Ordinarily I would toss this into the now-disused (as I said it would be) Link of the Day section. But holy fuck: foxhole radios. That's about the coolest thing I've seen. Ever.

I am hoping commentator and certified intelligent person Galluskek, who has evinced some love of radio things, can explain this because I don't exactly understand the principles of operation but it is friggin' awesome.

/a

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Galluskek 24.02.2009 - 12h41

That's about the most improvised piece of electronics I've ever seen! It looks a lot like those crystal radio kits that you can buy in the shops, however they basically replace the crystal bit with a razor and a safety pin. The assembly becomes a crude diode to control the current passed to the speaker. The rest identical to a crystal set, you move a wire or adjust the turns of the coil to change the received frequency. It is always good practice to maintain knowledge of things that can function without electricity. I've often found that having a radio staves off cabin fever in the wilderness. That is if the only stations aren't country. In reference to the title, why aren't atheists allowed? Is it because they don't believe in things they cannot see, and therefore cannot use anything that functions based upon radio waves? Is it because they keep trying to convert everyone? Or is it the increased chance of sleet and scattered brimstone in the area?

Comrade Alex 24.02.2009 - 1h30

Ahhh--interesting. I was reading some commentary elsewhere where somebody was talking about how to make very crude diodes out of a bit of biro and some copper oxide. I only wish I was so innovative! I suppose it is probably not true to say "no atheists allowed". It may be more accurate to say that people will lose their atheism, as it is rumoured they do in foxholes. Whether this is actually true or not I--lacking the relevant experience--cannot say. -CA

Natalie 24.02.2009 - 6h15

To loose ones Atheism is to loose IQ, I for one don't live in the dark ages and do not fear the unknown, I use science and logic in everyday life rather then speculation and superstitions, it's funny how many people grow up and realize Santa isn't real but never quite reach the point of finding the same conclusion of "God". The only logical explanation of a real God would have been another creature placing us here after creating us, but then who created them, who created life here and elsewhere? As a magical being, not possible, there is no such thing as magic, only tricks and illusions, I learned that long ago. Not ranting, just saying it how I see it from my point of view, so if nothing can be created from nothing, how was the universe, live, rocks, trees, or you name it comes to exist, hey I can't answer everything either, but as time goes on we've come to see how certain things that were once seen as magic or impossible to be possible and not magic using science to explain them, as time goes on our knowledge grows and we get smarted.

Comrade Alex 24.02.2009 - 7h08

I should clarify that I was not making any sort of judgment about any particular religious belief or philosophy, just making a pun on the old canard about their not being any atheists in foxholes, because it was a brief entry about things that happen in foxholes. My general position, and why I've not really brought it up before, is that faith and spirituality is a personal issue, over which--in others--I have no authority, and vice versa. I was an atheist for some time and, while I now consider myself a Shintoist as my father, in a practical sense I suppsoe I still am an atheist. Certainly, at least, I trust logic and a world with identifiable rules more than I do one governed by spirits. This said, of course, I can't in good faith (so to speak) disparage any way of concieving of the world. Humans--diverse people of the world that we are--are conditioned to find answers, and patterns. It's rare that two people come to the same set of either, and while this has occasionally led to strife we would have a such a boring and monochrome world without it. -CA

Galluskek 24.02.2009 - 8h25

Oh, I had forgotten that phrase. Ha. I hope you didn't start a war based on a saying from an old conflict. Biro diodes are impressive, but I usually stop by radio shack when I need more, I have other uses for pens. I wasn't kidding about the conversion thing though. They (from my experience) seem to delight in hour long rants about how some people are silly and illogical and foolish. Sadly, they for the most part have no idea that such discussion serves only to alienate the people around them. It is also illogical. There are two basic scenarios: 1: There is a/many god/s and they are vengeful to some extent. Steadfastly maintaining that it/they do not exist may reserve you a seat in the nether-lands of Hell or some similar place. 2: There is no such deity figure. Doesn't matter if you pray or not, doesn't matter what you believe. No benefit to not believing, or hoping. Given the option, therefore, it is better to believe than not to believe, it comforts some people and on the balance it is a net win in either scenario. (Especially when you consider only religious people can justify harems and their other gender equivalents) Also, to Natalie, you don't believe in magic? For shame.

La Chevre 25.02.2009 - 8h03

Ah, but you forget, Galluskek, about the possibility of non-omnipotent gods. That drastically increases the number of possibilities. But yes, believing in one is probably safer.

Comrade Alex 25.02.2009 - 8h35

Well, quoth Pascal, anyhow.

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