Believers denigrate the sciences in a number of ways in order to believe. That's because faith demands it. Some believers don't even know what I'm talking about.
All Na’vi have a long, prehensile tail. This is used for balance, acting as a moving countermass to smooth out the stride at a full run, and to assist with direction changes. The tail is also used for social cues regarding emotional states, as are the ears. Some Na’vi subspecies can suspend their weight from their tail, but the Na’vi in the Hell’s Gate region cannot. They have been observed however using the prehensile tip of the tail to grip tree limbs and vines during climbing, and to help arrest a fall.
The Na’vi skull is proportionately small, compared to a human head/body ratio, and is characterized by high cheekbones, feline ears and a protruding, snout. Na’vi eyes are large and adapted for nocturnal hunting. The eye is four times human size, by volume, and has a characteristic gold pigmentation of the pupil. The pupils will retro-reflect green light at night, due to a layer of light amplifying cells in the retina.
Bioluminescent skin cells that produce the noctilucase enzymes emit light when ambient light levels are low.
At first glance, a human might think of the Na'vi queue as simply a long, rather ostentatious hair braid. This seemingly conventional braid actually sheathes a “neural whip” that is an extension of the Na’vi’s nervous system. At its distal end is a remarkably intricate branching of neural tendrils that can be connected to similar structures of other life forms, both animal and plant. This connection allows a Na'vi to exchange sensory information with other creatures, and members of the zooplantae phylum, the animal-like plants which are unique to Pandora. From birth on, the Na’vi individual’s hair is painstakingly braided over the antenna-like neural whip, protecting it from harm.
I realize I'm committing the fallacy of reification, but I think evolution/natural selection is really stupid for not genetically favoring more hardy, longer lived, and more disease free/resistant human beings.
After all, how many people have died as the result of being burned, falling long distances, being diseased, having their bodies pierced through with everything from spears to AK-47's, or just growing older and stuff stops working right, etc?
I think I could do a better job of evolution than its track record shows that it has done with the human species thus far.
But wait! Didn't the Nazi's think along similar lines?
Human beings will evolve into different sorts of creatures, perhaps like the Na'vi of James Cameron's movie Avatar.
1. Hm, I don't see why Loftus has such high hopes for human evolution. It could just as well be that humans evolve into something much less intelligent. Maybe humans could "evolve" into a creature the Na'vi would prey on because our brainpower won't prove a survival advantage in the future.
2. If humans will evolve, why not other species? Perhaps in the future other species will evolve into intelligent and even conscious beings. Perhaps the great apes will evolve into intelligent creatures a la Planet of the Apes and enslave humanity.
Or perhaps dolphins will evolve and take over the seas. They're already pretty smart. Then they'll evolve feet and so forth to take over the land too. And wings to take over the air. Someday it's possible we'll have flying dolphins ruling the world.
What's more, Loftus notes in the combox of his post, "That is, unless we blow ourselves off the face of the planet or something like that occurs. But given a habitable planet and the fact of evolution this will certainly take place as I predict." Well, a planet inhabitable and inhospitable to humans could be habitable and hospitable to cockroaches. On Loftus' prediction perhaps cockroaches will evolve into intelligent, conscious beings. Perhaps Earth will someday be populated by a future species known as Periplaneta sapiens.
If humans can evolve into something like the Na'vi, then I take it Loftus also thinks horses can evolve into something like direhorses for humans to ride on. Or given that direhorses and the Na'vi can be in some sort of unison with one another via their "neural whip," then perhaps evolution will one day allow Homo futurus and Equus futurus to mate with one another, thereby creating a new horse-man species. I guess this means Loftus would be open to the possibility of belief in centaurs. If atheists can criticize Christians for believing in myths, then I wonder what this says about atheists like Loftus whose beliefs allow for myths to become real?
3. At any rate, soon enough Earth or perhaps our moon will be transformed or terraformed into something akin to Pandora where a future humanoid civilization will attempt to exploit it for the precious mineral unobtanium.
It's very clear to me that you do not know what he is talking about.
ReplyDeleteIt could be that humanity could grow to ten feet tall and ride flying lizards.
It's truly inspiring to witness Loftus' faith in the powers of evolution. Not to mention the scientific rigor of his futuristic projections.
ReplyDeleteI realize I'm committing the fallacy of reification, but I think evolution/natural selection is really stupid for not genetically favoring more hardy, longer lived, and more disease free/resistant human beings.
ReplyDeleteAfter all, how many people have died as the result of being burned, falling long distances, being diseased, having their bodies pierced through with everything from spears to AK-47's, or just growing older and stuff stops working right, etc?
I think I could do a better job of evolution than its track record shows that it has done with the human species thus far.
But wait! Didn't the Nazi's think along similar lines?
In Christ,
CD
John Loftus said:
ReplyDeleteHuman beings will evolve into different sorts of creatures, perhaps like the Na'vi of James Cameron's movie Avatar.
1. Hm, I don't see why Loftus has such high hopes for human evolution. It could just as well be that humans evolve into something much less intelligent. Maybe humans could "evolve" into a creature the Na'vi would prey on because our brainpower won't prove a survival advantage in the future.
2. If humans will evolve, why not other species? Perhaps in the future other species will evolve into intelligent and even conscious beings. Perhaps the great apes will evolve into intelligent creatures a la Planet of the Apes and enslave humanity.
Or perhaps dolphins will evolve and take over the seas. They're already pretty smart. Then they'll evolve feet and so forth to take over the land too. And wings to take over the air. Someday it's possible we'll have flying dolphins ruling the world.
What's more, Loftus notes in the combox of his post, "That is, unless we blow ourselves off the face of the planet or something like that occurs. But given a habitable planet and the fact of evolution this will certainly take place as I predict." Well, a planet inhabitable and inhospitable to humans could be habitable and hospitable to cockroaches. On Loftus' prediction perhaps cockroaches will evolve into intelligent, conscious beings. Perhaps Earth will someday be populated by a future species known as Periplaneta sapiens.
If humans can evolve into something like the Na'vi, then I take it Loftus also thinks horses can evolve into something like direhorses for humans to ride on. Or given that direhorses and the Na'vi can be in some sort of unison with one another via their "neural whip," then perhaps evolution will one day allow Homo futurus and Equus futurus to mate with one another, thereby creating a new horse-man species. I guess this means Loftus would be open to the possibility of belief in centaurs. If atheists can criticize Christians for believing in myths, then I wonder what this says about atheists like Loftus whose beliefs allow for myths to become real?
3. At any rate, soon enough Earth or perhaps our moon will be transformed or terraformed into something akin to Pandora where a future humanoid civilization will attempt to exploit it for the precious mineral unobtanium.
John "Bird-Man" Loftus has spoken. Squawk!