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Bigfoot & Bagel aficionado.
why doesn't the universe have an 'edge'? if the big bang created something from nothing (so to speak) and if the universe is still expanding, doesn't logic dictate there is an edge?

Who said that it didn't have an edge? :confused1

And if it has an edge, how sharp is it? :blink:

:001_smile
 
why doesn't the universe have an 'edge'? if the big bang created something from nothing (so to speak) and if the universe is still expanding, doesn't logic dictate there is an edge?

Does it not have an edge? How do we know? Obviously there has to be "nothingness" forever and ever. But do we know if there is or is not an edge to where there is matter?
 
Dear TheBigO,
I decided to skip the question of bottomless pits actually having bottoms yet to be diescovered.
I was wondering about Otitis externa.
I have been fighting with this condition for the past 6 months using all the usual remedies with less then stellar results.
Someone told me they heard that a 3% H2O2 lavage might help.
What are your feeilings on this treatment?
 
There are no train crossings on the highway and no walgreens, so I assume the driver is on a regular street.

The man is clearly in a hurry, and there is someone that has put on Lilac Vegetal in the car....now despite the aftershaves somewhat repulsive scent, it is not so powerful to disturb the driver unless he has it on his own face. Now, you can assume that being extremely uncomfortable with the constant assault on his nostrils, he was unaware of his surroundings and didn't even notice the freight train.

All the man wanted was some Aqua Velva to offset the Lilac. Alas, i blame the other two men, friends don't let friends drive smelling Lilac Vegetal!

I can make a lilac vegetal positive version as well, I originally was going to, but then I changed my mind. I have, to be honest, never smelled the stuff.

chfair, I have two exams that I am horrendously prepared for, in roughly 23 hours. I'll answer you tomorrow night.

Brilliant! This post made me laugh out loud. :thumbup:
 
what are your particular interests in quantum physics?

loved the subject of quantum computing and the overall theories but the math and physics where well above my head in the classes i took, my focus is in computer programming and i did not want to go to in-depth into the math of quantum. researched the theoretical fastest search of an unsorted database algorithm for my class (sat in on the other and did no research for it).

I find quantum computing interesting as well. I was quite amazed reading the paper that was published that essentially made a system of laser-based quantum processing that could add.

What interests me the most is schrodingers work with light and its superposing abilities (no not the cat)

Dear TheBigO,

Why isn't there mouse-flavored cat food?

There is. Its not popular due to the nation that mice are dirty, and cats don't particularly care for the taste. Its the hunt that drives them, not the desire for mice. Often times, domesticated cats will kill the mouse and not eat him.
42?
Any thoughts?

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Wim

Not in particular, its a nice book though.

why doesn't the universe have an 'edge'? if the big bang created something from nothing (so to speak) and if the universe is still expanding, doesn't logic dictate there is an edge?

Popular "origin of the universe" theory at the moment is the big bang, which implies that the universe has a boundary (but it is spherical, therefore no actual edge), and that the boundary is expanding at the speed of light. Likewise, it is expected to eventually collapse as well, this is known as the big crunch.

Reddit? Are you in there?

Although I visit Reddit for the news stories, I find the hive mentality and general tendency of the demographics to be self-reinforcing of their views. In particular, I find a lot of them to have a self-righteous "atheism pwns any religion" view that does a disservice to discussions because they insist upon arguing questionable points while ignoring cultural and historical influences of the time. For example, the annoyingly over-abused "Muhammad married a 9yr old" argument that is already questionable enough. They use that one point to disregard an entire religion and a law and social system through it. But this idea did stem from their AMAs and it is a nice website on the occasion.

Dear TheBigO,
I decided to skip the question of bottomless pits actually having bottoms yet to be diescovered.
I was wondering about Otitis externa.
I have been fighting with this condition for the past 6 months using all the usual remedies with less then stellar results.
Someone told me they heard that a 3% H2O2 lavage might help.
What are your feeilings on this treatment?

I am assuming you have seen a doctor regarding the issue? With such persistence and not knowing the specific pathology of your case,it is possible that cerumen (earwax) build up is having somewhat protective effects on the bacteria/fungis. That being said, a lavage of hydrogen peroxide will dissolve the earwax and create an unfriendly environment for the pathogens (although, if its been around for 6+ months, I doubt it'll eliminate them).

Needless to say, if you have bacteria or fungus you want to remove, giving them water is the last thing you want to do. Dry your ears well, and never use a q-tip to clean your eyes...they are the devil. I recommend purchasing a bulb syringe and learn the proper methodology to use it.

Again, I am not a doctor and this is not advice on dealing with the condition. I recommend seeing a doctor, who might give you antibacterial or antifungal medication to aid with the disease as well.

That being said, I have no problems advocating proper ear cleaning techniques to everyone on this forum, and that includes the banishment of q-tips. I've uploaded a PDF to filedropper (it was too large to attach :() that I find is written extremely well that highlights effective, and affordable methods for cerumen removal

Crumen Removal PDF Link

Okay. Why are you muscling in on Skklog's territory? :skep:

1) I was hoping for this to be a more scientific thing (which it is), and 2) I was wasn't away of Skklog's territory.
 
