A Space & astronomy forum. SpaceBanter.com

Go Back   Home » SpaceBanter.com forum » Astronomy and Astrophysics » Amateur Astronomy
Site Map Home Authors List Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read Web Partners

Sad Christmas Story



 
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
  #11  
Old December 24th 05, 04:03 PM posted to sci.astro.amateur
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Sad Christmas Story

On Sat, 24 Dec 2005 00:39:37 -0500, Davoud wrote:

At the end of the story Mr. MacRobert's biographical sketch says "Alan
MacRobert independently disproved the existence of Santa Claus around
age 7, by dividing the number of houses in North America by the number
of minutes in the night before Christmas. He found the process
liberating rather than disappointing."

Liberated from the magic of childhood at only age 7?


Seven seems an excellent age for a child to start understanding the
beauty of a Universe in which understanding can come from rational
thought processes alone.

Good scientists (and rationalists in general) are those who _never_ lose
the magic of childhood- something that really has nothing to do with
believing in Santa Claus.

_________________________________________________

Chris L Peterson
Cloudbait Observatory
http://www.cloudbait.com
  #12  
Old December 24th 05, 04:43 PM posted to sci.astro.amateur
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Sad Christmas Story

"Intelligent Design" is neither!

  #13  
Old December 24th 05, 04:46 PM posted to sci.astro.amateur
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Sad Christmas Story

Davoud wrote:
If you read this evening's S&T news bulletin, you may have followed the
link to the story about the Christmas morning occultation of Spica by
the Moon http://tinyurl.com/77lpy. The story was well written by one
Alan M. MacRobert.

At the end of the story Mr. MacRobert's biographical sketch says "Alan
MacRobert independently disproved the existence of Santa Claus around
age 7, by dividing the number of houses in North America by the number
of minutes in the night before Christmas. He found the process
liberating rather than disappointing."

Liberated from the magic of childhood at only age 7? I can't help but
imagine what might have happened if Mr. MacRobert had been a budding
biologist at age 7: "Alan MacRobert received a puppy for Christmas
around age 7, and he dissected it..."

Davoud


HOWL of laughter! I'm with you D. Thanks for the terrific pre-Christmas
giggle.

And as for the idea that reason is necessary for beauty... Lord what a
depressing thought. A world of rational automatons, housed in pre-fab
Bauhaus concrete blocks. Sounds like something that birdbrain Gordon
Liddy, who claims to have married his wife for breeding potential, would
say.

"The mind has its reasons, whereof reason knows nothing." Let me love
in peace, thanks.

Happy hols to all.
Chris

  #14  
Old December 24th 05, 04:47 PM posted to sci.astro.amateur
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Sad Christmas Story

I wouldn't say that's sad at all, it would just mean that he had awaken to
the Real World.
I was a bit older, but I have my own story of awaking and it was not so
nice, but it awoke me to the real world too.


--

The Lone Sidewalk Astronomer of Rosamond
Telescope Buyers FAQ
http://home.inreach.com/starlord
Astronomy Net Online Gift Shop
http://www.cafepress.com/astronomy_net
In Garden Online Gift Shop
http://www.cafepress.com/ingarden
Blast Off Online Gift Shop
http://www.cafepress.com/starlords




"Davoud" wrote in message
...

Liberated from the magic of childhood at only age 7? I can't help but
imagine what might have happened if Mr. MacRobert had been a budding
biologist at age 7: "Alan MacRobert received a puppy for Christmas
around age 7, and he dissected it..."

Davoud

--
usenet *at* davidillig dawt com



  #15  
Old December 24th 05, 05:06 PM posted to sci.astro.amateur
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Sad Christmas Story

On Sat, 24 Dec 2005 09:46:06 -0600, starburst wrote:

And as for the idea that reason is necessary for beauty... Lord what a
depressing thought. A world of rational automatons, housed in pre-fab
Bauhaus concrete blocks.


You have a peculiar sense of "reason". Your definition and mine have
nothing in common at all.

