Is there any real mystery?

[Abramelin]

15 hours ago, Mr Guitar said:

Very little interests me as there are no 'aha' moments anymore. And I dislike little kids - that's why I never had any of my own.  Most of my hobbies/activities have pretty much gone by the wayside because there's no point in getting involved in things when I'll be dead in a few years. I've never understood those folks who continue full bore at an advanced age like they're immortal, which they're not, but they don't seem to realize it. I figured out long ago that it will come to a screeching halt and have become at peace with that knowledge. I've been a pro/semi pro musician for about 50 of my 75 years but, lately, have lost interest because there's just no point in doing it any more and the virus has closed down all the venues where I used to work. I find it impossible to play for myself so I don't play at all. Everything that I've ever been good at and enjoyed like art and music have become a chore so it's time to settle back and wait for the end. You may not understand this but it's clear to me - it might be the PTSD talking but when you've been in war with people trying to kill you an a daily basis, your mind works in a different way.

 

Mr. Guitar, I have thought long and hard about your post and how to answer it.

I think you are very depressed. And all I can say to you is this: get help.

Btw., you said you don't like little kids. I think I know why: they ask you about just anything, and they come up with the most weird ideas. In short: these kids challenge you.

You know what? That they do as they do is great. Great for old guys like you who "have seen it all".

Well, I can only hope you are able to get out of your depression.

But.....I do wonder why you started posting on a lively site like this one...

 

[XenoFish]

On 10/15/2020 at 9:55 AM, Mr Guitar said:

I've found, personally, that, as I age, (75 as we speak), there are fewer and fewer 'aha' moments and that day to day existence is pretty boring. Science is coming closer to explaining just about everything down to a level that is so far removed from everyday life that most just don't bother to even try to be interested. If something doesn't affect me more or less directly, I have a difficult time caring about whether quantum entanglement will result in better computers, or stuff we're seeing in the sky actually happened 'x' number of billion years ago, or why some ancient civilization did 'such and such' (had to be for food, sex or religion) 5,000 years ago. To me, it just doesn't matter much. I would like to see discovery of a real, live intelligent civilization (not microbes, etc.) out in the cosmos somewhere and I'd really like for those Oak Island guys to finally find out if there's something really there (been following that since I was in middle school). Other than that, like someone said, "just another cold grave" to look forward to. My shrink asks me why I don't care about doing music or art anymore and I tell him that I see no point in it and he counters with "well there's really no point in ANYTHING. Something is only important if you make it important" and as I age, I find fewer and fewer things to attach importance to.

I'm 41 and already feel this way. I wonder what it'll be like at 75.....

[Abramelin]

The 2 of you lost something: knowing you cannot know everything, despite your idea that you do know -  or think you know - everything.

Can the 2 of you answer all questions little kids ask you?

 

Edited October 17, 2020 by Abramelin

[jethrofloyd]

14 minutes ago, XenoFish said:

 I wonder what it'll be like at 75.....

It\s real mystery of this thread, The mystery of existance!

[XenoFish]

2 minutes ago, Abramelin said:

The 2 of you lost something: knowing you cannot know evevrything, despite your idea you know -  or think you know - everything.

Can the 2 of you answer all questions little kids ask you?

 

There's no point in knowing everything or anything for that matter. We are short lived creatures, doomed to nothingness. And everything is on repeat. 

[Abramelin]

That IS depressing. I am glad I can still appreciate the wonders of nature or science. I love kids asking me, as the old fart I am, for info on the most weird topics.

The heads of the 2 of you are filled to the brim.  And, as the 2 of you most certainly know: a full cup cannot accept more liquid.

Empty your heads.

 

Edited October 17, 2020 by Abramelin

[jaylemurph]

2 hours ago, XenoFish said:

There's no point in knowing everything or anything for that matter. We are short lived creatures, doomed to nothingness. And everything is on repeat. 

You need a dash of rational religion. Have you heard about Our Past Masters and what they can do for you?

—Jaylemurph 

[Hanslune]

5 hours ago, jethrofloyd said:

I think a quite interesting mystery is the unknown burial place of Alexander the Great. To this day, the burial site of Alexander the Great has never been found. If and when it is, it is anticipated to be among the greatest archaeological discoveries of all time.

