Comments on: Bands of Iron http://www.daylightatheism.org/2009/02/bands-of-iron.html NIGHTTIME IS FOR DREAMING. DAYLIGHT IS FOR ACTION. Thu, 18 Mar 2010 03:17:35 -0700 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9 hourly 1 By: Etnier http://www.daylightatheism.org/2009/02/bands-of-iron.html#comment-48074 Etnier Tue, 23 Jun 2009 09:49:15 +0000 http://www.daylightatheism.org/?p=955#comment-48074 A wonderful essay which I've been pondering all day, since finding it through 3QD. Congratulations on the award: richly-deserved. A wonderful essay which I've been pondering all day, since finding it through 3QD.

Congratulations on the award: richly-deserved.

]]> By: Andrew MW http://www.daylightatheism.org/2009/02/bands-of-iron.html#comment-48067 Andrew MW Tue, 23 Jun 2009 00:22:00 +0000 http://www.daylightatheism.org/?p=955#comment-48067 Great post, and congrats on the recent award! My question is: how come the bacteria didn't reach an equilibrium vis a vis the amount of oxygen in the atmosphere? That seems to be a more likely scenario than the wild see-sawing you describe here. Thanks again. Great post, and congrats on the recent award!

My question is: how come the bacteria didn't reach an equilibrium vis a vis the amount of oxygen in the atmosphere? That seems to be a more likely scenario than the wild see-sawing you describe here.

Thanks again.

]]> By: Tommykey http://www.daylightatheism.org/2009/02/bands-of-iron.html#comment-47776 Tommykey Thu, 11 Jun 2009 17:15:41 +0000 http://www.daylightatheism.org/?p=955#comment-47776 <em>But who's going to be around to cut a big slab of it and put it in a museum?</em> Why, WALL-E of course! But who's going to be around to cut a big slab of it and put it in a museum?

Why, WALL-E of course!

]]> By: Mike Cope http://www.daylightatheism.org/2009/02/bands-of-iron.html#comment-47770 Mike Cope Thu, 11 Jun 2009 05:37:24 +0000 http://www.daylightatheism.org/?p=955#comment-47770 In South Africa we have a banded ironstone which is quartz with a high percentage of iron. I suspect it's different from this stone. You can see some pictures of an artefact made from the material here: http://www.cope.co.za/Archaeo/masterhandaxe.htm In South Africa we have a banded ironstone which is quartz with a high percentage of iron. I suspect it's different from this stone.

You can see some pictures of an artefact made from the material here: http://www.cope.co.za/Archaeo/masterhandaxe.htm

]]> By: velkyn http://www.daylightatheism.org/2009/02/bands-of-iron.html#comment-44501 velkyn Thu, 19 Feb 2009 21:04:55 +0000 http://www.daylightatheism.org/?p=955#comment-44501 "But who's going to be around to cut a big slab of it and put it in a museum?" very large intelligent cockroaches :) I love this banded iron, also called "tiger" iron in the jewelry trade. It makes a lovely pendant. "But who's going to be around to cut a big slab of it and put it in a museum?"

very large intelligent cockroaches :)

I love this banded iron, also called "tiger" iron in the jewelry trade. It makes a lovely pendant.

]]> By: Spanish Inquisitor http://www.daylightatheism.org/2009/02/bands-of-iron.html#comment-44427 Spanish Inquisitor Wed, 18 Feb 2009 03:03:12 +0000 http://www.daylightatheism.org/?p=955#comment-44427 <blockquote>As it stands, I rather suspect that humanity's strata will be identifiable by the high percentage of heavy metals and plastic.</blockquote> But who's going to be around to cut a big slab of it and put it in a museum?

As it stands, I rather suspect that humanity's strata will be identifiable by the high percentage of heavy metals and plastic.

But who's going to be around to cut a big slab of it and put it in a museum?

]]> By: Eric http://www.daylightatheism.org/2009/02/bands-of-iron.html#comment-44383 Eric Tue, 17 Feb 2009 07:17:43 +0000 http://www.daylightatheism.org/?p=955#comment-44383 Well, at least some ancient cultures had the means to imagine very large numbers. The Mayan calendar counted years by the thousands, though their calendar cycle ends in 2012. The Vedas speak of cycles in the billions of years. Archimedes invented a kind of exponential notation to number the grains of sand filling a sphere with a radils of the distance from the earth to the sun. Persians were familiar with Greek and Hindu large numbers and made some pretty accurate astronomical calculations based on even earlier data. I somwtimes think we need to make a ew calendar that has its year zero the earliest dates recorded in Persian data taken from earlier Assyrian data. Well, at least some ancient cultures had the means to imagine very large numbers. The Mayan calendar counted years by the thousands, though their calendar cycle ends in 2012. The Vedas speak of cycles in the billions of years. Archimedes invented a kind of exponential notation to number the grains of sand filling a sphere with a radils of the distance from the earth to the sun. Persians were familiar with Greek and Hindu large numbers and made some pretty accurate astronomical calculations based on even earlier data.

I somwtimes think we need to make a ew calendar that has its year zero the earliest dates recorded in Persian data taken from earlier Assyrian data.

