Finally…
It seems like people are now talking about what we have been trying to say in church for many years…
From CNN on July, 18
Technology: By the end of World War II, the United States military had spent $1.5 billion on the Norden bombsight, a device that promised to be so accurate it was said a plane could drop a bomb in a pickle barrel from 20,000 feet, according to author Malcolm Gladwell.Speaking Friday on the last day of the TED Global conference, Gladwell said the device, designed by engineer Carl Norden, indeed could allow bombers to hit their targets — but only under perfect conditions, such as a cloudless sky. In the real world, the sight often failed to find its mark.In a raid on a German chemical plant, only 10% of thousands of bombs hit the target, said Gladwell, author of “The Tipping Point” and other best-sellers.He posed the question: Why do people place so much faith in technology such as the Norden bombsight to solve problems? Today, the U.S. military has a bomb-delivering device that truly can achieve great accuracy — the drones firing missiles to attack militants in Pakistan and Afghanistan. Yet Gladwell argued that drones aren’t necessarily accomplishing more than the flawed World War II-era bombsight; he said suicide attacks against Western targets have increased.”The issue isn’t the accuracy of the bombs you have, but how you use the bombs you have,” and whether you should use them at all, he said.Gladwell’s question was one of a series of thought-provoking issues raised at the conference in the Scottish capital. TED, a nonprofit whose motto is “Ideas worth spreading,” holds two high-profile conferences a year and distributes talks through its website. (Selected talks are also made available on CNN.com through a partnership with TED.) Meeting for the first time in Edinburgh, TED Global drew 850 people, from 70 countries.
Why can’t we feed the world’s one billion hungry people? Josette Sheeran, executive director of the United Nations’ World Food Programme, said a 17-cent package of nutrients with a chickpea base can meet the needs of a hungry infant, and more than enough food is grown to feed everyone, but still many wake up every day not knowing how they will be able to feed themselves. Her organization is scrambling to meet the threat of severe famine in the Horn of Africa.
What can atheists learn from religion? Philosopher Alain de Botton said those who reject religion often make the mistake of dismissing the many benefits it provides. While not believing the doctrine of any religion, he said he admires how religious institutions transmit ideas, helping people meet their needs for consolation and guidance. In the secular world, we assume that if an idea is important, “we’ll bump into it,” he said. In the religious world, calendars remind people on specific days of virtues and moral imperatives. “Atheism 2.0″ would look for ways to provide the equivalent of these benefits to nonbelievers, he said.