The Roman's reportedly found it in Alexandria and Cleopatra reportedly looted its gold and the Roman helped themselves to his armor.

Alexander the Great, King of Macedon". Archaeology. July 16, 2013. Retrieved August 12, 2016.

Robert S. Bianchi. "Hunting Alexander's Tomb". Archaeology.org. Retrieved Aug 21, 2011.

Madden, Richard (1851). The Shrines and Sepulchres of the Old and New World. Newby.

Saunders, Nicholas (2007). Alexander's Tomb: The Two-Thousand Year Obsession to Find the Lost Conqueror. Basic Books. ISBN 0465006213.

 

[Hanslune]

7 hours ago, Hanslune said:

Thanks I was just about to go looking for that paper myself. Read the conclusion/discussion will finish a bit later. A goodie

Yes geologically heavy but a good read.

Rupert has noted that it was really a rather impractical Atlantean airship anchor, lost long ago.....

[ShadowSot]

I've got a mystery: Why are people chronically astonished at depictions of handbags. 

[simplybill]

I’ve posted this story before. It’s my all-time favorite mystery, though it’s very sad. 
It’s not exactly an ‘ancient mystery’, though some of the younger members may consider 1978 to be in the distant past.
 

“Two hours before midnight last Feb. 24, when the basketball game ended at the California State University at Chico, five young men from the flatlands 50 miles to the south climbed into a turquoise and white 1969 Mercury Montego and drove out of the parking lot. They were fans of the visiting team, which had won. They stopped three blocks away at Behr's Market, mildly annoying the clerk (who was trying to close up), and bought one Hostess cherry pie, one Langendorf lemon pie, one Snickers bar, one Marathon bar, two Pepsis and a quart and a half of milk. 
Then they walked out of the store, got back in their car, drove south out of Chico and disappeared.”

https://www.washingtonpost.com/archive/lifestyle/1978/07/06/5-boys-who-never-come-back/f8b30b11-baeb-4351-89f3-26456a76a4fb/

[Thanos5150]

8 hours ago, Abramelin said:

What?? You wrote that wiki page?

Edit:

You did:

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Special:History/Pantelleria

I did not write the entire page nor have I contributed to it before, I just corrected the error after following your link to it. 

[Thanos5150]

9 hours ago, Abramelin said:

Ok, ladies and gentlemen, all those who quote from Wiki, think again.

I always said something like that, and then added to say: always check the references. And this time I didn't.

For what you quoted there was no reference. A tip off that something didn't smell right is that it said that there were "dwellings" (implying man-made dwellings) that were 35,000yrs old which would make them the oldest found for thousands of years.  

Wikipedia is not a source but a source of sources. 

Quote

Btw., this is not about putting down Thanos.

I did not write the page, I just corrected it. I have been an editor on Wikipedia for 14yrs and have made many contributions ranging from simple fixes to notable sections of content which most have stood the test of time in one form or another.  

Its not that it can't be a good source of information, on balance its quite wonderful that it exists, but unless I have done my due diligence to vet what it says there is not a chance in hell I would ever quote it as a source in and of itself and for me is more useful as a source of sources. It's not just that it is rife with errors big and small, like you just found out, but these pages are controlled by editors and administrators that have a vested interest in a particular POV (point of view)  and will lie and cheat the system to preserve it at all costs even going so far as to just make stuff up and use sources, sometimes multiple sources, to "back it up" yet when you read it not only do they not support these claims, but sometimes it literally says the opposite or doesn't even mention it at all. No one ever checks it and it gets repeated all over the web and now we have more "internet facts" that are not actually true. 

Wikipedia is a great place to start, but caveat emptor if you choose to use it as a source unto itself.    

Edited October 18, 2020 by Thanos5150

[Dejarma]

On 10/15/2020 at 1:38 AM, TrumanB said:

So, is there any real mystery that remains unsolved? Or we can just retire from this forum because every topic is debunked? My question is specifically directed to the sceptics of this forum.

it depends on what one classes as a mystery

[cladking]

6 minutes ago, Thanos5150 said:

For what you quoted there was no reference. A tip off that something didn't smell right is that it said that there were "dwellings" (implying man-made dwellings) that were 35,000yrs old which would make them the oldest found for thousands of years.  

