Last week I made a speech about evolution and intelligent design (ID) in Toastmaster. The topic is very contraversial, but my speech is strictly limited to inquire whether intelligent design is science. Somehow someone in the audience found it intriguing and decided to feather develope the arguments. He invited people to watch a video supporting ID, then setup a meeting for a round table discussion. Since the whole thing started by my speech, I feel obligated to participate. I missed the video for my classes, so I watched the DVD last night. The video has many cool animation and wild life clips, but it brings out more questions than it can answer. The biggest question is, when and how ID create life? If ID resolve to intervention of super-nature power, can we still call it science? There was many items on the agenda of the discussion, but we spend on the time on the first item arguing on what exactly is science. I am surprise most people doesn’t reject the idea of having a creator. Just like myself, most people take the middle groud accepting theistic evolution, where there exists a creator who use evolution as the mechanism to create life. However, the theistic part of it already falls into the realm of metaphysics. Later, I talk to another friend about this issue. We agree that ID shouldn’t be taught science class. On contrary the science class should teach the limitation of science to shut up the supporters of ID. Assuming science can answer all the questions is simply a wrong in the view of philosophy of science. Forget about evolution or ID, 42 is the real ultimate answer.
Tuesday with Morrie
I just found out “Tuesday With Morrie” from the author of “The Five People You Meet in Heaven” Mitch Albom has adopted as a play and is on stage at the Graville Island Theater. The book is one of the best seller a few years ago, the chinese translation version is selected as one of “10 good books” by RTHK. I always want to read it but couldn’t find the chance to pick it up. I sent out an email to my friend at work asking who is interested, but receving no response. To my surprise, many of them havn’t even heard of this book. I guess they are just typerical HKers have more interested in watching mindless TVB series than reading inspiring books.
Here are the links to the play and
TTF friends
Tonight I came out to have dinner with friends I met in TTF. I have been hanging out in TTF for almost 5 years, from cdrom to part of the moderator group. They have gathering in HK or China once a while, but I couldn’t attend due to the distance. I am the odd one out living far away. There is only one other guy living in Vancouver and we don’t have any event to come out. This week, an active member visiting Vancouver and we decide to come out for the first time. I have known them for many years, but never met each other. It is interesting to finally link a face and real name to an alias on the net. We talked alot in the dinner, topics ranages from gossip inside TTF to school. I think Pat is bored by our conversation tonight. I always joke that we are just a whole bunch of Victoria Park uncle have big talks on virtually any topics.
Procastination
I have a very very serious problem of procastination. Tomorrow is the deadline for P.Eng application, and I just finished writing the work experience summary at 1:30a.m. the night before. I have over a month to work on this application and I just couldn’t get myself toegether to work until this weekend. Actually, I didn’t work very hard over the weekend, spent most of the time idling in front of the computer. Althought I had been thinking about how to write the application, had all the main points outlined in my brain, it is still a pain to write down everything I have done at work in the past 6 years. Writing this application gives me a chance to examine my way I came from and how I arrive at today’s place. I am glad that I had make some good progress since I graduated, not exactly walking in circle as I would assume. Looking at the past helps me to reflect and plan ahead. I wish I could have make more progress in all these years. I have to make up my mind, be more discinple to accelerate my progress in the coming years.
Audio book
I borrowed a set of audio book CD from the company library and start listening when I am driving home. In the morning when I go to work, I can listen to news and HK commentary. However, since I go home kinda late, there is nothing interesting on the radio. The Cantonese program is finished, one station plays Mandarin music program, which is ok. The other station plays Christian programs, which makes me want to puke if I have to listen for more than half a minute. I am kinda lazy in downloading songs to my iPod and it seems I had lost interest keeping up with the newsest songs. Listening to audio book is the best use of the 20 minutes travel time from work to home. It will take me about a month to finish all 6 CDs of the audio book I borrowed. Unlike reading books, where I proceed with the highest speed I can absorb the material, listening to audio book is well paced. This give some free brian cycle to process the material rather than just absorbing it. Different experience, but I still prefer reading than listening.