The smart questions thread

The Barracks
#161

This is very true also, these “symbols” or sounds that were giving meaning by us just further push us from our roots from nature.

And this is also correct, but it becomes opposite once the “rules” start changing over time, just look at the advancement of the human race “morality-wise” from the 60s to now.

We fight wars to make peace, because our leaders are never wrong (?). People are “out of the game” if they don’t have a piece of paper to live, we see this in our vision day by day, but we choose to go back to the “happy” dormant reality that is our own phone.

I mean, a species so developed and “civilized” has overtime lost empathy for their own kind. While as @lpfan61 mentioned, wild animals tend to have more empathy than us. Its the biased memes that makes us become like this. People just don’t see it clearly because it seems something so simple, but it goes much deeper.

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#162

What is the definition of a human right?

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#163

That’s a difficult one… :thinking: it depends on many things…

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#164

I was going through this page when I was reading about the bombings in Syria and other places, and what were its implications on human lives.
Btw, the meaning will differ in law, in philosophy or maybe in politics.

https://www.ohchr.org/en/issues/pages/whatarehumanrights.aspx

#165

That is indeed a tricky one. I guess one definition could be a basic yet significant human need, the denial of which would be a cruelty. Like the right to freedom.

Google says:

a right which is believed to belong to every person.

#166

This is a great question @rickvanmeijel as per this link (What are human rights? | Equality and Human Rights Commission), I get the following:

Human rights are the basic rights and freedoms that belong to every person in the world, from birth until death. They apply regardless of where you are from, what you believe or how you choose to live your life.

They can never be taken away, although they can sometimes be restricted – for example if a person breaks the law, or in the interests of national security.

These basic rights are based on shared values like dignity, fairness, equality, respect and independence.

Though to me, from what I have mentioned, biases come into play, and “let the games begin” so to speak. Freedom of Speech (Though nowadays everyone gets easily offended and label something “hate speech”) Freedom of Religion (Same as above).

Laws which prevent people from living the way they choose (I can get arrested for weed, though its a plant found in nature), though we can chug booze and smoke cigarettes to our delight, until either leads us to death (Poor liver and lungs).

I don’t think there is a “true” definition to a Human right, as the biases don’t permit it. As long as we all have different perceptions, due to beliefs, there can never be that “peace” that is longed for.

If we analyze the above statement, lets see what I can get from it:

I do believe human rights can be taken away, just look at the laws that are passed by the leaders. Look at history itself with the likes of Hitler, Ze Dong, Castro, Lenin, etc.

In definition, what would be fairness? In Cuba under a communist regime, a doctor would make as much as janitor, is that fair?

Laws are made to govern right from wrong, though at times most laws don’t benefit others so, they can’t “live” the way they want to.

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#167

Interesting replies guys. I simply define a human right as an act of behaviour that doesn’t harm another human being or an act that doesn’t involve any kind of theft.

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#168

Well I have an interesting question, that I believe is mainly a matter of research and “foretelling”…

Will the human race be extinct within the next 200 years?

I have my own thoughts about this, but would like to know your opinions about this.

#169

Probably not. Why would you think so?

#170

What Rick said. I don’t really see it happening, unless there’s some cataclysmic natural disaster.

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#171

It depends on various aspects, but probably not… I’d like to know your thoughts…
(Basically agreed with above posts)

#172

Well to me at least, it seems like the human being is becoming more and more normalized with the technological advancement, that we even see daily transactions just by scanning your phone!

That the very aspect of actually having the human being mix in with the touch of technology does not seem far off. I’ve read about a situation where in Sweden, they had employees chipped in order to be able to work at a certain place! Linky

I mean, a children’s baby sitter nowadays is a tablet. Take it away from them and well, they’ll cry. This is one way I look at it as an “extinction”, rendering oneself to become “one” with technology.

Another way to look at it is the radiation that was released back at the Fukushima plant explosion some years back. There’s traces of it in California

Linky 2

Also, the constant need to destabilize the planet for our own progress.

Adding to the above, AI becoming unstable, or so Mr. Hawking said: https://www.cnbc.com/2017/11/06/stephen-hawking-ai-could-be-worst-event-in-civilization.html

I mean, it’s little stuff that doesn’t meddle in our minds because of what’s going on in our own borders. But it is interesting to me nonetheless.

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#173

Technology will make our ability to survive weak, but it will not be able to annihilate the existence completely in next 200 years unless there is a new plague or a nuclear war.
The articles you mention are a sign of the impending threat, but it is not enough. If you remember the movie Fight Club, they destroy the credit records just to bring every one to the level playing field. Someone will definitely do that when it is required. All hail Project Mayhem.

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#174

I agree with this. I don’t think the tech itself will cause extinction, rather another war or something

#175

Why is it that in the US ‘eye-ran’ = Iran, ‘eye-rack’ = Iraq, but ‘eye-tally’ =/= Italy? What’s with the inconsistency in pronunciation? And with other words too, but compared to British English, such as ‘jag-wahr’ for jaguar (‘jag-you-er’).

#176

Mmm… I must disagree in this… You can’t say that all humans react the same way.

I am not sure, but I guess it’s because the humans are sensitives and they think they need the approval of others.

  • Fun (according them :roll_eyes:)
  • Revenge
  • Somehow, they don’t understand the complex of the situation.
  • Boredom.
  • Or simply they are ass****s

No necesarily, there are people with low esteem that are the victims.

Good point, but I think that we are generalizing a lot this, as I said before, each person is different.

I’d summarize this in two words: Ignorance, conformism.

It’s a kind of “permission/power” you can use in certain situations. It belong to each human and each one can decide if use it or not.

This.

Another idealogic thing… I mean, a judge would act according the laws, but rarely according the reality of the case.

i. e. A poor man steal bread for his kids, the man ends in prsion.
A politian steal money that he/she doesn’t really need, everyone know it, but in the end he/she is still free (for lack of proofs :roll_eyes: )

For that date, it’d impossible. Maybe in 1 000 years.

This!

I don’t understand this very this very well

The humans need to “fit” (I don’t know the right word) what they say with letter, and sometimes, those sounds are “incomprehensible” then they -humans- have to “fit them” to make them understandable.

#177

I have seen a lot of documentaries on how money works but had always wondered how dollar became the benchmark currency. This is a lengthy but interesting read.

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#178

I will read it later, ok?

#179

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#180

I’ve been into the topic of money as well lately! If you’re interested, I definitely recommend checking out this series that explains our current financial system in simple form, but in great detail: