Science, Faith and the Internet - Destin Sandlin - Skepticon 8

[@RealEngineering]

Destin, I have always admired your faith. You simply share something that brings you joy in a very unintrusive way. It's a faith I do not share, but I can appreciate wanting to share that joy.

[@carlotheatheist]

Real Engineering hey as an engrs is there a lot of christian engineer too?

[@renzaclan98]

I had just watched your video about 5g and now I'm watching the weird dude from Alabama saying his piece for a bunch of atheists in a convention. should stop procrastinating lol

[@internetcommentprofessiona4408]

It was sad when he couldn’t ride the bike in the presentation. But. The reason I can’t come to see his point of view on religion is because they believe if we don’t follow their ways, we go to hell. Anything that starts with a threat like that isn’t worth believing in. That’s one reason. But there’s many more to fall away from that faith. I do find it sad that he can’t apply thought to that. He’s smart enough to know that his indoctrination early in life is a factor. He’s still a great guy though and I do really love his channel. I’d love to meet him someday. He’s a real champ. Also. I’ve built a backwards bike, it’s enough to drive you insane. And there was a point where I felt like I was on the edge of learning it as well. But At that moment I felt my ability to ride a normal bike sort of getting ‘switched off’ it was the most insane thing ever. I can see why it took him a month to learn and totally understand how he took a while to ride a normal bike again. Again. He’s a legend and I wish him the best.

[@internetcommentprofessiona4408]

Be Informed indoctrination at a young age is really hard to shake. Doesn’t mean you’re dumb. It’s programming. Sort of like the backwards bike. Try learning a backwards bike; it will tell you everything you need to know about why religion is hard to kick. It takes serious Will to doubt your faith. Or to retrain your brain to a different mode of thinking. To change your mind. The only advice I can give you is don’t judge someone for choosing it. Faith or non faith. Both are paths people are on. To each their own. It’s only an issue when you tell me I’m going to hell if I don’t believe in your thing. That doesn’t make much sense now does it.

[@internetcommentprofessiona4408]

Be Informed the other thing that is weird is that if you do doubt your faith, you go to hell? How exactly is that an all loving God? Doesn’t that sound petty? Or. Simple minded? Believe in me or go to hell? Grow up God. Ya baby. Lol. 👶 🍼

[@murdocha]

I'm a skeptic, atheist, father, husband and Science fan. I watch all your videos and at the end, I look up the Bible quotes with my kids. Thank you.

[@patrickduran9504]

+Alex Murdoch You, sir, in my humble opinion, are a credit to humanity.

[@murdocha]

Patrick Duran Boy, I hope you are talking about Destin!

[@kurtshaw229]

YexaC I do the same thing, and it is the very reason i am an atheist. When i went to church and they were all jesus is love and God is good and that sounded great to me so i accepted it, but when i actually read the verses like Jesus did not come to bring peace but the sword and he came to turn son against father and daughter against mother i thought this is terrible not to mention all the horrible things God did to people. Its really scares me that people believe this stuff and think God is good. If they can be convinced that flooding the world and killing everyone except one family is good then what else could they be convinced of? Really scary stuff to me.

[@roostermcraw8007]

kurt shaw I truly don’t mean to be invidious or anything but your comment makes YOU sound like the caricature you think you’re making fun of. If that is your understanding of what Matthew 10:35 is trying to communicate, then I’m inclined to think that you have as C.S. Lewis might say, “a schoolboy’s understanding of the subject matter” Regardless of whether you’re a person of faith or not, a learned person understands the depth and complexity of the subject matter. To prove that point beyond a shadow of any doubt, it’s worth noting that there are hundreds of universities globally with very educated people (theists and atheists alike) studying and teaching the material because of its depth and complexities. Your example is....well, let’s just say ‘not good’. The point being made is exactly the point you’re making without even knowing it. The text isn’t saying that Jesus came to cause discord between father and son in the sense that you seem to understand. The point being made is that because of him, an unbelieving father will turn against a godly son. God’s righteousness is incompatible with the sin of the world. It’s actually a pretty straight forward, rational idea. Again, you don’t have to believe in the message itself, but at least understand it before commenting so that you have the appearance of being learned yourself. Best of luck in your quest for truth

[@roostermcraw8007]

Alex Murdoch very wise. I was you not too many years ago. It wasn’t long after before my threshold for truth was met and I became a thumper :)

[@danjwalker]

I don't think Destin is going to see most of these comments as he's not the uploader of this video but I have to say, his non-cynical approach to life is so refreshing. We seriously need more people like him. He's an inspiration.

