Wait, is this staying at the top of the list because of the red mark next to it? Does that signal is significance or importance? Did you just want it to grab people's attention or is this only happening on my computer? I've just never seen this happen to any other discussion so was just curious.

I guess I'll have to hook up with LT to discuss this, but yes E.M., this appears to be our first "pinned" post (with what, a Blue..umm..Red Ribbon?) at these forums. I think I can come up with a few more, but like I said, I need to huddle with the crew first.

It's not just your computer, E.M. Mark's idea to move Introductions to General Discussion was an excellent idea in the first place. It's been a great way to build our community. "Pinning" it up top to catch people's attention was only a logical next step.

Now Playing: "Inhale-Exhale" Reeve Oliver Reeve Oliver (Sony)

Hi. I'm surprised I haven't written here before. And I'm also sorry about how long this is, I hadn't planned it to be so damn long. I'm a thirteen year old girl, who feels MUCH older most of the time. I'm an avid movie watcher/music listener/writer/artist/musician/
mathematician/actor/historian/etc. (some only in theory.)
I've watched over 300 movies this year [399 to be exact (some of which I haven't finnished yet and some I've watched more than once, so different movies, it would be less.)] I love many, many movies, but some that come to mind are Jaws, Indiana Jones, Star Wars, The Lord of the Rings (I know the last three are series), and The Wizard of Oz.
I listen to all of the music that my dad buys. But, sometimes, if there's nothing else on, on Saturday mornings I watch the Top 20 Countdown, which mostly has some pretty bad stuff, but once in a while they'll have something good.
I've written many stories (most of which are not finnished) and my parents, friends and teachers say that their awesome, although I hardly believe them after a while. I've always loved The Arts. I love to paint, sketch, act, sing, dance, write, etc (most of which I'm pretty good at.) I play the piano (presently I've been working on Toccata and Fugue in D Minor, although it's probably modified. It's six whole pages long too.) I also played the clarinet for a whole year (WOW!) I want to learn how to play the guitar as well.
I'm in eighth grade. I live in Orange County, CA. I go to a Jr. High about a mile away from my house and I ride my bike there because both of my parents are teachers and have to leave relatively early in the morning. I'm in Advanced English, Advanced Science, Drama (which is impossible to get an A in, no matter how much better I am than the other students. Just Kidding.) Advanced History, and Geometry (which is a High School class.)
I love to read as well. Currently, I'm reading The Princess Bride, which is an awesome book. I also read, earlier this year, A Study in Scarlet by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, The Spectacles by Edgar Alan Poe, Sleepy Hollow by Washington Irving, and many more, of course.
I love The Simpsons, I think it's the greatest show on television.
I love Chinese Food (and other kinds as well) and my fav. color is the color blue. I REALLY don't like Bush (nothing against any Bush lovers, most of my friends are ones, although we pretty much share the same political views.)
I know, if you're even reading this, that you're probably bored by now, and I can ramble on and on for a very long time about myself (as probably everybody can) and not have it really be that interesting to much anybody. And I'm just rambling already, so I guess that's it for now. Bye.

Sounds like you are quite a renassiance woman. Welcome to the site.

Ok, Im going to talk more about myself. I love the lord of the rings and they are my favorite films. I like a wide variety of movies though. I used to rollerblade a lot and like to bike ride but dont as much as i would like to. I have an xbox and my favorite games are halo/ halo 2. As I said before Im from upstate ny and moved to the bay area a few months ago. I like the weather here in CA. My favorite main subjects are Math and English. Oh and like Ginny I used to watch the top 20 countdown when i was bored on saturday mornings. Recently, the west wing is my favorite show and I watch it daily.

Now, I will brag about myself because it makes me feel good lol. I have always been in the top of my class and have only gotten a b+ once which was in french class and the rest are a's. I used to be on a math team at my old school and can add and multiply large sums of numbers in my head quite quickly. I took a few iq tests and the mean score is around 165. I am also quite athletic and play a variety of sports. After seeing Ginny go away with her bragging, I had to do some.

I was about to say welcome, but I now see that you came 2 months before me and 4 months before mike.

I didn't mean to brag, and I wanted to delete the whole thing because I thought it was way too much and made me sound (possibly) a little conceited. But my dad came in the room right as I was about to say that I was sure that I wanted to delete it and said he'd read it and was trying to convince me to not delete it. Apparently it worked.
I also wanted to say that I love most sports. I'm good at softball and volleyball and okay at basketball and hockey. I also love to roller blade and ride my bike.
To this day I still can't go across the monkey bars, because when I was in first grade, I was trying to and taking my father's advice, but I fell, landed on my right leg and broke it. (Also that school year I had pneumonia, but that's off topic.)
I barely ever play video games (only sometimes when I'm with my cousin.) My parents refuse to buy me anything of the sort (unless it's a computer game, and we haven't bought many of those for a long time.)
I'm glad. I finnished my Geometry homework in class and it's a three day weekend. I'm planning on reading some more of The Princess Bride. (Have you seen the movie?) It's cool. It's written as if it's abrigded, when it actually isn't. Okay, I started rambling again. I'm sorry. Bye.

