there are nut cases everywhere!

[zenwood]

..... if the nucleus of the atom is comprised of several positively charged protons, what holds them together in the nucleus when their positive charges should be causing them to repel each other???"

anyone got an answer?

That's an excellent question, Doug. Pity your chemistry teacher had a nervous breakdown. Maybe your physics teacher would have known the answer. There is a thing called the 'strong nuclear force' that operates to hold nucleons (protons, neutrons) together in the nucleus of atoms, and which overcomes the huge electric repulsion due to the protons' positive charge. Gravity, electromagnetism, and the two nuclear forces - strong and weak - are the four forces that form the basis of modern physics (see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fundamental_force).

Love that article on the "evangelical scientists". The worrying thing is that it's so close to what's actually going on in America, and will, no doubt be imported here. For example, here's a quote from the very influential Discovery Institute (the 'Wedge' document):

"The social consequences of materialism have been devastating. ... to defeat materialism, we must cut it off at its source. That source is scientific materialism. .... We are [proposing a] positive scientific alternative to materialistic scientific theories, which has come to be called the theory of intelligent design (ID). Design theory promises to reverse the stifling dominance of the materialist worldview, and to replace it with a science consonant with Christian and theistic convictions."

Personally, I would like to see academic freedom allowing room for the theory of the Flying Spaghetti Monster.

Intelligent Design was the subject of the ABC Science Show, audio here.

[Gingermick]

It is very frightening, given the current US president.


Donald Rumsfeld is giving the president his daily briefing.
He concludes by saying: "Yesterday, 3 Brazilian soldiers were killed."
"OH NO!" the President exclaims. "That's terrible!"
His staff sits stunned at this display of emotion, nervously watching as
the President sits, head in hands.
Finally, the President looks up and asks, "How many is a brazillion?"

[channa]

There are four fundamental particles in newtonian physics; electrons, protons, neutrons and morons.

In support of Skew ChiDAMN!!'s theory, when matter meets its antimatter counterpart, the result is explosive! Mass for anti-mass, equivalent amounts of matter cease to exist. I believe we are seeing examples of these small explosions occuring in various parts of the world already. What we need to do is to get all of the Evangelical Scientists into one area with the Islamic Fundamentalists and let them cease to exist together... if they were only causing each other not to exist, it would all be mind over matter - I don't mind, and they don't matter.

PS Good question Doug

[Bulli]

Without taking away from anything said above, I should say that 'The Onion' is a wholly satirical website. The Intelligent Falling article is almost certainly a jab at the current debate over intelligent design. Other examples of current Onion headlines are:

• Wife Always Dragging Husband Into Her Marital Problems
• Faith Healer Loses Patient During Routine Miracle
• Iraqi Constitution Ratified, Burned
• Heaven Less Opulent Than Vatican, Reports Disappointed Pope
• CIA: Syria Harboring More Than 15 Million Known Arabs
• Amnesty International Demands Gentler Soap For Indonesian Political Prisoner

Cheers,

Bulli

[Iain]

Mass for anti-mass

Is that a Catholic counter claim??? after all we are discussing evangenical theories

[Kev Y.]

• Wife Always Dragging Husband Into Her Marital Problems

Cheers,

Bulli

Whats so satirical about THAT?

[MathewA]

source - www.theonion.com"

You are aware that this is satire right.

[Auld Bassoon]

Sure, but what holds the Lucasian Chair together? Hide glue, baby. Q.E.D.

Rusty.

LoL - should send that to Professor Hawking :eek:

Cheers!

[Gingermick]

From what I've been reading in the paper's lately, it wouldn't have surprised me had it been true.

[Kev Y.]

You are aware that this is satire right.

NO:eek: :eek: :eek: Really:confused: :confused:

I thought I had found the source of the "current affair " and "this day tonight" news items

[Bodgy]

Brudda mate. Way too many words.

I must confess that I didn't read it
Can you condense it to a precis?

Jesus wants you for a sunbeam

[AlexS]

Jesus wants you for a sunbeam

...or a paperweight.