All this chat about the origin’s of life reminded me that some guy at Sydney Uni who writes under the name of “Cusp” has got a book about “fine-tuning” of the Universe coming out real soon now.

He also writes a blog, which is worth a look:

http://cosmic-horizons.blogspot.com.au/

haven’t looked at his blog for a while. usually something good there.

Thanks for the heads up, Rev.

And another blog that used to be co-authored (he seems to have retired) by another SSSF astro-physicist:

https://letterstonature.wordpress.com/

Talks a lot about “fine-tuning” as well.

The Rev Dodgson said:

And another blog that used to be co-authored (he seems to have retired) by another SSSF astro-physicist:

https://letterstonature.wordpress.com/

Talks a lot about “fine-tuning” as well.

Was that young Bren?

sibeen said:

The Rev Dodgson said:

And another blog that used to be co-authored (he seems to have retired) by another SSSF astro-physicist:

https://letterstonature.wordpress.com/

Talks a lot about “fine-tuning” as well.

Was that young Bren?

Ahh, belay that, a more than cursory glance confirms that it is.

sibeen said:

sibeen said:

The Rev Dodgson said:

And another blog that used to be co-authored (he seems to have retired) by another SSSF astro-physicist:

https://letterstonature.wordpress.com/

Talks a lot about “fine-tuning” as well.

Was that young Bren?

Ahh, belay that, a more than cursory glance confirms that it is.

Thanks for the heads up.

Sounds like some kind of nut but I’ll read it for the LOLs.

The Rev Dodgson said:

All this chat about the origin’s of life reminded me that some guy at Sydney Uni who writes under the name of “Cusp” has got a book about “fine-tuning” of the Universe coming out real soon now.

He also writes a blog, which is worth a look:

http://cosmic-horizons.blogspot.com.au/

Unfortunately, Cusp is just feeding the trolls on this particular blog.

I breathed a sigh of relief when Cusp left the forum, because he kept finding errors in my physics, so I had to be really careful when he was around. I never did find out who Cusp really is.

Is he really taking TEMPLETON MONEY?

(In this case I feel random capitalisation is completely justified)

Soso said:

Is he really taking TEMPLETON MONEY?

(In this case I feel random capitalisation is completely justified)

I don’t know.

If he is, would that be a bad thing?

Soso said:

Is he really taking TEMPLETON MONEY?

(In this case I feel random capitalisation is completely justified)

I don’t even understand what this means. I’ve never heard of Templeton money. Could you elaborate, please?

Michael V said:

Soso said:

Is he really taking TEMPLETON MONEY?

(In this case I feel random capitalisation is completely justified)

I don’t even understand what this means. I’ve never heard of Templeton money. Could you elaborate, please?

The Templeton Foundation funds scientific research that has a religious bent.

Michael V said:

Soso said:

Is he really taking TEMPLETON MONEY?

(In this case I feel random capitalisation is completely justified)

I don’t even understand what this means. I’ve never heard of Templeton money. Could you elaborate, please?

http://www.templeton.org/

Michael V said:

Soso said:

Is he really taking TEMPLETON MONEY?

(In this case I feel random capitalisation is completely justified)

I don’t even understand what this means. I’ve never heard of Templeton money. Could you elaborate, please?

I hadn’t either, but there is this called google you know (bing google if you haven’t heard of it).

Anyway, I have googled and binged cusp’s blog, and find no mention of Templeton, so I’m not sure of the reason for the question.

SP are you and Soso related?

Paul Davies won the Templeton prize back last century.

Michael V said:

Soso said:

Is he really taking TEMPLETON MONEY?

(In this case I feel random capitalisation is completely justified)

I don’t even understand what this means. I’ve never heard of Templeton money. Could you elaborate, please?

http://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Templeton_Foundation

Skeptic Pete said:

Michael V said:

Soso said:

Is he really taking TEMPLETON MONEY?

(In this case I feel random capitalisation is completely justified)

I don’t even understand what this means. I’ve never heard of Templeton money. Could you elaborate, please?

The Templeton Foundation funds scientific research that has a religious bent.

OK, thanks. But what’s the problem taking money from them for research?

The Rev Dodgson said:

SP are you and Soso related?

I don’t know him and he doesn’t know me, so maybe yes.

The Rev Dodgson said:

SP are you and Soso related?

Who?

Soso said:

Michael V said:

Soso said:

Is he really taking TEMPLETON MONEY?

(In this case I feel random capitalisation is completely justified)

I don’t even understand what this means. I’ve never heard of Templeton money. Could you elaborate, please?

http://rationalwiki.org/wiki/Templeton_Foundation

OK, well that’s a good bit more negative about them than the everyday irrational Wiki.

Michael V said:

Skeptic Pete said:

Michael V said:

I don’t even understand what this means. I’ve never heard of Templeton money. Could you elaborate, please?

The Templeton Foundation funds scientific research that has a religious bent.

OK, thanks. But what’s the problem taking money from them for research?

That was my thought initially, but reading the Irrational Wiki stuff, I don’t think it’s a good idea to give them respectability by being associated with respectable Universities like Sydney is supposed to be.

The Rev Dodgson said:

Michael V said:

Soso said:

Is he really taking TEMPLETON MONEY?

(In this case I feel random capitalisation is completely justified)

I don’t even understand what this means. I’ve never heard of Templeton money. Could you elaborate, please?