Ya, Im sorry if I sounded like I was bragging, which I was. Im just an insecure person that needs to brag to other people at what I am good at to make me feel better. Really, Im just bored and will write anything that comes to my mind.

oh wow,I love this website's forum ideas. After only reading a few introductions, I feel "intellectually challenged"

Why dont you introduce yourself? You are a new member and it would be great for you to tell us about yourself.

Hey all-

I guess this should have been my first post, but oh well.

I'm 29, a resident and native of Fairfax, VA. US Marine reservist, work as a portfolio specialist for my 'real job'. Married for a little over 2.5 months.

Hobbies include writing poetry and fiction, martial arts, running, role playing games, reading up on Chinese folklore, watching movies and cartoons, video games, and listening to various music groups.

Favorite band: U2. Though I have several that I really enjoy, U2 maintains their place as my first musical addiction.

Favorite movie: Toss up between Casablanca and Dead Poet's Society.

Favorite fictional book(s): The Discworld novels, by Terry Pratchett

Favorite non-fiction book(s): Flags of Our Fathers, though I haven't finished it yet.

Hi all,

My name's Trevor and I currently live in Flagstaff, AZ where I graduated from college last year with a degree in philosophy. Hopefully I'll be moving east soon to continue my studies at one of the nine grad schools that I have applied for. Philosphy is my primary focus, especially cognitive science and formal logic. If anyone here is a fan of Douglas Hofstadter's work, or wants to explain Godel's incompleteness theorem to me, I'd be happy to talk. and now for my favorites

Favorite movies:
Rushmore, A Clockwork Orange, Holy Mountain, The Graduate, Kill, Baby...Kill, etc...

Favorite bands:
Velvet Underground, Bob Dylan, Wilco, Lambchop, Bruce Springsteen

Favorite books:
Glass bead game, Godel, Escher, Bach, The complete short stories of Jorge Borges, I have no mouth and I must scream, Philosophical Investigations, The Public Burning, The Crying of Lot 49.

Looking forward to the conversation

TWO philosophers?!! Our forum's collective IQ is rising by the minute!

I'm a fan of Godel, Escher, Bach as well, Trevor, though I fear I'm nowhere near ready to explain Godel's incompleteness theorem to you. I've lived in Bloomington for over five years now, but have yet to run into Professor Hofstadter, though I have to admit, it's a bit of a fannish dream for me.

Welcome, given your tastes I think you're going to find plenty of good conversation around here. I'm looking forward to it was well.

Now Playing: "Zombies, pt2" Clyde Wrenn Happy Days (Surprise Truck)

Hello All,

My name is Ashley P. I hail from the South, more specific New Orleans, La. I'm newly 26 and feeling it everyday when I'm chasing my 2 year old daughter. I am employeed at my neighborhood Starbucks. I went from a daily coffee user to dealer. It's cheaper.
Favorite Movies- Sound of Music, Star Wars, My Cousin Vinny, Forest Gump
Favorite Bands- No Doubt, Bond, Madonna, Guns-N-Roses
Favorite Books- Not too many, but the classics: Little Women, Anne of Green Gables and The Count of Monte Cristo
T.V. Shows - Friends, The Simpsons, American Chopper, Inside the Actors' Studio
Hobbies - Movies, Motherhood, Cooking, Traveling (when I can), Art, and I'm an Astronomy geek

There is no hiding the fact that Godel's theorem is difficult. There are two element that may be stated: one, that 'within any consistent formal system, there will be a sentence that can neither be proved true nor proved false'; and two, 'that the consistency of a formal system of arithmetic cannot be proved WITHIN that system'. The simplest way to explain his idea makes use of the so called Richard paradox, first put forward by the French mathematician Jules Richard in 1905. In this system integers are given to a variety of definitions about mathmatics. For example, the definition 'not divisible by any number except one and itself' (i.e., a prime number), might be given one integer, say 17. Another definition might be 'being equal to the product of an integer multiplied by that integer' (i.e., a perfect square), and given the interger 20. Now assume that these definitions are laid out in a list with the two above inserted as 17th and 20th. Notice two things about these definitions: 17, attatched to the first statement, is itself a prime number, but 20, attatched to the second statement, is not a perfect square. In Richardian mathematics, the above statement about prime numbers is not Richardian, whereas the statement about perfect squares is. Formally, the property of being Richardian involves 'not having the property designated by the defining expression with which an integer is correlated in the serially ordered set of definitions.' But of course this last statement is itself a mathematical definition and therefore belongs to the series and has its own integer, n. The question may now be put: Is n itself Richardian? Immediately the crucial contradiction appears. 'For n is Richardian if, and only if, it does NOT possess the property designated by the definition with which n is correlated; and it is easy to see that therefore n is Richardian if, and only if, n is not Richardian.

