Earthquakes & Tsunamis = A Teachable Moment

[stopbush]

about the fact that we live on a still-cooling planet.

This is an excellent opportunity to teach people about geology, about Earth's history and the very real things that happen and will continue to happen on this blue ball, because these things are the things one would EXPECT to happen on a still-cooling planet.

Instead, we'll get a bunch of stories about how people prayed to survive and did, how people believe that god spared them while killing their neighbors, etc ad infinitum. In six months, The History Channel will begin airing their updated versions of The Bible Code and Nostradamus Revealed to include the recent, tragic events, asking us to believe that these specific events were predicted ages ago by mystical beings who could see into the future.

Quell shame.

[Taverner]

1. Yep

Because everyone who survives an earthquake was just praying harder, dontchya know?

[armyowalgreens]

2. Cooling planet? I don't need that science mumbo jumbo. God got angry...

And fucked some shit up.

It's been a long 6000 years.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

3. Still cooling?

The earth's interior is molten due to radioactive decay, not because of residual heat from the earth's formation.

Teachable moment indeed.

[armyowalgreens]

4. But it is cooling.

[stopbush]

7. Er, the mantle is still cooling down.

Ref: http://www.physorg.com/news62952904.html

[charlie]

5. Good calamities don't happen every day

They've got to make the most of it, not get dragged into a dull science lesson.

It's like masturbating. It eases their aching hardon for Armageddon for a little while.

[Warpy]

6. I've noticed an uptick in apocalyptic crapola on History

and even other channels where they usually know better. I really expected this rubbish to go away after the millennium fever abated, but I guess they're all focused on the Mayan calendar that predicts the end of this age and the beginning of a new cycle in 2012.

I guess this stuff is popular now because people have lost all hope that their leaders are going to do a damned thing for them and since nothing will improve and will only continue to worsen, why not just blow it all up?

It's really too bad that better history isn't being taught. Every single time period has had its share of crazies who have read Revelations and have seen the undeniable signs that the end is here. Our signs aren't any more dramatic than their signs.

[lutherj]

8. As flies to wanton boys are we to the gods, they kill us for their sport.

(To quote a little Shakespeare.)