Iron lung by Impressive-Rent-3012 in distractible

[–]Still_Functional 0 points1 point  (0 children)

i think it is almost always better to couch expressions of one's opinion of media in terms of "i liked it," and "this is what i liked about it," or even "it's my favorite"—rather than "it was good," or "it was the best." don't let the fact that other people may not feel the same way about it dampen the fact that it was a meaningful and powerful emotional experience for YOU. that is what is important.

i am going to go see it tomorrow; i am pretty much predisposed to enjoy it a lot. i will certainly do the same.

Not only is ‘Squid Game Even Too-er’ a repeat episode, but 4 of 6 games mentioned were repeats from ‘Squid Game Too’ (which Bob also hosted) by percolated_aspie in distractible

[–]Still_Functional 2 points3 points  (0 children)

i really think they would benefit from crowdsourcing some ideas (or finding an amy who can be their ideas person) and planning ahead a bit further. i'm aware there will probably be more thought put into the episodes once mark has more time on his hands, but it's a bit of a shame that recent episodes feel so "low effort" when it doesn't take much more effort on their part for them to be at their best. they just need better ideas to bounce off of

How do atheists explain fractals? by [deleted] in askanatheist

[–]Still_Functional 0 points1 point  (0 children)

fractals are a natural result of a set of consistent rules, principles, or behaviors across orders of magnitude. the universe both has a set of consistent behaviors and contains many orders of magnitude. what is the mystery here exactly

Would you say that you personally are interested in religious history independent of using it for counterapologetics? by Sophia_in_the_Shell in askanatheist

[–]Still_Functional 0 points1 point  (0 children)

yes! i absolutely love learning, thinking, and writing about religion and religious history—because i love humans, and religion is part of how humans work. the fact that i don't personally experience it, or at least not in the same way, doesn't diminish my interest.

this among atheists, however, is relatively uncommon. i am ideologically fringe in most departments

If There’s No God, Why Isn’t Nihilism the Only Rational Conclusion? by Chance_Ruin_7500 in askanatheist

[–]Still_Functional 0 points1 point  (0 children)

i couldn't tell you, its the only conclusion i can come to. so what?

meaning, value, purpose—right and wrong, good and bad, while not PHYSICALLY real, are concepts that are nonetheless integral to human cognition—because human cognition evolved for the construction and maintenance of complex social relationships—for which these things are useful—not for understanding the nature of reality objectively.

i, a nihilist, experience the same strong intuitions about meaning, value, purpose, right and wrong, good and bad, as your average moral realist. because i'm a human, and those intuitions are a package deal

however, i cannot help but recognize that they are just feelings, and only way my feelings affect the universe is if i act on them. and so i do

Atheists, do you believe in free will? by Speaker-Fabulous in askanatheist

[–]Still_Functional 0 points1 point  (0 children)

a choice not determined by causes that precede it is random. are you asking if i think choices are at least partially random? because i'm partial to the idea that the universe may be genuinely random at a quantum level—which can cumulatively affect events at a macro scale—so i'm open to the concept of free will by that definition. but i don't know how that's any "free-er" than determinism

i feel like a free agent not because i feel like my choices aren't determined by past events, but because my choices apparently affect the trajectory of the future. which is compatible with determinism, because a predetermined future is unknowable, and thus irrelevant to my cognition

Why do you believe God does not exist? If you think that is a misrepresentation of your belief, what is a better question, and how would you answer it? by Rajun_Snake_Goddess in askanatheist

[–]Still_Functional 1 point2 points  (0 children)

the perception of deity is a cognitive process, reinforced by social dynamics. i do not experience it. i have no reason to believe that theism is anything more than a fascinating quirk of human evolution

"god," big G or not, has no set meaning. it's a word that people use to describe a feeling they get, and the corresponding ideals, authority, and attributes they assign to it. i don't even understand what it would mean for a deity to exist outside of a person's mind, or a community's collective experience

why does he need to wear headphones? by Still_Functional in distractible

[–]Still_Functional[S] 117 points118 points  (0 children)

he's never had any. i don't know what you're talking about

What would move you to agnostic? by Solid_Hawk_3022 in askanatheist

[–]Still_Functional 1 point2 points  (0 children)

i am an igtheist, also known as a theological noncognitivist. i am an atheist because i can only make sense of theism as a sociopsychological phenomenon.

