A bit of introduction.

#1 · #1 by **Piercemarkt** » Dec 08, 2011 8:02 am

Hello All,

My name is Mark T. Pierce (Piercemarkt). I am 32, American and married with 2 step-kids, (Boy 15 Girl 12). I am an atheist and refer to myself as a "Daft Positivist". A positivist is defined as "A doctrine contending that sense perceptions are the only admissible basis of human knowledge and precise thought." Simply put I do not believe. I either know or know not. However almost any philosophy when examined is daft. I have never seen an atom. This I am told is because an atom is smaller than a photon. Since I have not seen an atom I can not 'believe' in atoms. However when I sit on a chair, allegedly comprised of atoms, I have faith that i won't fall into another dimension. I live as if I believe in atoms when strictly speaking I am daft. I do not live in an rational world.
Atheism comes easy for me. I think this is because I have Asperger's syndrome. (Once again, Asperger's is an idea and I don't have actual sense perceptions 'proving I have Asperger's but I live as if I believe I have it.) I have a hard time understanding emotions and relationships. Christians baffle me.
Do Christians question the world around them? How can they worship a deity that extols murder, rape and genocide? Why do some people think there will be something after death? Many Christians do not question whether an ant has an afterlife. Why are we so arrogant to assume there is an afterlife for our species but not theirs?
My thoughts on the afterlife are proven. When we die we cease to be. We begin to decompose, we become energy. Microbiological organisms consume us, we become calories. Those cells become bigger, they reproduce, they are eaten by larger organisms. Those become bigger, they reproduce they die, until they become the dirt grass grows in. Cow eats grass, grass becomes cow. Man eats cow. Cow becomes man. Man becomes dirt.

To be or not to be isn't a question. It isn't an option. Be it energy, dirt, grass, cow or man We will always be.

Mark T. Pierce

#2 · #2 by **trubble76** » Dec 08, 2011 9:46 am

Welcome.

Just wanted to tell you a couple of things based on your OP.
An atom is not smaller than a photon. I'm no scientist though, I await correction.
Also, I think there is a fair bit of fairly strong evidence for atoms, it's not really a faith position.

#3 · #3 by **DaveScriv** » Dec 08, 2011 10:51 am

Welcome Mark :cheers:

I notice you're an American, and you say you have Asperger's syndrome.

Be aware that there are a lot of Brits and Aussies here, and we have a distinctive (warped?) sense of humour, which even a lot of Americans who don't have Aspergers don't always understand.

There are also a few 'running gags' from threads long ago which you (and any newbie) won't understand, so don't be afraid to ask.

#4 · #4 by **james1v** » Dec 08, 2011 11:00 am

#5 · #5 by **Made of Stars** » Dec 08, 2011 11:12 am

Gidday.

#6 · #6 by **Agrippina** » Dec 08, 2011 12:54 pm

Hi Mark!

#7 · #7 by **MacIver** » Dec 08, 2011 2:20 pm

Welcome!

#8 · #8 by **Blip** » Dec 08, 2011 2:23 pm

Welcome to RatSkep, Piercemarkt, good to have you on board.

#9 · #9 by **Tangerine Dream** » Dec 08, 2011 2:28 pm

Nice to see you to see you nice :cheers:

**#10** · **#10** by **NamelessFaceless** » Dec 08, 2011 3:13 pm

Welcome!

**#11** · **#11** by **byofrcs** » Dec 08, 2011 6:11 pm

Welcome Mark T. Pierce - Atom Force Microscopes get close to resolving individual atoms - I don't know if you can compare them in size with photons - apples and orangutans.

You might want to ask us mods to cull your email address from your post.... Well unless you like SPAM.
Personally I love SPAM but then I love Vegemite too.

**#12** · **#12** by **Piercemarkt** » Dec 08, 2011 6:24 pm

I was thinking that in order for an object to be seen photons had to reflect off of it. I was under the impression that photon reflection wasn't possible. There is evidence of atoms. Scientists can "shoot" a single atom through a fog of gas and see the hole that it makes. However we haven't ever seen a picture of an atom. Only sketches. To think that an atom it is going to look like the sketch is a matter of belief, akin to believing that Da Vinci's Madonna Litta is how Anglicized Mary and Jesus really looked (Red haired Madonna and red haired Jesus). You may redact my Email address.

James1v, I really like your Ruskin quote.

**#13** · **#13** by **Weaver** » Dec 08, 2011 6:31 pm

We have seen atoms, using Scanning-Tunneling Microscopes.

http://www.aip.org/history/einstein/atoms.htm

his is an image of silicon atoms arranged on a face of a crystal. It is impossible to "see" atoms this way using ordinary light. The image was made by a Scanning Tunneling Microscope, a device that "feels" the cloud of electrons that form the outer surface of atoms, rather as a phonograph needle feels the grooves in a record.
...

**#14** · **#14** by **Piercemarkt** » Dec 08, 2011 8:42 pm

Please explain what I am seeing; what is the green balls and what is the blue? Also what type of light is being used here?

**#15** · **#15** by **Weaver** » Dec 08, 2011 8:46 pm

It's not light - light does not provide the resolution to see things at atomic scales.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Scanning_t ... microscope

The green dots you see are silicon atoms, the blue background is where atoms aren't.

**#16** · **#16** by **Piercemarkt** » Dec 08, 2011 9:32 pm

Wow, that is really interesting. It was invented in 1981, 30 years ago and I am just now learning about it. It's one of those things where not only does a person not know things one also doesn't know the things one doesn't know. However this isn't a picture of an atom. it's really cool, but could a person tell the difference between regular carbon and carbon 14? It can't count the electrons or protons etc. Although it is a great tool that won the inventors the Nobel prize in physics, it isn't a real image of an atom.

That said, I am becoming a true believer in the existence of atoms. Now if someone could just explain the difference between partly cloudy and partly sunny....

**#17** · **#17** by **LIFE** » Dec 08, 2011 9:53 pm

Hello Mark and welcome to this site :cheers:

Keep in mind that if you post your email address on a public site like this it may be scanned by bots and abused to send you spam etc. If you wish me to remove it from public view let me know.

**#18** · **#18** by **Ironclad** » Dec 08, 2011 10:04 pm

Welcome to RatSkep!

**#19** · **#19** by **Piercemarkt** » Dec 08, 2011 11:16 pm

Email address redacted. Thanks for the concern.

**#20** · **#20** by **jaygray** » Dec 09, 2011 7:54 am

Hello and welcome! :cheers: