[ExI] atheists on the elevator

[spike]

From: extropy-chat-bounces at lists.extropy.org
[mailto:extropy-chat-bounces at lists.extropy.org] On Behalf Of Brent Allsop
Sent: Thursday, November 29, 2012 1:17 PM
To: ExI chat list
Subject: Re: [ExI] atheists on the elevator

 

>.For the moment, do let me put aside my attitude towards the bastards that
set this up.  Watch a couple of them and I have a question for you:

 http://vod.io/bNSwB/

>.What if you are a hardcore atheist, and you are the victim of this?  Would
you react differently from these people?  I think I would.  I would freak
out of course, but I seriously doubt I would shriek or do any of these
graphics these people did.  I honestly think I would look around after the
girl is gone and try to figure out how the thing was done.spike

 

>.That was very entertaining, thanks!  I had the same thoughts as you, about
all of them being 'believing' idiots, and I would behave very differently.
Life must be pure hell for people that are really like that. Brent

I admit I howled at this, and I do love these kinds of gags.  However. this
is an example of one I would not do.  Reasoning: it is too risky.  Any one
of the victims could keel over with a heart attack, and then your whole life
is ruined.  Furthermore, there is too much risk to the little girl.

I had a related theory I want to have you guys comment on, if you are
willing.  

Clearly, a victim's belief structure influenced the way they reacted to the
ghost girl.  If that gag was played on us, we would be startled, but would
immediately assume either 1) I am having a hallucination or 2) she was in
the elevator when I got on but I was thinking of something else and didn't
notice her, and she sure doesn't look healthy, or 3) someone is playing a
gag on me, a good one.  

But we would not assume a ghost.   If Jacob Marley himself were to show up,
I would be thinking Damn, that's a good hologram.  Perhaps this attitude is
natural in a person who has actually set up these kinds of gags himself.
{8^D  I had fun.  

Prechristian Viking civilizations learned how to ply the seas almost before
anyone, so they were wandering around the globe early in history.  Their
particular brand of Paganism had a number of superstitions that greatly
influenced the way they did things whenever they encountered a strange new
civilization.  They are said to have believed that other civilizations had
magical powers, but were not omnipotent.  For instance they had gnomes,
elves, faeries and things, all examples of beings with powers but not
unlimited powers.  A sturdy Viking lad could defeat them through ordinary
might and a strong sword arm, and often did exactly that: come into a
village of small people (everyone was small compared to the Vikings), freak
out, kill everyone.  Or if they decided the locals did not have magical
powers, then two or three would offer to stay behind.  The locals would
likely welcome or at least tolerate the sturdy blonde guy, and I can imagine
he was popular with the ladies.  This would explain why Viking genes are
found everywhere.

Theory: in the north country, the home of the Vikings, there were no
poisonous plants or frogs for instance, so the Vikings never did learn the
basic chemistry required to do such things as making poison darts.  The
people from the tropics, on the other hand, had plenty of poisons they could
distill from their local biota, so they did.  The use of poison darts would
appear as magic to a Viking, all of whose biota was perfectly non-toxic.
The whole notion of making a poison from the glands of a tree frog would be
witchcraft and magic.  So the Vikings encountered a population who knew how
to mysteriously kill proles.  The survivors returned to Sweden with the
stories, and this influenced their belief system.  So the later generations
of Vikings, not wanting to take a chance there may be dark magic at work,
would slay the lot of them whenever possible.

An ancient Viking, or one with a similar mindset, in the elevator with the
zombie girl might attack and seriously injure her, rather than cowering in
the corner as these people did.

Commentary welcome by anyone with knowledge of actual Vikings, or any direct
descendants of actual Vikings, Anders.

spike 

 

 

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