[@inz1]

+Daniel Walker He's around, I'm sure. For science!

[@TheZandra17]

I’ve found most people are like him, they just get drowned out by all the loud noise

[@LeatherCladVegan]

Bullshit. Fuck that.

[@AdiPrimandaGinting]

@@LeatherCladVegan do you have any source of moralism? I don't see you show us that right now

[@LeatherCladVegan]

@@AdiPrimandaGinting I have no idea what I was talking about, I like Destin. Always have.

[@Primetimers]

My son loves Destin’s channel, and he said, “mom, I think this guy is a Christian. Because he says things are designed, and he doesn’t talk about evolution.” And that led me to this.

[@Searching4Solace]

"I have a masters degree in rocket propulsion and I can't ride a bike." -Destin 2016

[@Nighthawkinlight]

+SmarterEveryDay Great talk Destin. Insightful and enjoyable.

[@jessiebullock]

Look! It's one of my favorite KZbinrs commenting on one of my favorite KZbinrs! MIND BLOWN!

[@passedhighschoolphysics6010]

NightHawkInLight s

[@3DPrintingNerd]

I know this is nearly 3 years old, but I'm so happy I found it. What a WONDERFUL talk by Destin!

[@peepopalaber]

Ayyyy nerd. So true. Also just found it.

[@ace.poleman7423]

HEYYY I LOVE YOUR CHANNEL

[@simp-slayer]

Bruh didn't expect to see you here

[@portfedh]

It makes me very happy when I see that the creators of my favorite channels also follow each other. Birds of a feather flock together.

[@bigblob27]

Damn that bike metaphor was deep. Great talk Destin!

[@jonathanwalther]

bigblob27 Oh yes, he really nailed it with this demonstration. And more so I admire that he had no fear to make a total jerk out of himself.

[@km-sc4kz]

yes that was so deep. It's like the point is so evident, you can literally see it.

[@CrippledMerc]

I love the joy that Destin brings in what he does. It’s so childlike and contagious and I think that’s what makes his videos so interesting and fun. Great talk, man.

[@frodorob]

It took me many decades to see it: Everybody's doing the best they can with what they've got. Be kind.

[@ButBigger42]

Destin is a fantastic example of how people should be. He has his beliefs and he doesn't push them on people. In addition to not pushing beliefs, he makes amazing videos that introduce new and fascinating concepts to a whole host of people. He is an open christian and I don't even feel like saying anything to him about it because he isn't saying anything about it or about anyone else' beliefs. Cheers to you, Destin.

[@DMan-G]

Angry Beard Man - Well said, bro. Very well said. But I think that we should open ourselves to listen to whatever he thinks is appropriate. He's "taken" enough by disregarding his most dearly held beliefs and speaking respectfully to a clearly hostile crowd. I think he passed the test of being a nice guy and deserves to be able to say his part without ridicule. This audience was so mean. Fuck these people.

[@craigcorson3036]

+D Man-G - ???????? This audience was anything but mean or hostile, and nobody ridiculed him. They laughed at his jokes, they applauded him repeatedly, they listened attentively, and I'm sure they came away feeling enriched for having done so. I think that you need to learn to ride that backwards bicycle, pal. Your bias is evident.

[@craigcorson3036]

Andrew Blake He cites a chapter and a verse from some book of the bible. That's very minimally intrusive, and certainly within his rights - and it is within your rights to simply ignore it; you're under no compulsion to look up the citation and adapt your life to his way of thinking. I can't help but like the guy, and I can overlook his belief in an imaginary being.

