  • [–] 21 points 3 years ago (2 children)

    "I think God created the world" pitchforks raised "...WITH A COMPUTER!" pitchforks lowered

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 3 child comments
  • load more comments (1 reply)
  • [–] 10 points 3 years ago (2 children)

    Simulation hypothesis is not science.

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 4 child comments
  • [–] 9 points 3 years ago (1 child)

    It is part of science, it's an untested (and currently untestable) hypothesis. Such thought experiments can be very useful. Running through the consequences (and possible experiments) can sometimes give useful insights into other areas of physics.

    The problem is when layman take the scientific equivalent of a debate joke and treat it as gospel. It's similar to what happened with the flat earth society (started out as a debating joke, and got overrun by idiots).

  • source
  • parent
  • hideshow 2 child comments
  • [–] 8 points 3 years ago

    Simulation theory makes no inherent moral prescriptions or assertions about the ultimate origin of the universe - it just rolls everything up a level - This universe is a simulation inside the real universe... What created thecreal universe? We're not trying to answer that.

    Theism tends to make moral prescriptions and point to an immutable god - This universe was created by God... What created god? It's god, dude.

    This is why simulation theory and theism are compatible - there's no reason both can't be true - though we can never know if either is true, so just get on with your life and try to be a decent human.

  • source
  • parent
  • [–] 25 points 3 years ago (3 children)

    the ancient greeks knew the world was round, knowledge witch was then replaced by in vast circles during the middle ages.

    :P

  • source
  • hideshow 6 child comments
  • [–] 23 points 3 years ago*

    religion has often replaced scientifically proven facts, wich is mainly due to religions powerful ability to not have to make sense and still be acceptable.

    now as for religion actually disproving science, those occurences can be counted on zero hands.

  • source
  • parent
  • [–] 3 points 3 years ago

    No, it wasn't. If you look at religious iconography, you see Jesus sitting on a globe regularly. Kings were endowed with globus cruciger, a representation of Jesus ruling over the globe. Sure there were some people who must have believed in flat earth but they were about as serious as the modern flat earthers.

  • source
  • parent
  • [–] 18 points 3 years ago

    Hmmmm... Replacing scientifically developed vaccines with religiously advocated horse paste. How'd that work out for them?

  • source
  • [+] 10 points 3 years ago* (last edited 2 years ago)
    [removed by mod]
  • source
  • [–] 10 points 3 years ago (1 child)

    At least someone saying this acknowledges that science is a thing, so that's something I guess.

    Better than the opposite. I always find it funny when super-religious people deny science instead, as if their god (usually a practically omnipotent being with a 30,000 IQ) would want to micromanage everything going on in the entire universe, instead of just making everything run by a set of physical laws on its own.

  • source
  • hideshow 2 child comments
  • [–] 7 points 3 years ago

    Sanity?

    Yeah. Sanity.

  • source
  • [–] 7 points 3 years ago

    Creationist "science" is like those troll physics posts, except they aren't funny. Like at all.

  • source
  • [–] 7 points 3 years ago

    How about ignorance

  • source
  • [–] 6 points 3 years ago* (last edited 3 years ago) (6 children)

    Science still has not touched on any adequate way whatsoever the hard question of consciousness.

    Neither have a lot of religions. The eastern, "secular" religions are the major that have at least made an attempt to tackle the problem.

  • source
  • hideshow 8 child comments
  • load more comments (4 replies)
    [–] 5 points 3 years ago

    Someone once said.... if the human race was completely destroyed and evolution brought back sentient beings, every law of science would be rediscovered, but not one religion would return as it is.

  • source
  • load more comments
    view more: next ›