I hadn’t either, but there is this called google you know (bing google if you haven’t heard of it).

Anyway, I have googled and binged cusp’s blog, and find no mention of Templeton, so I’m not sure of the reason for the question.

Actually, I did google before I asked the question, thanks. There were several Templeton references. All seemed benign.

Skeptic Pete said:

The Rev Dodgson said:

SP are you and Soso related?

Who?

Soso.

You could be related, apparently.

(But then so could we)

And if we go far enough back, we must be.

Cusp is probably a well grounded chap and not a bitter and twisted fundamentalist atheist.

The Rev Dodgson said:

Soso.

You could be related, apparently.

(But then so could we)

And if we go far enough back, we must be.

Why apparently?

I’ve always liked astrology.

Skeptic Pete said:

The Rev Dodgson said:

Soso.

You could be related, apparently.

(But then so could we)

And if we go far enough back, we must be.

Why apparently?

Because he/she said so.

OCDC said:

I’ve always liked astrology.

Are you a Capricorn?

The Rev Dodgson said:

Because he/she said so.

Oh.

Ok.

Skeptic Pete said:

The Rev Dodgson said:

Because he/she said so.

Oh.

Ok.

You seem a bit on edge tonight.

I just thought the reference to Templeton seemed a bit Skeptical, that’s all.

Peak Warming Man said:

OCDC said:

I’ve always liked astrology.

Are you a Capricorn?

Why yes, yes I am! It all makes sense now, doesn’t it?

The Rev Dodgson said:

You seem a bit on edge tonight.

I just thought the reference to Templeton seemed a bit Skeptical, that’s all.

Not at all.

I just don’t even know who this Soso is, or why they would think we’re related.

The Rev Dodgson said:

Michael V said:

Soso said:

Is he really taking TEMPLETON MONEY?

(In this case I feel random capitalisation is completely justified)

I don’t even understand what this means. I’ve never heard of Templeton money. Could you elaborate, please?

I hadn’t either, but there is this called google you know (bing google if you haven’t heard of it).

Anyway, I have googled and binged cusp’s blog, and find no mention of Templeton, so I’m not sure of the reason for the question.

On his Sydney Uni page – if I have the right guy.

Skeptic Pete said:

The Rev Dodgson said:

You seem a bit on edge tonight.

I just thought the reference to Templeton seemed a bit Skeptical, that’s all.

Not at all.

I just don’t even know who this Soso is, or why they would think we’re related.

I don’t think that, but there is no evidence to the contrary, so I must admit the possibility.

geraint lewis.

JudgeMental said:

geraint lewis.

And probably a Druid fundamentalist.

Soso said:

The Rev Dodgson said:

Michael V said:

I don’t even understand what this means. I’ve never heard of Templeton money. Could you elaborate, please?

I hadn’t either, but there is this called google you know (bing google if you haven’t heard of it).

Anyway, I have googled and binged cusp’s blog, and find no mention of Templeton, so I’m not sure of the reason for the question.

On his Sydney Uni page – if I have the right guy.

Got a link? I couldn’t find anything.

as long as he one of those Illonois druid pwm, i don’t care.

One of these days Skiptic Peat is going to come across The Order of Bards Ovates and Druids building a paper mache replica of stone henge with some Government financial assistance and he’s going to go absolutely bananas.

My feeling, seriously: take the money and do the research. It’s not like the money is coming from killing people. My reading is that it’s a religious-philosophy foundation that raises money and is generous towards research. Some of that is scientific research. I’m sure Cusp would not be swayed to put a religious bent on his research findings. Some people may feel that his work would become tainted by association or whatever, but I doubt that’d be the actual case.

My research money comes from the stock market and/or other private investors.

thanks for the heads up.

mollwollfumble said:

Unfortunately, Cusp is just feeding the trolls on this particular blog.

Why do you say that?

The Rev Dodgson said:

Soso said:

The Rev Dodgson said:

I hadn’t either, but there is this called google you know (bing google if you haven’t heard of it).

Anyway, I have googled and binged cusp’s blog, and find no mention of Templeton, so I’m not sure of the reason for the question.

On his Sydney Uni page – if I have the right guy.

Got a link? I couldn’t find anything.

http://sydney.edu.au/science/people/geraint.lewis.php

Selected grants
2015

Galaxy Formation and the Fine-Tuning of the Universe for Intelligent Life; Barnes L, Lewis G, Elahi P; Templeton World Charity Foundation/Research Support.

Soso said:

http://sydney.edu.au/science/people/geraint.lewis.php

Selected grants
2015

Galaxy Formation and the Fine-Tuning of the Universe for Intelligent Life; Barnes L, Lewis G, Elahi P; Templeton World Charity Foundation/Research Support.

Thanks for that. That’s totally different to the page I found.

I must say I’m not keen on the inclusion of the word “Intelligent” in there. If a universe is suitable for life that can evolve by natural selection, then it is suitable for intelligent life. I wonder who is driving that one.

Soso said:

The Rev Dodgson said:

Soso said:

Got a link? I couldn’t find anything.

http://sydney.edu.au/science/people/geraint.lewis.php

Selected grants
2015

Galaxy Formation and the Fine-Tuning of the Universe for Intelligent Life; Barnes L, Lewis G, Elahi P; Templeton World Charity Foundation/Research Support.

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Be nice to the people on the way up because you will need them on the way down.