God Winks at Arthur C Clarke
Is Guido the only one to wonder if God played a little joke on legendary sci-fi writer Arthur C Clarke? The visionary author insisted that his death ceremony be devoid of any religious ritual of any kind.
Coincidentally a powerful stellar explosion that has shattered the record for the most distant object visible was detected by NASA's Swift satellite on March 19, the same day he died. It is so bright that it can be seen by the naked eye despite being half-way across the known universe - the most intrinsically bright object in the universe ever observed by humans. Guido likes to think it God's way of winking at the mortal chronicler of the cosmos who found no sign of his existence in the universe.
Coincidentally a powerful stellar explosion that has shattered the record for the most distant object visible was detected by NASA's Swift satellite on March 19, the same day he died. It is so bright that it can be seen by the naked eye despite being half-way across the known universe - the most intrinsically bright object in the universe ever observed by humans. Guido likes to think it God's way of winking at the mortal chronicler of the cosmos who found no sign of his existence in the universe.
23 comments:
Deep Guido
really Deep
but bust my sides on bra studies on daily mash
A most celestial sense of humour? I think so. Perhaps Cranmer would care to comment?
Surely this explosion must have happened millions upon millions of years ago, for the light to reach us on March 19th. Besides, that is my birthday, so it could be that *I* am the chosen one and not Arthur C Clarke.
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Ashley,
I suspect the God of classical theism, what with his providence and omniscience and all, can probably do better than just-in-time production.
If there's an omniscient benevolent god why do we have disasters like Blair, Brown and Bush (and that's just the B's)?
Perhaps God lit one of his farts!
A surprisingly 'nice' comment from you, Guido.
Bollocks, of course.
As somebody else pointed out, this star will actually have exploded bazillions of years ago.
Won't stop humans thinking they see cause-effect relationships where none exist, of course. After all, religion wouldn't exist without such logic.
Is this god winking as in Britney Spears "winking" at paps as she gets out from the car?
Wouldn't God know billions of years ago that Clarke was going to snuff it so he pre-arranged it? That is what an omnipotent being does for laughs at influential atheists.
God knows what he is going to do when Richard Dawkins kicks it...
He may have winked at Arthur but he is taking a dump on brown.
Personally, I think it was one of Clarke's mysterious obelisks making a new star like in his novel "2010".
After all, one imaginary super-being is pretty much like another, eh?
It was only the flashing neon sign at The Restaurant at the End of the Universe. Or perhaps the Vogons starting a preemptive regime change thingy.
If there IS a god, then he/she/it has a sublime sense of humour. Of all the political leaders in the world we have the one who eats his own snot and has it televised. Everyone is falling over laughing at us, and I don't blaim them.
Does he get a kick out of it, perhaps picking away in front of the Queen?
FFS someone, anyone, give the Cunt a handkerchief. Go on Dave, at PMQ's, call it an Easter present, pass him a kleenex after your first question.
From NASA's website:
"Swift normally detects about two gamma ray bursts per week. But March 19 was a special day. The satellite detected four bursts on that day, which is a Swift record for one day. “Coincidentally, the passing of Arthur C. Clarke the day before seems to have set the universe ablaze with gamma ray bursts,” says Swift science team member Judith Racusin of Penn State University in University Park, Pa. "
Guido: Clarke died the same day
NASA: he died the day before
Perhaps the international dateline caused Guido or NASA (or God) some confusion.
Completely off subject but aol reporting that a load of pikeys have moved onto land near the dragons den at the weekendtough shit you sour faced old cow.
I seem to recall Clarke wrote a story about a star dying, killing all local alien inhabitants and then the fella who dates the star death etc works out that it was the star that lit the sky above bethlehem. As a Christian the protagonist has a massive crisis of conscience.
Are you suggesting that your God set off a massive explosion that would have killed all life for light-years around just to spite Arthur C Clarke?
BBC's "Great Lives" revealed that the people who stayed with Clarke in his Sri Lankan house ensured that there was a member of the family with the body until it was disposed of, in accordance with Buddhist practice. So, not a religious ritual, but a religious observance, which, because of its personal touch, Clarke would hardly have disapproved.
You are growing whimsical in your old age Mr Fawkes - what can we expect next a political version of LOLCATZ?
Wait a minute... I have just realised you have started writing about your special little girls...
You have turned into a MOM BLOGGER Mr Fawkes...
Re: anon 1154: the story ends: ' . . the emitted light from the explosion reached Earth in exactly 4 BC. The nova that destroyed the peaceful planet was, in fact, the very star, or the very supernova, that compelled the wise men on Earth to travel to see the Child Jesus. The scientist's faith is shaken because of the apparent capriciousness of God:
[O]h God, there were so many stars you could have used. What was the need to give these people to the fire, that the symbol of their passing might shine above Bethlehem?' [wikipedia: The Star]
It may have happened somewhere else X million years ago, but an omniscient god could have easily arranged the two events to be apparently coincident on planet earth.
You sure it was not a ladyboy who winked (or wanked)
While sitting in my car at the top of a mountain pass in Wales last Monday I opened my Racing Post(I read no other paper) and noticed "Mountain Pass" running in the 2 o'clock at Wolverhampton.I rang my bookmaker and had a few quid on at 20 to 1.It won of course.What does this tell me about the mysterious ways of the universe?Nothing much but that coincidences happen all the time.
Nice story though Guido about Arthur C.
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