[@internetcommentprofessiona4408]

YexaC lol. It’s pretty far from pushy. It’s like. 30 frames in a video that’s 60 mins long. I’ve been watching his channel for years and only noticed it recently. Which it what lead me to this video. Sadly, I still can’t understand why he believes in Jesus. The only thing I am hearing from this video is ‘ massive amounts of indoctrination at a young age’. And yes. He can’t question it. Because he’s American and he has a right to believe in whatever he wants. So. Fair enough I guess. Don’t punch a man in his god box. That box is for priests only. Lol.

[@jefferydaniels5672]

Destin is absolutely brilliant!

[@Jim-de4dj]

Destin is a quasi christian, good engineer and public speaker, crap preacher and even worse psychologist.

[@SailingSeignior]

I think Destin would be one of the most interesting people to speak with. I feel like I could talk with him for hours about so many different topics. His speech was excellent and I can't believe I have never learned of his fantastic channel before today.

[@Tapecutter59]

+SmarterEveryDay - Why do I, a lifelong anti-theist, watch your channel? - Your curiosity is infectious, and I am also "weird" enough to see miracles in the mundane. I can also appreciate and ponder the wisdom you find buried in scripture and never fail to look up your references.

[@VTXCageSC]

Admirable man. Intelligent. Good teacher, lecturer and dad. Enjoy his videos. (Defining cognitive dissonance doesn't mean one understands, even recognizes, much less negates, it in themselves. The force is still strong within this one. I and millions of others were once repeating Destin's exact same words. Waking up, stepping out of the box and looking objectively within at reality in to see the truth in oneself is both hard AND scary. That's why we avoid it so long, ...if ever facing it at all. I wish him all the best in every endeavor.)

[@farmvillepolice]

"So how do I know what truth is?" Great moment. High five

[@SteveDeHaven]

I'm binge-watching SED in numerical order, with side trips as warranted. This was one such side trip. Well done, Destin! Great talk, and a good lesson for us all to learn. I would enjoy seeing you in a discussion (not a debate) with Matt Dillahunty. You could talk about your threshold of belief. (P.S. As a longtime fan of SED, and as a retired Air Force communications technician, I was thrilled to finally know something about one of the principles you discussed (Signal-to-Noise Ratio) before you explained it!)

[@frikkiebruwer5779]

Thanks Destin, I think it's useful for people to realize that you can look at Christianity from a scholarly perspective and still see that it has value and can be reconciled with what we know of the world. We just need to let consider everything and keep what is good, in search of the truth. "If you look for truth, you may find comfort in the end: if you look for comfort you will not get either comfort or truth..."-C.S.Lewis in Mere Christianity (from a passionate Christian and engineer in South Africa)

[@bigperk345]

+Frikkie Bruwer I'm a former Christian trying to reconcile the way I now view the world with my lifetime Christian mother, whom I consider the inspiration for all my desire to find the truth in the world. With all this in mind I would ask a question of you, one that I have been desperately trying to find the answer to for the 10 years since I adopted a atheistic/agnostic view of the world, how do you reconcile the teachings of, and the belief in, Christianity, God, Jesus, and the bible with what we find and observe in the real world.

[@frikkiebruwer5779]

+bigperk345 I wish I could give you a straight well formulated answer, but basically, for me it's about Matthew 18:3(www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+18:3), having faith like a child... that, for me, means questioning everything, being willing to consider any answer and reminding myself that nobody knows all the answers, we are so limited in our knowledge and base so much of what we know on info from other people (1 Corinthians 13:12). I just choose to consider that people can be wrong, scientific theories can be wrong and my interpretation of the bible can be wrong, but the God I and billions of other people have experienced and seen working in our lives, is a much better option to put my trust in, than other people. And the bad stuff we see happening in the world and God not coming to collect his children yet, which so many people take as proof that God doesn't exist or doesn't care? 2 Peter 3 !

