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HISTORY IN THE MAKING 2008-2016

Good luck!

We've spent a good many years discussing politics, life, society and history. Most of all, the makers of history. The great events that changed the world - people, places, actions. Small acts have changed its hard-worn course, and effort and circumstance can make of its small actors immortal greats. In line with that sentiment, it seems pertinent now to recognize the potential of those who've made up this community for years, obvious through their contributions to the spirited debate and discussion that has proceeded here. HITM has sadly gone silent, though perhaps not lacking for things to say about making history, but rather for the realization that it is time we all commenced to do so, and make our mark.

Good luck to you all, see you in the history books!
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Happy Darwin Day
Topic Started: Feb 12 2009, 11:10 PM (656 Views)
Parasky
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There is no war in Crimea
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Two centuries ago, a man was born who would forever change biology, science, and human society. A man who developed a scientific and logical explanation for the origin of all life on Earth. On this day, February 12, we celebrate what is accepted to the day of Charles Darwin's birth. His theory of evolution, outlined in his work The Origin of the Species was developed from this studies of different animals from across many parts of the world (not all by himself, by the way). He created an idea of natural selection, by which the less adaptive creatures of a species died and the more adaptive ones passed on their genes; coupled with random genetic mutations and outside influences (ie, the KT Event), this phenomenon, dubbed Evolution, caused small changes over long periods of time, and over eons one species of animal could become many very different species.

There is much evidence to support evolution, although to this day it remains a controversial subject due to religious fervor and fanaticism. However to those who understand and accept it, evolution is nothing less than fact. It is not a belief, one does not "believe" in evolution. They either trust the overwhelming evidence for it and accept it as fact or dismiss it as something that conflicts with their personal religious beliefs.

This is not a thread to flame other people or their opinions and beliefs in. This is a thread to look back on history as only evolution can show it. Evolution provides not only an effective way to describe the social and technological progress of society and how people changed with that progress, but it provides an example of out changing world. All past actions of human society and several influential individuals has lead up to this great turning point in our civilization. As a species, humans now hold in our grasp power that prevents us from ever turning back to our animal pasts. Religion is evolving; adapting to either blend with science or slowly dying like a match that has already burned through its fuel. Great barriers such as distance and time between people of different cultures and nationalities have been almost destroyed by the development and expansion of computers and mass communication. An understanding of the world through a set of physical rules has made events predictable, allowing us to prepare for disasters before they hit, and bringing us ever close to stopping them from ever occurring. Though it is subtle, this fact is true; that we as humans are seeing the modern world begin a rapid movement towards global cultural diffusion. That the many nations, peoples, and cultures of the world are coming together into one great civilization that will push human knowledge father than ever before.

It's been a long road for mankind. Our history has been one of struggle and oppression, with ambitious, greedy people ruling most of the world for most of our existence. There are 6,000,000,000 of us on this planet, in the grand scheme of things there have only been about 106,456,367,669 humans since we first appeared; 5.8% of all humans beings ever to have existed exist now. And only in recent times, after the great revolutions of the Enlightenment have some people had the ability to choose who will lead their nation. And only recently, after two massive world wars, in which nearly 80,000,000 people were killed (in both wars combined). But despite all the war, chaos, and revolutions, we have become the greatest power we know. We have gone from creating fire from rocks and sticks to building massive elevators that can carry people and goods into orbit and beyond. We have gained the power to directly affect our planet's global climate, and in doing so have almost ruined it; though we have also learned how we can make other worlds like our own. As the various frontiers on Earth close; the land mapped and the seas explored, we look to our destiny amongst the stars. And yet, we cannot always look forward, as it is only from the past that we can learn about our mistakes. Therefore I would like to take this time to ask you all that on this day, February 12, the 200th anniversary of the birth of Charles Darwin, to look back on our progress and ask yourselves what you can learn from those that have lived before you.
"The wages of sin is death but so is the salary of virtue, and at least the evil get to go home early on Fridays." - Terry Pratchett, Small Gods
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Ww2nerd
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Scion of the Midnight Sun

Charles Darwin = My Hero.
That and Arthur Currie.
"There are strange things done in the midnight sun,
by the men who moil for gold; the arctic trails have their secret tales that'd make your blood run cold...
the Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see...
was that night on the marge of Lake LeBarge, that I cremated Sam McGee."