No analogy like this can do full justice to Godel's theorem, but it at least conveys the paradox adequately. It is for some a depressing conclusion (Godel himself battled bouts of depression, and died of malnutrition and inanition brought about by personality disturbance). Basically, Godel had established that there were limits to math and to logic. The aim of Frege, Hilbert, and Russell to create a unitary deductive system in which all mathematical (and therefore all logical) truth could be deduced from a small number of axioms could not be realized. It was a form of mathematical uncertainty principle - and it changed math for all time. Why should there be limtis to our knowledge? And what did it mean to know that such limits existed?




Excerpted from the chapter The Golden Age of Physics, of Peter Watson's century spanning work, The Modern Mind.

Hello

This message has been edited. Last edited by: Ayman,

I think my first post on the forums should be an introduction.

I'm a 21 year old residing in Vancouver, BC. I am a nursing student and only until recently was a Canadian Forces Reservist. Hobbies include anything involving the outdoors - Hiking mainly (If I wasn't a student, I could start pursuing more 'expensive' hobbies.... Kayaking) and Hapkido.

Currently my playlist consists of Sarah Harmer, The Shins, Death Cab for Cuite, John Coltrane, and the newest Loretta Lynn and Bright Eyes CD. Currently reading: Shake Hands with the Devil and The Art of Warfare. Can't wait to read Guns, Germs, and Steel soon.


Cheers!

OK, I suppose I'll do an introduction too.

I turned 21 earlier this month, and I'm currently a part-time college student who coaches middle school track. I was something of an academic prodigy in high school, but I've since failed at everything I've tried and run up medical bills that have singlehandedly made numerous doctors rich. I've switched colleges 4 times. I originally started in Vermont, then came back to Indiana, then back to Vermont, and now back in Indiana again.

I ran a lot in high school, both cross-country and track. Injuries and various other maladies have prevented me from getting back into the shape I was once in, but I still run pretty regularly.

I read a lot of non-fiction, especially science and politics. Some of my favorite non-fiction authors are Bertrand Russell, Noam Chomsky, Carl Sagan, Richard Dawkins, Steven Pinker, Howard Zinn, Isaac Asimov, Jared Diamond, and Mark Weisbrot. The fiction I read is mostly Mark Twain stuff, since he's the greates author of all time. I've also read quite a bit of science fiction. My favorite fiction authors are Timothy Zahn, Isaac Asimov, John Steinbeck, and Mark Twain.

I'm a fantasy baseball enthusiast. I also umpire all summer. All three of my brothers play baseball. My grandpa even pitched a game for the Boston Red Sox in the 50's, so I'm a big Red Sox fan (not too many of those in Indiana.)

I started playing the piano when I was 11, and I got pretty good. There's not a whole lot I can get excited about playing right now, so I don't learn many new songs. The last one I learned was "Philosophy" by Ben Folds. I've tried to play guitar, and I still do now and then, but I'm no good and I can't sing so there's no real point.

I didn't listen to much music at all until I went off to college when I was 18. I got Kazaalite and tried a bunch of stuff. Since then I've bought a lot of CD's and music has become something of an obsession at times. I like various kinds of music. Some of my favorite artists: Ben Folds, Eels, Fiery Furnaces, Songs: Ohia, Hippos, Gordon Lightfoot, Espers, Out Hud, Modest Mouse, Wrens, Ween, Adem, Barenaked Ladies, Four Tet, Explosions in the Sky, Elliott Smith, Flaming Lips, Grandaddy, Greg Weeks, Shins, Something Corporate, Sufjan Stevens, Notwist, Mountain Goats, Mum, Neil Young, Delgados, Neutral Milk Hotel, Nick Drake, Poole, Radiohead. There are lots of others, but that gives you an idea, and I don't want to bore anyone to death.

I don't watch much TV, but the shows I like are Family Guy, Brak Show, Daily Show with Jon Stewart, Powerpuff Girls, Spongebob, Conan O'Brian, Seinfeld, Sportscenter, and Baseball Tonight.

I don't watch many movies either, but here's a few I've liked: The Usual Suspects, every Monty Python, Happy Gilmore, Enemy of the State, Lion King, Best In Show, A Mighty Wind, Spinal Tap, Bourne Identity, Field of Dreams, Fire on the Track: A Steve Prefontaine Documentary, Garfield Christmas and Halloween, Sandlot, LOTR, Shawshank Redemption, Ernest Goes to Jail, and my favorite movie of all time...Donnie Darko.

I look forward to being a regular on the forums.

Welcome to the site, RavingLunatic. I hope you aren't too touchy about your user ID in case somebody decides to disagree with you around here. For now, I wouldn't feel too worried about that since you've seemed to find a fit over at the Music Forums. I look forward to seeing more of you here at the site.

Been reading for a little while and thought I'd sign up so I could jump in. Hi--I'm new. I love books, music , movies, and tv, so this message board is a natural for me. I was a communications major, so I won't be as able to weigh in on philosphy, but I'll be happy to analyze many other things...