Wikipedia is not a source but a source of sources. 

I did not write the page, I just corrected it. I have been an editor on Wikipedia for 14yrs and have made many contributions ranging from simple fixes to notable sections of content which most have stood the test of time in one form or another.  

Its not that it can't be a good source of information, on balance its quite wonderful that it exists, but unless I have done my due diligence to vet what it says there is not a chance in hell I would ever quote it as a source in and of itself and for me is more useful as a source of sources. It's not just that it is rife with errors big and small, like you just found out, but these pages are controlled by editors and administrators that have a vested interest in a particular POV (point of view)  and will lie and cheat the system to preserve it at all costs even going so far as to just make stuff up and use sources, sometimes multiple sources, to "back it up" yet when you read it not only do they not support these claims, but sometimes it literally says the opposite or doesn't even mention it at all. No one ever checks it and it gets repeated all over the web and now we have more "internet facts" that are not actually true. 

Wikipedia is a great place to start, but caveat emptor if you choose to use it as a source unto itself.    

Excellent.

I call people who fact check and use google et al, "internet geniuses".  They used to be regular people but now most of them call themselves "skeptics" because they have all the answers right at their fingertips.

[cladking]

...and they can't think their way out of a paper bag.

[jaylemurph]

2 minutes ago, cladking said:

...and they can't think their way out of a paper bag.

Yes, but according to you, everyone (but you) was always already like that, anyway. 

And you’re surprised no one takes you seriously...

—Jaylemurph 

[Dejarma]

5 minutes ago, cladking said:

...and they can't think their way out of a paper bag.

who can't?

[ShadowSot]

20 minutes ago, Dejarma said:

who can't?

Anyone fails to recognize his genius, obviously. 

[Grim Reaper 6]

On 10/15/2020 at 9:38 AM, TrumanB said:

I don't know where to put this thread, if this is a wrong place you may move it.

So, is there any real mystery that remains unsolved? Or we can just retire from this forum because every topic is debunked? My question is specifically directed to the sceptics of this forum. Is there any question that still excites you, makes your heart beat and feel that there is something more? Or reality is that boring and everything can be explained by plain science? Do you keep a list of unexplained mysteries ( and what are they ) or you just like to squabble with believers?

What existed before the Big Bang occurred, there must have been something there that would have created the elements that allowed it to occur.

Edited October 18, 2020 by Manwon Lender

[Grim Reaper 6]

33 minutes ago, cladking said:

Excellent.

I call people who fact check and use google et al, "internet geniuses".  They used to be regular people but now most of them call themselves "skeptics" because they have all the answers right at their fingertips.

How do you classify yourself?

[Hanslune]

6 hours ago, ShadowSot said:

I've got a mystery: Why are people chronically astonished at depictions of handbags. 

Baskets have magical properties!

[Hanslune]

2 hours ago, cladking said:

Excellent.

I call people who fact check and use google et al, "internet geniuses".  They used to be regular people but now most of them call themselves "skeptics" because they have all the answers right at their fingertips.

Well it does work better than making stuff up - don't you agree?

You also kinda massively proved that making stuff up and pretending it's real doesn't work. Now you, an 'internet eccentric' appear to be trying pretend you didn't really waste 15 years doing so.

[Hanslune]

2 hours ago, cladking said:

...and they can't think their way out of a paper bag.

Kinda like that bag of self-deception and delusion you wove around yourself? You still haven't freed yourself from it despite witnessing experiments that showed your ideas simply didn't work.

Massive public failure endlessly repeated.

[Hanslune]

2 hours ago, Dejarma said:

who can't?

The legion of people who didn't believe Cladking when he told everyone he could read the Pyramid texts without understanding the language, culture, geography, archaeology, history, religion and two dozen other aspects of Ancient Egypt. His idea has been deemed the 'goofy idea'.

Edited October 18, 2020 by Hanslune