"If scientific reasoning were limited to the logical processes of arithmetic, we should not get very far in our understanding of the physical world. One might as well attempt to grasp the game of poker entirely by the use of the mathematics of probability." - Vannevar Bush

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"Scholars with a theological agenda or a particular religious bias undermine any attempt to treat the study of religion in a scientific way. Moreover, according to its critics, theology is apologetic, partisan, embodies certain value judgments, is used to defend a particular religious position, and can be used to proselytize others. From the hindsight of a historical perspective, the assumptions and biases characteristic of a particular theological position have been used to uphold the truth of one's religions against religions of others. These biases have tended to undervalue and even denigrate the religiosity of others , and have stood opposed to the natural sciences and philosophy. With respect to a person holding a particular theological position, there is an almost indistinguishable tendency to combine study with practice. Although it is possible for a person to practice (sic) a religion of one's choice, combining study and practice make the scientific study of religion impossible for scholars like Wiebe." - Carl Olson, Theory and Method in the Study of Religions

"True reverence does not consist in declaring a subject, because it is dear to us, to be unfit for free and honest inquiry: far from it! True reverence is shown in treating every subject, however sacred, however dear to us, with perfect confidence; without feat and without favour; with tenderness and love, by all means, but, before all, with an unflinching and uncompromising loyalty to truth... If we have once learnt to be charitable in the interpretation of the language of other religions, we shall more easily learn to be charitable in the interpretation of the language of our own; we shall no longer try to force a literal interpretation on words and sentences in our sacred books, which, if interpreted literally must lose their original purport and their spiritual truth." - F. Max Muller, Introduction to the Science of Religion

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There're girls called Athena and Rainbow. I should change my name to Hephaestus or Leprechaun.

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Some of us were in the Cyberarts studio, which is full of Macs, and we were trying to find out how to open the CD drive. We poked around the CD drive, but it fit almost seamlessly into the CPU. In the end we found a button on the keyboard to eject the CD drive. How totally unintuitive. Bah.

Instead of having inconsistent design they might as well put everything on the keyboard: the monitor controls, the CPU power switch, the reset button.


Someone: why is it sent in for repairs ?

Me: [my laptop's] wireless [is] kooky in school

Someone: i'm guessing it's windows

Me: bah
spoken like a true mac whore

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Someone else on SMU bidding: "we pay the amount we bid if we are successful.
our credits are called Edollars. we can't see the current submitted bids throughout the bidding window.
after they process, say the top 40bids, highest bidder might have bidded e$52, lowest bidder e$14. but 52 and 14 are deducted from their respective accounts. same for ppl whose bids fall in between. not like COE where u pay the lowest successful bid."
I wonder why they complain, or seem to complain, less.

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Someone: "In my GEM lecture, we have to form groups of 4 to do presentations. One of the requirements for the group is that we cannot form all-gals or all-guys group. This is because our government is trying to increase the marriage rate in Singapore, and our lecturers want to help us to open up our "choices". After stating this requirement to us, the lecturer went on to talk about how important it is for us to secure our honours degree, and not let such distractions to affect our grades, even though we have to secure "targets" during our university years so that Singapore's marriage rate will rise."

Why are psychology students all female?

Attendance is taken for one of my lectures. The best part is that it's webcast. Uhh.

Someone brought a bible to the religion lecture and put it on the chair beside him. I was speculating that if he heard anything sacrilegious, he'd clutch it.

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"I would lay down my life for two brothers or eight cousins" - JBS Haldane on inclusive fitness