_________________________________________________

Chris L Peterson
Cloudbait Observatory
http://www.cloudbait.com
  #16  
Old December 24th 05, 05:13 PM posted to sci.astro.amateur
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Sad Christmas Story

Chris L Peterson:
Seven seems an excellent age for a child to start understanding the
beauty of a Universe in which understanding can come from rational
thought processes alone.


I was a prodigy -- taught to read by age two, though not by intention,
I think. First complete book I remember reading was a science fiction
paperback that attracted me only because I was fascinated by the
strange creatures on the cover. Age four, maybe. I don't know the level
of my "rational thought processes" at that age, but that book
transported me -- at superluminal speed no less -- to worlds that I
/knew/ didn't exist. Now that's magic! Then I found Tolkien and came
damned close to inventing the phrase "blown away." Books (and sometimes
movies) can still do that for me. I had been reading magazine articles
well before age 4 -- I remember my grandfather's Mechanics Illustrated
and the National Geographic. Started reading about the stars at about
the same age -- my Dad had been a ship's navigator before the Great
Depression. Got my subscription to Scientific American at age 5. Had no
trouble distinguishing between benign myth and reality, be it beautiful
or harsh. Still don't. Believed in Santa Claus. Still do,
metaphorically. Today, at age 61, when a child asks me if I believe in
Santa Claus (as will happen tomorrow with many children visiting,) I
say of course I do. "But how does he..." "Magic, that's how." I have
yet to destroy any young intellects in this way.

Good scientists (and rationalists in general) are those who _never_ lose
the magic of childhood- something that really has nothing to do with
believing in Santa Claus.


Jeez! Next I'll be accused of attempting to legislate Santa Claus into
the schools! My remarks on believing in Santa Claus may be seen as a
metaphor for the magical myths that are cherished by children in every
society.

A child's belief in those myths does nothing to stifle the rational
thought process; indeed, I am quite convinced that they help to jump
start it.

One of the brightest people I know -- a dear friend, colleague, fellow
Humanist-Rationalist, fellow progressive, PhD(s), respected researcher,
theoretician, teacher, &c -- has probably never read a work of fiction
in his life, except maybe as assigned in some academic course. Didn't
read Tolkien, saw only the first Star Wars, didn't get it. Gets dragged
by his wife (also an academician) to Harry Potter movies, doesn't enjoy
them. Definitely has a chunk missing from his life. I blame his
upbringing by a strict, humanist-rationalist father who happened to be
be a Christian minister -- and no, I don't see a contradiction there.

Davoud

--
usenet *at* davidillig dawt com
  #17  
Old December 24th 05, 05:30 PM posted to sci.astro.amateur
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Sad Christmas Story


Davoud wrote:
At the end of the story Mr. MacRobert's biographical sketch says "Alan
MacRobert independently disproved the existence of Santa Claus around
age 7, by dividing the number of houses in North America by the number
of minutes in the night before Christmas. He found the process
liberating rather than disappointing."

Liberated from the magic of childhood at only age 7? I can't help but
imagine what might have happened if Mr. MacRobert had been a budding
biologist at age 7: "Alan MacRobert received a puppy for Christmas
around age 7, and he dissected it..."


Hi Davoud:

I don't find this "sad;" I find it a rather charming story about an
intellectually precocious young man (who grew up to be a talented
writer and observer).

A part of me is glad my buddies and I back in the 60s continued to
believe in good old Father Christmas long after we "should" have..but
the thing is, nobody liberated us from our beliefs...we just grew out
of them, as Alan apparently outgrew his (albeit a few years before we
did) without being liberated from them. ;-)

Anyhoo...HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO YOU AND ALL THE GOOD FOLK ON S.A.A. (or is
saying "happy _holidays_" no longer politically correct? Not that I
care... ;-)).