Since you opened the door to any question, I would like to pose one to you specifically as a Muslim: Is there a strong sentiment among the Muslim population against the perpetuation of violence in the name of your religion? If so, why do we (non-Muslim public) not hear more of it?

I don’t mean this to be an indictment of Islam, nor do I assume that “all Muslims are terrorists.” I seek to understand the view of the ummah with regard to actions taken by those with takfiri beliefs (Al Qa’ida). I know enough of the religion and its origins to have an understanding of the basic tenets, but not the current teachings. You spoke of the argument used by some that the Prophet took a nine-year-old wife. In 620 A.D., this may have been a common social norm and is no reason to discount an entire religion. What is more interesting to me is the seemingly tacit approval – or at least the lack of public denouncement – of the Muslim world to the continued use of terrorism in today’s world.
 
How is asking you anything scientific? :huh:

Idea is that anything goes along the lines of science/whatever I posted in the about me.

This is buggin me, Why is your user name The Big O you know what it means right?

I am well aware of it, it used be my nickname in highschool; my first name starts with O. I was wondering how many posts before someone calls me out on the innuendo.

Since you opened the door to any question, I would like to pose one to you specifically as a Muslim: Is there a strong sentiment among the Muslim population against the perpetuation of violence in the name of your religion? If so, why do we (non-Muslim public) not hear more of it?

I don’t mean this to be an indictment of Islam, nor do I assume that “all Muslims are terrorists.” I seek to understand the view of the ummah with regard to actions taken by those with takfiri beliefs (Al Qa’ida). I know enough of the religion and its origins to have an understanding of the basic tenets, but not the current teachings. You spoke of the argument used by some that the Prophet took a nine-year-old wife. In 620 A.D., this may have been a common social norm and is no reason to discount an entire religion. What is more interesting to me is the seemingly tacit approval – or at least the lack of public denouncement – of the Muslim world to the continued use of terrorism in today’s world.

The sentiment against terrorism, and violence as a form of dissent is quite powerful. Particularly with youth organizations like the MSA (Muslim Students Organization), they launch numerous "campaigns" to educate the general populace. From the top of my head, I can think of at least 8 MSAs in large and popular universities that do annual Islam Awareness Weeks, or a variant there of, where they try to combat myths of oppression and violence/terrorism. This is complimented by "Fastathon" programs where sponsors donate money to feed the needy for x amount of non-Muslims that fast that particular day. This year we raised only around $1200 due to some administrative issues. The previous year we raised closer to $2000 iirc. All the while, we educate the non-Muslims on what Islam truly is, not the ugly misrepresented side most people are exposed to.

That said, I have heard more surmons regarding the importance of peace and the proper way of combating oppression/wrong doings than any other kind. There is definitely a massive backlash within the Muslim community from the attacks. Most people I know actually hold a type of malice towards the attackers for the amount of trouble they have had to go through. Many of my American-Muslim friends have had their houses TP'd, egged, vandalized. They have faced personal and racial attacks at school from not just their peers but teachers as well.

That said, most don't blame the people around them. They do think that many people are ignorant, but there isn't malice towards hostile Americans. Its targeted towards the militants.

There have also been massive efforts to improve the situation in the Middle East. Simple things like sending blankets, bottled water, that kind of thing. Idea being, if living conditions in these areas improve, the amount of terrorism will decrease. On that note- look up the rape statistics in Iraq pre and post invasion. Its quite horrible, and sadly much of it is carried out by frustrated American soldiers (I do hold malice against rapist soldiers.) Considering many scholars consider women the most important part of society; it really builds up a lot of hate and anger when something like this happens. Again, not condoning it, just emphasizing that improving living conditions for people is vital in securing peace. If someone feels the only way to save their family is through a gun, then they will use that gun. Give them a sense of security, idea that there is a peaceful way to make things better and I guarantee terrorism will go down, but I digress.

The MSA in my school sponsored 8-9 orphans (Muslim and non-Muslim) through out the world, and raised money to sponsor another couple dozen from the community. The free clinic I work with is actually hosted by a mosque (the mosque loans out part of the building free of charge), and there is a soup kitchen in the basement as well.

These are just some of the things I was personally involved with, and I am not nearly as active as many of the other people I know. Sadly, 9/11 has made alot of Muslims ashamed of their identity, and they will avoid the MSA table like the plague instead of helping us. But one day maybe they'll feel more comfortable and be willing to help change the perception of the organization/religion.

Now to address the other part of your question:

You don't hear about it because its not interesting. It is on the news on the occasion, but easily glossed over in light of "Muslim suicide bomber kills 45 people." If you were in the area, I would invite you to our events, all of which are open to non-Muslims (although the Quran recitation classes and the like would be of little use to non-Muslims).