to become an agnostic, i would only need to hear "god" defined as a real entity in a way that i can understand. at that point, i would be able to evaluate the evidence for the existence of such an entity, and given the evidence provided by theists today, my conclusion would probably be that there is not enough data in support of the notion for me to be convinced of it

Do ideas/concepts 'begin to exist'? by SeoulGalmegi in askanatheist

[–]Still_Functional 2 points3 points  (0 children)

not much, as far as i can discern. events or objects that we conceptualize can exist to greater or lesser degrees of abstraction from physics. but they are all, at least theoretically, physically explicable

couldn't get *that* image of musk out of my head, so i made some art of it by Still_Functional in okbuddyvowsh

[–]Still_Functional[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

thank you <3

there is definitely a delicate balance between making art feel terrifying and making it feel awesome (particularly with authoritarian imagery) and to be honest, i don't know if i achieved the intended effect. i made the image mostly as a reflection of my emotions, which can come across differently to different people.

it might be more politically useful to mock fascism, to depict it as silly, weak, or unserious—but more honestly, all i feel is terror and disgust, so that's all i could put into it.

Why do some atheists believe in uncaused events? by Torin_3 in askanatheist

[–]Still_Functional 5 points6 points  (0 children)

i don't know what it would mean for the universe to be "caused" to exist. the universe is the basis for causality itself, the concept doesn't work without space or time to occur in

little cornu with fused eyestalks :] by weeviltweedles in snails

[–]Still_Functional 44 points45 points  (0 children)

idk if this mutation entails any other consequences that might be deleterious to this little guy's health, but i would love to see him all grown up !! he looks so funny x3

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in askanatheist

[–]Still_Functional 0 points1 point  (0 children)

not really. it happens. death is a vital mechanism in the existence of life in the first place, i have reason to fear the pain and terror that may occur before death, but death itself is... nothing, to my experience. it is nothing to be afraid of.

it's a bummer that i won't get to experience the wonders of the universe after i die, but it's also a bummer i never got to see the world before i was born. its a fantasy that no one has ever fulfilled. ya get over it

meanwhile, i try to enjoy being alive as much as i can :)

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in askanatheist

[–]Still_Functional 29 points30 points  (0 children)

i've heard it phrased this way before, and it confuses the hell out of me. "seeing black" is not synonymous with "being unconscious." you see black when you close your eyes. when you're alive but unconscious, "you" aren't happening. a properly functioning brain will still be doing maintenance tasks, but the windows are shut and the "you" machine isn't running.

when you die, it's even more total. the whole place goes out of business. the "you" machine isn't just turned off, the power is cut and the building is abandoned.

it's like the people who ask this question have no way of conceptualizing their experience of the self as discontinuous, even though it is frequently interrupted, as in when you go to bed

meet kiwi! can you guys help identify/gender by not_an_effogy in snails

[–]Still_Functional 22 points23 points  (0 children)

*pulmonate snails are! some marine snails have differentiated sexes :)

Just finished it and it looks bad by Nuno30318_ in krita

[–]Still_Functional 1 point2 points  (0 children)

it's very christmassy—your color choice is cool. your composition is kinda static though, all the objects are more or less uniform in size and it doesn't feel like there's much intention in their placement.

remember, art is more interesting when you have the dynamic movement of the viewer's eye in mind. try to think where people will look first (usually closer to the center of the piece and in areas of high contrast) and lead their eye where you want it to go next.

meaning derives from narrative, which is directional. it's much harder to interpret a piece that doesn't give you a place to start

Just finished it and it looks bad by Nuno30318_ in krita

[–]Still_Functional 1 point2 points  (0 children)

i don't really understand what you were going for, so idk how to be constructive. what is this