Peace,
Rod Mollise
Author of _Choosing and Using a Schmidt Cassegrain Telescope_
and _The Urban Astronomer's Guide_

Like SCTs and MCTs?
Join the SCT User Mailing List.
http://www.groups.yahoo.com/group/sct-user

See my home page at
http://skywatch.brainiac.com/astroland/index.htm
for further info

For Uncle Rod's Astro Blog See:
http://journals.aol.com/rmollise/UncleRodsAstroBlog/

  #18  
Old December 24th 05, 05:56 PM posted to sci.astro.amateur
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Sad Christmas Story

On Sat, 24 Dec 2005 11:13:05 -0500, Davoud wrote:
Gets dragged
by his wife (also an academician) to Harry Potter movies, doesn't enjoy
them. Definitely has a chunk missing from his life.


That only makes him exceedingly sane and rational IMHO.

Jim
  #19  
Old December 24th 05, 06:02 PM posted to sci.astro.amateur
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Sad Christmas Story

On Sat, 24 Dec 2005 11:13:05 -0500, Davoud wrote:

Had no
trouble distinguishing between benign myth and reality, be it beautiful
or harsh. Still don't. Believed in Santa Claus. Still do,
metaphorically.


Of course, and that is what distinguishes you as a rational person.


Today, at age 61, when a child asks me if I believe in
Santa Claus (as will happen tomorrow with many children visiting,) I
say of course I do. "But how does he..." "Magic, that's how." I have
yet to destroy any young intellects in this way.


Excellent. This is something that true intellects work out for
themselves.


Jeez! Next I'll be accused of attempting to legislate Santa Claus into
the schools! My remarks on believing in Santa Claus may be seen as a
metaphor for the magical myths that are cherished by children in every
society.


I understood your meaning, Davoud. I used "Santa Claus" in the same
sense.


A child's belief in those myths does nothing to stifle the rational
thought process; indeed, I am quite convinced that they help to jump
start it.


I agree.


One of the brightest people I know -- a dear friend, colleague, fellow
Humanist-Rationalist, fellow progressive, PhD(s), respected researcher,
theoretician, teacher, &c -- has probably never read a work of fiction
in his life, except maybe as assigned in some academic course. Didn't
read Tolkien, saw only the first Star Wars, didn't get it. Gets dragged
by his wife (also an academician) to Harry Potter movies, doesn't enjoy
them. Definitely has a chunk missing from his life.


I agree. His seems a very sad world view to me.


I blame his
upbringing by a strict, humanist-rationalist father who happened to be
be a Christian minister -- and no, I don't see a contradiction there.


Agreed, there is not necessarily a contradiction there. But neither is
there any contradiction between being a "strict, humanist-rationalist"
and someone who appreciates the power and beauty of myth. It just sounds
to me like your friend was raised badly (in certain respects)- nothing
specifically related to the labels you've used.

_________________________________________________

Chris L Peterson
Cloudbait Observatory
http://www.cloudbait.com
  #20  
Old December 24th 05, 06:15 PM posted to sci.astro.amateur
external usenet poster
 
Posts: n/a
Default Sad Christmas Story

elaich wrote:
Davoud wrote in :


Liberated from the magic of childhood at only age 7? I can't help but
imagine what might have happened if Mr. MacRobert had been a budding
biologist at age 7: "Alan MacRobert received a puppy for Christmas
around age 7, and he dissected it..."



Yet, grown adults disbelieve intelligent design, which is apparent in all
we see, and believe the myth of evolution, of which the collected proof can
be contained on a foldup card table. I suppose blind people just keep
believing the lies they were told from childhood until death.


The Intelligent Designer:

http://www.csps.minx.co.uk/epiimgs/411/god1.gif

 




Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

vB code is On
Smilies are On
[IMG] code is On
HTML code is Off
Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Funny story about shuttle [email protected] Space Shuttle 0 December 20th 04 04:49 AM
Funny story about seti [email protected] SETI 4 December 20th 04 04:46 AM
Funny story about amateur [email protected] Amateur Astronomy 0 December 20th 04 04:37 AM
Funny story about policy [email protected] Policy 0 December 20th 04 04:31 AM
Funny story about history [email protected] History 2 December 19th 04 10:34 PM


All times are GMT +1. The time now is 01:31 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.6.4
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, Jelsoft Enterprises Ltd.
Copyright ©2004-2024 SpaceBanter.com.
The comments are property of their posters.