[@bigperk345]

I agree that you must question all you can and base beliefs around the answers that satisfy you, but I also believe that the point at which you are satisfied should be the point at which all probable alternatives have been tried and fail to explain whatever phenomena better than the most likely answer. Everything I've seen in life can be explained without the existence of God and I have yet to see anything that even suggests the existence of God. I'm simply baffled by belief without proof. I realize that the point of contention is, and likely always will be, point of view. Everybody has a slightly different threshold of belief and reconciling those is a titanic task.

[@DYoutubeUser]

I like how this guy see it: sm.stanford.edu/archive/stanmed/2006summer/newsome.html about Jesus I believe that the evidence of his resurrection and of the Gospels are pretty solid, actually that's how Simon Greenleaf, one of the main founders of Harvard Law School, after trying to disprove the resurrection, ended up converting to christianity. If we are talking about the universe I think that from all the theories there are about its origin, Don N. Page says it well " in view of all the evidence, including both the elegance of the laws of physics, the existence of orderly sentient experiences, and the historical evidence, I do believe that God exists and think the world is actually simpler if it contains God than it would have been without God" About how He interacts with the world, aside from maintaining it, there are two types of theories that he interacts with it by flexing the laws of physics, or the he use them without breaking them, of the latter I personally like the theories of John Polkinghorne of God, thanks to his omniscient, being able to manipulate the uncertainty principle and the chaos theory to act on the world, and I also like Antoine Suarez(he has his presentations on youtube) theory of God active in quantum entanglement, so as you can see like Bob Russell says "Science can be a spiritual experience. For some, it is about reading the mind of God.” But if you ask me, I think we are in an infinite distance to knowing God, so you really shouldn't worry about knowing every single thing about everything, religion it's not about knowing how exactly does radiation works in black-holes, but about how we work in the universe and how can we make sense of it, to quote another christian scientist Christopher Isham "God is something one encounters in one’s self". I hope this helps you out God bless you, and I will leave you with one last quote from, in my opinion, the greatest thinker who ever lived: “This is my commandment, that you love one another as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his friends. You are my friends if you do what I command you. No longer do I call you servants, for the servant does not know what his master is doing; but I have called you friends, for all that I have heard from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you that you should go and bear fruit and that your fruit should abide, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name, he may give it to you. These things I command you, so that you will love one another." .- Jesus Christ.

[@letsomethingshine]

You can do that with any religion or vague belief. Not unique that a person can perform mental gymnastics.

[@jessiebullock]

You're an amazing man Destin. Thank you for showing me how to think about people with a different worldview than my own!

[@ChedCuaresma]

Thanks for doing the awesome talk, Destin. You're a great ambassador. Many high fives to you!

[@kennethsizer6217]

"The Alabama is strong with this one"

[@timmarrier]

LOL, too funny bro

[@bluecollarretail]

The context, script and delivery of this talk was fantastic. We are can be smarter everyday. If we choose to be.

[@TheDizzleHawke]

I’m kicking myself for not getting a free hug from Destin that day, but I didn’t know who he was and hadn’t seen any of his KZbin videos. Oh that pesky hindsight. This was the second and last Skepticon I attended. I liked the all first-timers roster of speakers for SK8. Edit: I wish he’d have made a video about his experience at an atheist convention.

[@VladTchompalov]

high five, Destin

[@smartereveryday]

+Vlad Tchompalov www.smartereveryday.com/highfive

[@minpodcast]

+SmarterEveryDay I love that "idiot", love your videos and You! High five

[@gabebcn]

Deeeeeeep! A true consciousness-raiser! You truly honor your moto of 'getting smarter every day', Destin.

[@cineblazer]

Man I love Destin so much.

[@11rmax95]

Wow, that actually put things into perspective. Thanks Destin!

[@EvanMoon]

Destin, you are very intelligent. I am blown away by your ability to convey super intricate things in a funny and understandable way. That is the WOW in my opinion. Thanks for being motivated and doing

[@mountainman5173]

the backward bicycle. That's a powerful message.