]]> By: Leum http://www.daylightatheism.org/2009/02/bands-of-iron.html#comment-44380 Leum Tue, 17 Feb 2009 04:42:53 +0000 http://www.daylightatheism.org/?p=955#comment-44380 Human activity has such a strong affect on geosystem that there's a movement among geologists to name the later portion of the Holocene (the one we're in) the Anthropocene Epoch. Human activity displaces more sediment than all natural forces combined, has destroyed glaciers, leveled mountains, started an extinction event that's killing off species at a faster rate than the Permian-Triassic Extinction (the largest mass extinction in Earth's history), raised the amount of CO2 in the ocean and atmosphere, and more. Heavy metals and plastics will be only one means of identifying anthropic strata. Human activity has such a strong affect on geosystem that there's a movement among geologists to name the later portion of the Holocene (the one we're in) the Anthropocene Epoch. Human activity displaces more sediment than all natural forces combined, has destroyed glaciers, leveled mountains, started an extinction event that's killing off species at a faster rate than the Permian-Triassic Extinction (the largest mass extinction in Earth's history), raised the amount of CO2 in the ocean and atmosphere, and more. Heavy metals and plastics will be only one means of identifying anthropic strata.

]]> By: Ebonmuse http://www.daylightatheism.org/2009/02/bands-of-iron.html#comment-44378 Ebonmuse Tue, 17 Feb 2009 03:32:42 +0000 http://www.daylightatheism.org/?p=955#comment-44378 <blockquote>I hope I end up part of a geological formation that future, intelligent earthlings consider beautiful.</blockquote> I just have to say that I totally agree with this. :) As it stands, I rather suspect that humanity's strata will be identifiable by the high percentage of heavy metals and plastic.

I hope I end up part of a geological formation that future, intelligent earthlings consider beautiful.

I just have to say that I totally agree with this. :)

As it stands, I rather suspect that humanity's strata will be identifiable by the high percentage of heavy metals and plastic.

]]> By: D http://www.daylightatheism.org/2009/02/bands-of-iron.html#comment-44373 D Tue, 17 Feb 2009 00:56:12 +0000 http://www.daylightatheism.org/?p=955#comment-44373 Wow. That is heart-rendingly beautiful. Knowing what those stripes mean is so enriching, so mind-blowing, so wonderful - I can't fathom the mind that would shut out such knowledge. How can one see the beauty caused by such inconceivably vast cycles of death and rebirth, and dismiss it as nothing but eye-candy from the Great Entertainer? Such a mindset is truly antithetical to science in its willful ignorance... heresy, I dare say. Wow. That is heart-rendingly beautiful.

Knowing what those stripes mean is so enriching, so mind-blowing, so wonderful - I can't fathom the mind that would shut out such knowledge. How can one see the beauty caused by such inconceivably vast cycles of death and rebirth, and dismiss it as nothing but eye-candy from the Great Entertainer? Such a mindset is truly antithetical to science in its willful ignorance... heresy, I dare say.

]]> By: Steve Bowen http://www.daylightatheism.org/2009/02/bands-of-iron.html#comment-44312 Steve Bowen Sat, 14 Feb 2009 23:43:01 +0000 http://www.daylightatheism.org/?p=955#comment-44312 <blockquote>I've just one itty bitty concern. After death, I'll only find out if I'm wrong.</blockquote>and that would be a great adventure. Probably won't happen though.

I've just one itty bitty concern. After death, I'll only find out if I'm wrong.

and that would be a great adventure. Probably won't happen though.

]]> By: Waialeale Mike http://www.daylightatheism.org/2009/02/bands-of-iron.html#comment-44308 Waialeale Mike Sat, 14 Feb 2009 17:16:18 +0000 http://www.daylightatheism.org/?p=955#comment-44308 Recently, I read an article about research into the cultural differences in the way numbers are visualized, understood. For example, how could a culture whose largest number is five, comprehend 54x12 for example. But even within a culture, how could somebody who believes time began 8000 years ago comprehend 4,000,000,000 years and understand that his 8000 years is a dust mote compared to the actual age of the Universe(our's anyway--another billion or so universes might have popped into existence since I start pecking away at this msg ). Even big number cruncher folks have problems getting a handle on even a mere million, preferring to just add exponents. It's hard to appreciate that every time you add a zero, the number is ten times larger, that a billion is a thousand millions. And infinity, they're really clueless. Do they really believe they'll be basking in the glow of the invisible old fart in the sky a trillion trillion years from now -- which isn't even a wart on a gnat's ass compared to infinity. After the stars fade burn out, the universe rips apart or crunches back into itself, they'll still be chatting with Jerry Falwell. Whatever (while the merciful old fart fries my butt) I've just one itty bitty concern. After death, I'll only find out if I'm wrong. Recently, I read an article about research into the cultural differences in the way numbers are visualized, understood. For example, how could a culture whose largest number is five, comprehend 54x12 for example.

But even within a culture, how could somebody who believes time began 8000 years ago comprehend 4,000,000,000 years and understand that his 8000 years is a dust mote compared to the actual age of the Universe(our's anyway--another billion or so universes might have popped into existence since I start pecking away at this msg ).

Even big number cruncher folks have problems getting a handle on even a mere million, preferring to just add exponents. It's hard to appreciate that every time you add a zero, the number is ten times larger, that a billion is a thousand millions.

And infinity, they're really clueless. Do they really believe they'll be basking in the glow of the invisible old fart in the sky a trillion trillion years from now -- which isn't even a wart on a gnat's ass compared to infinity. After the stars fade burn out, the universe rips apart or crunches back into itself, they'll still be chatting with Jerry Falwell. Whatever (while the merciful old fart fries my butt)

I've just one itty bitty concern. After death, I'll only find out if I'm wrong.

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