Posts Made By: Daryl Crowley

There may be some truth to that. My great great uncle who lived until he was 103 always ate his desert first in case he didn't have room for it after dinner. He was born in 1867.

Daryl

I own both a telescope and 15 x 70 binos. I am thinking about a pair of 25 x 100 binos just because it sounds cool and I would like to play with them.

How hard is it to put a target in 25x100 binos? Assumming a tripod is mandatory, do you you need a finder scope or sights of some sort? Which is preferable on big binos and how do you generally mount them?

Thanks.

Daryl

Let's see if can we discuss creation without either side retreating into a corner. Let's discuss creation. Let's define our discussion as the "creation" of the universe and particularly life coming into being, whether blind luck or God.

I will kick things off by offering a broad overview of my position. Remember, we are all tainted by our human emotions and experience, but let's try to offer some reasoning with our conclusions. Let's try to avoid just picking the other guy's theories to pieces and instead let's try to ask questions and come to a better understanding of where each is coming from.

My views:

I discount Darwin’s warm pond theory because the odds seem overwhelmingly against it happening even once, let alone twice in the universe.

I think there are quantum factors that choose the right supposition of states, thereby cutting the odds against life of pure chance.

I find the physics of the Universe to be incredibly simplistic and beautiful in design and operation. I think life is special too because life can observe and seek to understand the universe. Life can gain knowledge that could change and alter the future of the Universe.

To that end I think life is predisposed to occur. I believe that some process is in place, whether natural or not, that cuts the odds of life emerging. That combined with the incredible design of the micro world, in which everything is made of basic constituent parts, which in turn are made out of nothing smacks of some higher design or order, perhaps way higher than anyone's view of God.

I think there is purpose to it all, but maybe not a purpose for me or even the human race. The purpose may be in the sum total of the entire Universe(s), not just Earth. I don't really care what the purpose might be as I'm sure I can't understand it. I just want explore how it works and maybe get a small peek at how it was done.

That is a VERY BROAD brush stroke of my view.

Daryl

"I think whether we ever find life on Jupiter or not, it still should always be known as The Enemey Planet."

Jack Handy

I don't know about the rest of you but I find this new format really confusing. I can't seem to get the posts listed as they used to be, even though I've tried all the sort options.

I find the responses seemed to be burried. I think it is much harder to see what the latest posts are without doing some real digging. It looks nice but I can't seem to find any instructions and again, I can't seem to make it list from newest to oldest, top to bottom. Also after making a post it doesn't seem to update the formum screen where it lists what is supposedly the latest post. Maybe it's just me but I'm lost.

Daryl

Finally, after a whole winter of cloudy skies, the sky was clear last night. And guess what - the moon is almost full - now what are the odds of that!

(About 1000% I would say. Some things never change.)

Daryl

Not really first light but on the very day I completed my adjustable observing chair project the sky was clear that very night for the first time in weeks! The temperature cooled just enough that the mosquitoes were not out! Seeing was a 4 out of 5. And to top it all off the chair worked to perfection. It quickly adjusted to any height and I had the most comfortable view session I've ever had. That chair makes an unbelievable difference in comfort. I even saw M109 which has always been one of the hardest Messier's for me. Sometimes things just work out. If anyone is interested in my chair design let me know and I will post some pictures. It cost all of about $35 to make and about 3 hours of work.

Those of you that already have adjustable chairs are probably shaking your heads and thinking what a dumb amateur I've been (I am.), for those of you that don't have an adjustable observing chair, make one, buy one, or steal one any way you can. It really makes observing a lot easier and lot more fun.

Daryl

For those that asked about my home built observing chair, here is a picture. I still have a little sculpting to do on the chair and feet for aesthetics and I still have to put a finish on it once I get the final shaping done, but it works really great and I am quite pleased with both the looks and the functionality.

Daryl

It's been said that God loves us, he cares about us, and he cares for us, he showers us with his blessings.

If a parent were to show the same amount of love, care, and attention that God shows us they would be charged with child neglect. I guess the standards we have for child care are higher than those God bestows, at least on modern man.

Just a thought.

Daryl

Tim,

I wasn't sure you saw my post from the other day so I put it here again. The book below is one I forgot about when we were talking about science books. I do have an open mind as I do read the believers point of view too, as long as it is open to science as well. I think this book would give you some insights into science while not attacking your beliefs. What I posted is below....


You would enjoy the book "Show Me God" by Fred Heeren. While Fred is a believer like you and He does use science to support his beliefs, he does not question the science but tries to see how it fits with what he believes. I'm not a "believer" in the same sense you are but I enjoyed the book and I thought he made some good points.

But it does at a minimum bring into question a literal interpretation of all of the Bible. You cannot scientifically examine the Bible and hold steadfast to an 8,000 year old Earth (I'm not saying that you do.) Weigh your faith and weigh the science and between the two you may reach a more enlightened point of view. Your faith may hold, it may waver, but it certainly will change and it will be based on more than just other peoples say so.

Check out Fred Heeren's book. It is a good primer on cosmology, creation, and quantum mechanics and it does so without attacking your faith, on the contrary it seeks to reinforce it - with science.

Good luck. The fun is in the quest.

Daryl