[@domitron]

Destin, I really appreciate your talk here. I am an agnostic, and my mother is a fundamentalist Christian. Over the years, that has proven the source of a lot of bad feelings and conflict between us. I love my mom and dad, but in the last couple of weeks something happened that drove more hard feelings between us. Basically, I started to talk about climate change--as I'm well-known to do since it's one of the things I study incessantly--and my mother responded to my recounting of some of the more dire consequences if we don't change our ways with a rather benign Bible verse "This is the day the Lord has made, We will Rejoice and be Glad in it - Psalm 118:24" Even benign as it was, that sort of set me off because I feel there isn't much time to act and the consequences are so dire concerning climate change that I felt she was blowing it off saying to just rejoice in the face of the mass death abrupt climate change could well bring. Harsh words were spoken--almost all mine--and I ended up in the dog house again. After watching this--my best friend (agnostic as well) recommended it after hearing what had happened--I feel I was given some truth myself when you presented the bicycle analogy. That truth is that my mother is not stupid or in denial of anything, she just doesn't see things the way I do probably because she can't, not because she hasn't tried. In her mind, it is time to rejoice and praise God for each new day she's been given especially if there are not many left. To her personally, her faith is part of the solution, even if I don't see it that way. And to her, perhaps Jesus will return and there will be a kind of paradise on Earth no matter how silly I think that sounds (after all it looked pretty silly that you, an intelligent grown man, can no longer ride a common bicycle). So, thank you, for showing up among a bunch that was largely non-believers to show us some truths you've found. You may never realize what it meant to some of us, like me.

[@user-vb4fs6wb4s]

I just love Destin

[@alcin53]

Here comes a high five mountain from Sweden! ✋

[@redfrogstudio]

If there ever was a bridge between reason and faith, Destin is it. I am a former christian atheist - being open minded (yet skeptical) is what led me to being this way. Destin has made a very profound point with the backwards bicycle experiment - it has opened my mind even more. I will never have "faith", but my attitude towards those that do may have shifted a wee bit - and that is progress!

[@silverbackhayabusa]

You may have much more faith than you realize. I find a lot of atheists who proclaim what science says, does not say, and how science disproves the Bible, but if you asked those same atheists if they can explain the actual science behind those claims and whether they actually conducted the research or made the actual observations for the respective science, the answer would be 99.9999999999999% no. Instead, they have accepted the claims of science teachers, professors, writers, and scientists on faith. They can scream all they want about scientific method, peer-review, etc. but that does zero to change the fact that much, if not all. of their belief about science is simply taken on faith. Their reasons about why they believe in science are simply justifications for belief but their belief remains rooted in faith nonetheless.

[@joshuaio5288]

In particular I appreciate his application of control loop basics to understanding both sides of arguments.

[@ScienceC]

Thank You so much for this video. Many times people think i'm crazy because I love science and am a christian. HIGH FIVE!

[@ONRIPRESENCE]

ScienceC I too am a Christian and more specifically a physicist who is one. High 5 bro. Cheers

[@RohannvanRensburg]

I think it's a byproduct of pervading scientism that creates this silly artificial divide, largely a modern invention. Classical theists never believed the Bible was a book of scientific facts (not in the sense that none of the stories happened, or that none are historical, untrue, etc, but that there are allegorical stories, etc -- it's not a textbook), nor did they ever have any problem with the scientific method as a method of investigation into the physical world. The scientific method was developed by these people, for goodness sake. Even Aquinas (~1100AD) didn't believe the creation story was necessarily fact, nor did he think it important to believe this. Ultimately, the umbrella is Reason, the scientific method being a method of inquiry that falls under this umbrella. Some matters are outside of this branch, and to believe this method is be all and end all of knowledge is to painfully misunderstand its roots and application.

