• unContact images: Bethlehem Steel Furnace “C”, Bethlehem PA (via jannx)

  • One of the standard claims of religious apologists is that “science,” whatever they may mean by that, cannot answer “the big questions”: Why Are We Here? What Is Our Purpose? What Is the Meaning of Life? […] Meanwhile, science does provide a foundation for answering this sort of question. We are here to transmit genes. We are machines for the propagation of genetic material. Life is devoid of intrinsic meaning; it is simply a category defined by the possession of genetic material, the ability to reproduce, and so on.

    Who Is IOZ?: Existence Is Futile

  • Some common themes emerge from these slightly whimsical suggestions. One is that buying new, real, branded premium products at full price from chain-store retailers is the last refuge of the unimaginative consumer, and it should be your last option. It offers low narrative value – no stories to tell about interesting people, places, and events associated with the product’s design, provenance, acquisition, or use. It reveals nothing about you except your spending capacity and your gullibility, conformism, and unconsciousness as a consumer.

    Marginal Revolution: More on the new Geoffrey Miller book, *Spent*