Can one think more clearly with eyes closed?
In a word yes. Consider, for example, that meditative states are achieved with the eyes closed. Brain waves that process auditory, kinesthetic, and visual stimuli are essentially turned down to permit other parts of the brain to activate. Thus, internal cues are accessed which can provoke imagery and recall of inactive memories. From a personal standpoint, I more often type my rough drafts with my eyes closed without concern for spelling or punctuation errors. My brain is able to operate in a "streaming of consciousness" and can do so at a very rapid pace because there is no competing stimuli. Lot of research on the internet to back this up. The tradition of prayer, regardless of religious affiliation has come down through the ages as an "eyes closed" process. Could there be a correlation to more modern day discoveries of the efficacy of completing various tasks with eyes closed? Something to consider. PS: I wrote this entire narrative with my eyes closed then went back and edited out the errors and added a few comments. My thoughts flowed like water and it was fun.
What do you think "Living is easy with eyes closed; misunderstanding all you see" means?
"living is easy with eyes closed" means that you are not seeing what's going on around you. either you are living in denial, or you are just unaware... "misunderstanding all you see" means that you aren't getting it. in the context of the song (Strawberry Fields Forever), I think it means not responding to your world in a responsible manner: just coasting through life, not really living, and not really getting it.
Can school close in high wind?
Tonight we expect 25-35mph winds and over 50mph gusts at times. I heard that since school buses are high profile vehicles they are not aloud to operate in 35mph winds. So do you think we might close or delay tomorrow the winds last from late tonight into early tomorrow night and btw we have a high wind watch right now it change from a warning to a watch which is also worse
Why do you think we are close or far from finding the cure to cancer?
Why do you think we are close or far from finding the cure to cancer?I believe we’re infinitely far away from finding ”the cure to cancer” because I don’t believe such a thing is possible to begin with.Cancer isn’t one thing, it’s dozens to hundreds of things. The likelihood of there being a single cure for all of them, when they are such different diseases is small. It’s not impossible, but I think it’s unlikely.We already have what is effectively cures for some types of cancer though, for example some form(s) of testicular cancer.Cancer in general is not necessarily a death sentence these days. Another example is a five-year survival rate of almost 80 % for patients with bladder cancer.[1]Footnotes[1] What cancer survival rates can (and can't) tell you
Christianity: How close do you think we are to the rapture?
I'll answer this assuming the question is genuine. For a Christian, the rapture (depending on your background), the second coming, things prophesied long ago that haven't happened yet, they are something to ponder and wonder at, for sure, but they are not something to get obsessed or bent out of shape over. If it will happen, it will happen, and the more time you spend worrying about it will mean less time you have to spend doing the important things that God wants you to be doing.If you think the Rapture is just around the corner: love your neighbor, love your enemy, help the persecuted, be a light to everyone around you. Be a servant to others like Jesus taught. If you think the Rapture is a lifetime away, do the same. Remember the teaching about the most important laws:Matthew 22:36-40 New International Version (NIV) 36 “Teacher, which is the greatest commandment in the Law?” 37 Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’ 38 This is the first and greatest commandment. 39 And the second is like it: ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ 40 All the Law and the Prophets hang on these two commandments.”And recall, too, the teaching about the second coming: Matthew 24:36New International Version (NIV) 36 “But about that day or hour no one knows, not even the angels in heaven, nor the Son, but only the Father."Prophecies are a mixed blessing. They can prompt people to examine their ways and maybe even lead to profound change, they can bring hope, but they can also become the subject of such focus and scrutiny that nothing of worth is brought about by knowing them. Know that it's ok to leave the idea alone and live your life while being in the dark about such things. You might even begin to see how much of a distraction it is to those around you, how the idea can even keep them from living out Jesus' simple but profound teachings.
How close do you think we are to having all means of industry automated by AI?
On the software side of automation / intelligence there’s a long way too.Here are some ads from the London underground:This is the current state of AI :) Take a selfie. Set my alarm.Still a long way to go.Not smarter than a 6 year old says a study cited by CNet:Google's AI is no smarter than a first grader, study says
How soon do you think we are close to experiencing an alien encounter?
In my opinion, it is extremely hard to predict due to a few facts :Space is extremely big, probably at least one of us must have mastered how to travel faster than light first, also build a better telescope technology that allows either of us to see farther and in more details than we currently can.We might be the only “intelligent” beings in the whole universe.We might not be the only “intelligent” beings around, actually the whole universe might be overcrowded from many civilization 2 and/or 3 types, but we are too dumb for them to think we are intelligent.Again, this is something really hard to predict, as we haven't even found a single trace of a bacteria outside earth.But, looking at my crystal ball I predict we will greatly advance both technologically and socially in the next few ( let's say 5 ) hundred years, turning into a civilization type 1 and be able to detect life outside earth.Of course, I'm being very optimistic here and assuming there are life forms outside earth, and we are not killing ourselves in the next 500 years. :-)