[@BMarie774]

ScienceC Religion is actually far more accepted in the science community than many think. I've met a lot of astrophysicists or astrobiologists, chemists, etc. Ans what I've learned is if you denounce faith and say god is impossible, you will make yourself look utterly ignorant. Even atheist scientists will look at you like you're a fool. Because none of us know. And the possibility of there being a intelligent force behind all this, it's not entirely far fetched or impossible. It's just as likely as every other theory or hypothesis we have involving the universe. You will be disliked if you go around saying god isn't real. Even to those that don't particularly believe. Sure, there's a lot in the Bible and religious text that we can disprove. A lot we know is bullshit. But most of that was authored by man anyways. We cannot say if there's a higher power or not. And I think people would be surprised. I was was, at the true behavior towards religion in the scientific community. You're actually frowned upon if you go around saying "god isn't real". Maybe the Christian god or Muslim god, or god(s) of other religions aren't what they are portrayed by humans to be. But it's very possible intelligence was behind us and the universe itself.

[@roscoegrinde8993]

WOW! What a great conversation! That ending has me all up in emotions. Just WOW

[@GodBoredWas]

I have been watching Destin for a long time now. I have enjoyed all his videos. /signed Atheist.

[@craigcorson3036]

Same here. he's the best ambassador for Christianity I've ever seen or heard of.

[@craigcorson3036]

@YexaC Wrong. In a figurative sense, each person claiming to be Christian is an ambassador for their faith.

[@craigcorson3036]

@YexaC Must be quite lonely there.

[@heathenwizard]

that was an amazing and eye opening talk. Out of all the presentations I've seen, it's definitely my favorite!

[@nicolasc.6789]

Destin seems like the type of christian that is a net benefit to society. He does't "weaponize" faith, love and truth; he seems to live it and attempts to bridge the divide. I have the upmost respect for theists like him. People attempting such genuine intellectual honesty, passionate delivery and compassion, be they theist or atheist, deserve recognition of their effort. Every Smarter Every Day video I watch helps replenish some of my hopes for humanity; hopes that people like Comfort, Hovind and Ham eroded away.

[@althepsyphros3314]

But is Destin good or benefiting, ***because*** he's a Christian, or just because he's good? He just happens to be a Christian. Everything that is good about him is unrelated to his reliogious beliefs.

[@silverbackhayabusa]

@@althepsyphros3314 "Everything that is good about him is unrelated to his reliogious beliefs." Evidence?

[@althepsyphros3314]

@@silverbackhayabusa because his religious beliefs are not real, so they can't do anything good, if they don't exist. Anything good about Destin, is not related to his religious belief, it's related to his human actions and behaviour.

[@silverbackhayabusa]

@@althepsyphros3314 I'm sorry, I asked for evidence. You made empty philosophical claims.

[@althepsyphros3314]

@@silverbackhayabusa it's a logical argument it doesn't need evidence. Like this : The proof that dogs aren't cats is that something cannot be two things. That's a logical argument no proof required.

[@aadarshsm]

I admire the the heck out of you man. Thank you for this insightful video Destin, god bless you and your family.

[@srvfan42]

This message is needed now more than ever.

[@ChapoNoBrain]

Why did I came here? Because I am a scientist-atheist, who wanted to get negative feedback. I am not disappointed! :) Thanks Dustin, great talk!

[@mikep030303]

Destin thank you for the video, and the smarter everyday channel. You and Bill Nye continue to be my favorite Mechanical Engineer/Science Communicators.

[@mikep030303]

+SmarterEveryDay

[@TheDenzel2112]

+Mike Poff Bill Nye is a fraud.

[@museluvr]

I love listening to this guy, and this provided more insight to Destin. *HIGH FIVE* for sures.

[@craigcorson3036]

Every time that I see one of your videos, I grow. This one helped me to grow in a different direction than previous ones I've seen. Your family is very fortunate to have you leading it, those are some lucky kids.

[@gibsonrocker17]

Wonderful video with an amazing message. Thank you for sharing!

