Coincidences as an argument for the existence of god
October 30, 2024 - Reading time: 5 minutes
The key question of our lives is the question of the existence of God (or gods, in the case of polytheism). This question can be framed more generally: Are we merely complex, self-operating mechanisms created by random forces, atoms and molecules that are entirely indifferent to human beings?
A wide range of evidence supporting the God hypothesis. It can be grouped into philosophical arguments (such as the moral argument), scientific arguments (including the cosmological and fine-tuning arguments), the concept of irreducible complexity, religious arguments, and near-death experience accounts. Some may find these arguments convincing, while others might prefer more concrete, empirical evidence.
Existential questions on the @DesignedWorld YouTube mystery channel
October 3, 2024 - Reading time: ~1 minute
To see mystery in everyday life, you need to be open to it. Some people find mystery in the ordinary things they encounter daily, while others require more evidence. But regardless of your perspective, curiosity about unusual observations is key to advancing progress.
As physicist Albert Einstein once said, "The most beautiful thing we can experience is the mysterious. It is the source of all true art and science." Years later, another famous physicist, Richard Feynman, echoed this sentiment: "After all, what would be the use of studying physics if mysteries weren't the most important things to investigate?"
Now you can you hold 70,000 books in one hand!
September 29, 2024 - Reading time: 2 minutes
If you are reading this blog, you are a certifiable smart person and probably know about Project Gutenberg (PG). They have been collecting digital editions of public domain books since Michael S. Hart first typed in the Declaration of Independence and posted it online in 1971. Since then, the project has added free books at an increasing rate, passing the 70,000 mark this year. If they're online, why make these books available on a thumb drive?
With about 70,000 local copies of books, it's pretty darned cool to know that, as long as you have this drive, you will be able to access all those books, even in a nuclear Armageddon. The fact that you can search and read the books, and highlight and take notes on them, on any computer with the drive just makes it better.
The problem of missing people on the Internet
July 26, 2024 - Reading time: 8 minutes
If you are a frequent Internet user, you may notice an interesting phenomenon: a mismatch between your expectations of how many people should be engaged in various issues, and the actual reality. This situation is especially common on social media. For example, I recently joined a Facebook group with about 5 million members, but when I looked at the group's activity, I saw only about 10 people asking questions and making comments.
The same was true for Reddit. Conduct a test: go to Reddit and examine discussions in communities with over 200,000 members, where more than 50 members are online. You will hardly see any comments, and the ones you do see are often generic, like "Aha!" Recently, I tested this by posting a message in the group "MeaningOfLife," which has about 4k members. I was thrilled to receive one comment, but the group seemed completely inactive otherwise.
Next, visit Reddit's main page. You'll likely notice that 100% of the most popular posts are mundane, and honestly, quite silly, such as, "My girlfriend got a terrible haircut and she's crying," which garner thousands of comments and upvotes. While I suspect many of these comments and upvotes are from bots, it still raises questions. Why does this happen? Who (or what) is steering such discussions and with what purpose? Programmable bots? But who programmed them?
Book: The Designed World of Information. Unveiling the Incredible Realm Beyond
June 23, 2024 - Reading time: 2 minutes
This world is not what it seems? And the Universe - is not your true home? Surely, you've experienced coincidences that can't be logically explained? Do you not understand the meaning of life? A new book called "The Designed World of Information: Unveiling the Incredible Realm Beyond" [book link] is something special.
How to create an article in the ZWI file format
February 19, 2024 - Reading time: 3 minutes
This short tutorial describes how to create an article in the ZWI file format developed for the Encyclosphere project. ZWI files with articles can be created either from existing articles in the HTML format, or writing a completely new article and then exporting it to the ZWI file format.