The organization Islamic Relief also funded the transport of a container filled with medical supplies (estimated value .5mill->1.5mill depending how you measure it) to Ghana, an area desperately in need of these resources and primarily Christian. They did this through the organization that I mentioned earlier that sends medical supplies throughout the world.

On a scholarly level, numerous scholars have openly denounced the bombings. Of particular note, is a Pakistani Sheik that published a massive paper (over 900 pages) breaking down, analyzing, and refuting every argument made by militants to justify their cause. Again, I doubt many media sources, particularly American based ones with limited access to Arabic and Urdu translations would cover something of the sort. Hell, even I haven't read it. But there is a lot happening, but big explosions are easier to notice than a clinic on the side of a mosque.
 
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The sentiment against terrorism, and violence as a form of dissent is quite powerful. etc ... .

I find your comments very encouraging and am very glad to read them. I do have a couple of questions. These are real questions and not meant to be rhetorical nor "gotcha" questions so if they seem to be so blame it on my poor communications skills and please accept my apologies ahead if time...

1) Why don't we hear similar sentiments from national leaders in the Muslim World? As much as I appreciate your (and MSA's) sentiments, I don't think many people will consider this to be any more substantial than, for example, statements about America from various Boy Scout troops. I agree with your reasons that we don't hear about MSA and similar Muslim groups in the news but think if we heard from prominent, "world stage" Muslims it would be news.

2) Have you heard of "Let's All Draw Mohamed Day"? If so, what do you think the general Muslim reaction to that is? Indifference? Laughter? Anger? Outrage? Fear? Other? Would it be the same as your reaction?
 
I find your comments very encouraging and am very glad to read them. I do have a couple of questions. These are real questions and not meant to be rhetorical nor "gotcha" questions so if they seem to be so blame it on my poor communications skills and please accept my apologies ahead if time...

1) Why don't we hear similar sentiments from national leaders in the Muslim World? As much as I appreciate your (and MSA's) sentiments, I don't think many people will consider this to be any more substantial than, for example, statements about America from various Boy Scout troops. I agree with your reasons that we don't hear about MSA and similar Muslim groups in the news but think if we heard from prominent, "world stage" Muslims it would be news.

2) Have you heard of "Let's All Draw Mohamed Day"? If so, what do you think the general Muslim reaction to that is? Indifference? Laughter? Anger? Outrage? Fear? Other? Would it be the same as your reaction?

1)I will cite a few sources, and let them speak for themselves, if you have any further questions, please ask.
http://www.unc.edu/~kurzman/terror.htm
http://www.arabicnews.com/ansub/Daily/Day/010913/2001091339.html
http://www.bullfax.com/?q=node-highest-saudi-religious-body-denounces-terrorism-report

I agree that there could be more "anti-terrorist" rhetoric, but the truth is most of us don't care to be associated with the term, at all. It'd be much nicer if terrorism didn't instantly invoke the image of a Muslim suicide bombing, just like the term pedophile should not instantly invoke the image of a priest (and fortunately don't yet).

You can condemn pedophilia and terrorism all you want, but unless you get out there and give people something else to remember, the images will stick.

2) Draw Prophet Muhammad (pbuh) Day... it is just a big ***. I just see it as some ticked off people trying to tick off Muslims to get a violent reaction to reaffirm their opinions. I find such dribble to truly not even be worth acknowledging and I hope all those those that participate find more worthwhile things to do with their lives.

With that being said, it is easy to condemn violence and say it is horrible. But I have seen "their" side (fortunately never had to live it though), and their life is truly a heartbreaking thing. In their situation I honest have no idea what I would do. And while i condemn violence still, I see why they embrace such methodologies and I do what I can to help ease their suffering and give them hope of a brighter future. Even having lost our homes and jobs, simply being in a first world country removes us from the truly difficult life enough that emphasizing is difficult. And it is directly because of my experiences that I am interested in medicine. Its a way to keep giving.
 

luvmysuper

My elbows leak
Staff member
I must admit, I was a little skeptical of the difference the blade could make back in my lurking days.

But I needed blades, so I tried this pack:
http://www.derazorblades.com/657483920233.html

I also bought sharks locally, found them to be good, not great. I tried the 7'oclocks, and they hurt...alot. Tried the Wilkinson Sword Classics...amazing. The Merkurs were acceptable, better than the sharks.

I also noticed that my blade has a slight mechanical defect where loads unevenly (one side more aggressive than the other) without slight adjustments by me while tightening. So I want to chalk that up to the reason why the 7'oclocks sucked. I'll try again, making sure they are loaded properly and see if they are nicer. The Feathers...I want to be more experienced before tackling them. I still cut myself often.

I am thinking about buying the Merkur 38c (barber pole), but that won't be before I get my thesis done early next year.

After perfecting my setup, my focus will be on cutting down my costs/making things last longer...just cause.

So when are you going to unload that chintzy Parker and get a "real" razor? :lol:
 
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