- Robert W. Service
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DragonLegend
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I'm sorry, but evolution has never been proven. It's just a theory. You know what a theory is, Parasky? A possibility, not a fact.
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Ww2nerd
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Scion of the Midnight Sun

God is just a theory too Dragonlegend. Fact is, Darwin has given us the best explanation to date of how these things happened.
"There are strange things done in the midnight sun,
by the men who moil for gold; the arctic trails have their secret tales that'd make your blood run cold...
the Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see...
was that night on the marge of Lake LeBarge, that I cremated Sam McGee."

- Robert W. Service
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Parasky
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There is no war in Crimea
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DragonLegend
Feb 12 2009, 11:21 PM
I'm sorry, but evolution has never been proven. It's just a theory. You know what a theory is, Parasky? A possibility, not a fact.

No, it's been proven beyond a doubt. I know what a theory is, do you? A theory is not something that is expected and cannot be proven; a theory is something that is proven, but is complicated enough that it is open to change as time passes and new evidence proposes new ideas in the field of said theory.

If we went by your definition of a theory, nothing would be proven; not even your existence. What makes you real? I mean, you can't be proven to exist. Sure I can hear and see and feel you, but that doesn't mean you're real. I could be dreaming, or perhaps a chemical imbalance in my brain is producing vivid hallucinations and synesthesia, making you appear real, even if you aren't.
"The wages of sin is death but so is the salary of virtue, and at least the evil get to go home early on Fridays." - Terry Pratchett, Small Gods
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UnknownCow
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Existentialist Ninja
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Yay. Exciting.
"Because a girl should have long hair, she should have clean hair; because she should have clean hair, she should not have an unclean home; because she should not have an unclean home, she should have a free and leisured mother; because she should have a free mother, she should not have an usurious landlord; because there should not be a usurious landlord, there should be a redistribution of property; because there should be a redistribution of property, there shall be a revolution." -G. K. Chesterton
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DragonLegend
Field Marshal
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Evolution hasn't been proven yet. There's evidence to support it, and there's evidence to oppose it. It makes sense to me though, and I think I actually believe in it, but that doesn't mean it's fact.
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Lazurath
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From a Land Down Under
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Blah Blah Blah Blah Parasky, I couldn't be bothered to read that.
Humans rule the world, awesome.

Oh Happy Birthday Darwin!! They have a city named after you in my country!! :cheers:
Sefless protector
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MaxJ
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HITM op dokters advies
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Happy Darwins day!
Geschiedenis-Histoire-Geskiedenis-History-Geschichte-Historia

Parasky
 
IF YOU AIN'T DUTCH YOU AIN'T MUCH
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Fellow
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The Prophet

In comemoration of Darwin Day I present you one of the Darwin Award Winners story.

(January 2008, Pennsylvania) A 23-year-old man with various body piercings decided to have some fun at work. He wondered, "What it would feel like to connect the electronic control tester to my chest piercings?" Several coworkers tried to convince him that it was a bad idea to wire himself up to the electronic device, but he ignored their pleas.

He proceeded to connect two alligator clips to his metal nipple piercings, one on each side, and hit the test button... His coworkers were still trying to revive him with CPR and rescue breathing when police and rescue personnel arrived. They were not successful.
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Ww2nerd
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Scion of the Midnight Sun

Darwin is teh awesomeness.
Lincoln's a good fellow too.
I just think darwin is better.

And Dragonlegend, officially, it's a theory, but honestly, no reasonable person can deny that evolution is real.
Now, you can say a god put the original bacterium there, but after that, it's beyond reasonable doubt.
"There are strange things done in the midnight sun,
by the men who moil for gold; the arctic trails have their secret tales that'd make your blood run cold...
the Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see...
was that night on the marge of Lake LeBarge, that I cremated Sam McGee."

- Robert W. Service
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Fellow
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The Prophet

Thats true
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MaxJ
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HITM op dokters advies
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My parents gave me a National Geographic Magazine today with special Darwin items^^
Geschiedenis-Histoire-Geskiedenis-History-Geschichte-Historia

Parasky
 
IF YOU AIN'T DUTCH YOU AIN'T MUCH
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Ww2nerd
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Scion of the Midnight Sun

Charles Darwin Action figure with 32 points of articulation and super kung fu grip!
"There are strange things done in the midnight sun,
by the men who moil for gold; the arctic trails have their secret tales that'd make your blood run cold...
the Northern Lights have seen queer sights, but the queerest they ever did see...
was that night on the marge of Lake LeBarge, that I cremated Sam McGee."

- Robert W. Service
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Fellow
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The Prophet

People actually celebrate this?
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