[@esraeloh8681]

"To look at the world, from a different point of view" Feynman gave me it, & I've never stopped loving being the weird 1

[@BobOBob]

I'm a long-time subscriber, Destin. And a lifetime skeptic. Our *thoughtful* differences should make us /more/ interesting to one another. Thanks for helping to educate as to why.

[@fall22123]

Saw this posted on facebook once" "I think we'll accomplish great things as a nation once more people realize that not everyone believes in the same things they do or thinks the same way they do (and realize that that is ok)."

[@loonling]

+SmarterEveryDay I love your work Destin.

[@Boredman567]

I see loads of people in the comment section who are SO sure of themselves that their attitude on religion is correct. How could someone possibly be smart like me, but believe something that I don't? One key thing is not assuming that you know more than the other person, or that you know how they think. You could very well be the correct one, but you're approaching the same problem with different approaches or different conclusions. While you might be viewing it as a physical, empirical question of "does this entity exist?", the other person may be looking at it from a philosophical point of view, and questioning things like "where does our consciousness come from?" Hell, you may even find that you're working off of different definitions of the same words. And you don't overcome those differences just by saying "you're wrong and I'm right". You talk through them until you both understand the concepts you're explaining. It can be really useful to figure out what things you DO agree on, then work from there to try and find where your disagreements start. Hold off on your assumptions and your prejudices. We all have them, but if we can put them aside for a moment, we can start to understand others' points of view. And it's not easy. If it was, we wouldn't be arguing so much. It takes a real effort to reach out towards mutual understanding. This is an area where most people, even skeptics, fall short. Skepticism isn't a "get out of thinking" card. It's a tool, and you have to use it, and make an effort.

[@patu8010]

I have so much appreciation for muscle memory after watching this. All the complex things we do every day without even consciously thinking about it.

[@RICDirector]

It's not that you're a Christian. It's whether or not you try to put your beliefs down my throat. And you don't....and so, I'm cool with you and your religion. You are awesome. That's one of the BEST talks, even from TED, that I've ever seen/heard. WELL DONE!

[@PacificAirwave144]

I thought this was wonderfully done on several levels. Destin-for-President would give us all some hope! :-)

[@ElectricNed]

Thank you for this talk, Destin!

[@markd9946]

I benefited by listening to the video. Food for thought .................Thanks Destin........................

[@Lord_Baphomet_]

Wow the person in charge of the lights is doing a great job. I mean constantly turning them up and down is fantastic... you had one job.

[@SamuelEstenlund]

That was awesome! It's nice to see how many sceptics/atheists who find this reasonable. I just wish I could make more of my religious friends react the same way. The conflict that shouldn't exist is fed from both ways. /Another christian

[@eugenecoleman8525]

I'm a big fan of Destin and skepticon so this talk was really great.

[@SteveFrenchWoodNStuff]

Destin? At Skepticon? Awesome!

[@bradkillough8932]

That's cool that you did your internship @ Little Debbie. I lived in Collegedale in late 60' and Little Debbie was one brick building. We used to get fresh off the rack, oatmeal cream.

[@jayemeljay2117]

You the man Destin!!! I would really love to know all about that flower on the field... It's my mission now.. to someday do whatever I can for you to tell us

[@isn0t42]

More people should see this. I hope I'll be able to keep this in my mind next time I get into an argument.

[@LasseHuhtala]

All I want to see is a discussion between Destin and Matt Dillahunty now.

[@bionicleone]

iHost he did say “discussion” and not “debate”

[@dumbgames4933]

Thanks for sharing Destin, always great to see your videos. Another atheist fan :)

[@TsmithJustin]

I love how awkward he is. Its refreshing. Live your work Sandlin.

[@jasoncook8783]

i love the vid, thx so much.

[@TheDrunkardHu]

Legend. I definitely disagree with him on how many times he felt the need to apologize.

[@blackcoffeerider]

+SmarterEveryDay best video ever on the whole Internet if you ask me :) Well done Destin!

[@allanblack8635]

I’m really happy i watched this. I like how he built the bridge. The bike was a great metaphor paired with the noise comment. Some truths are muddied with bias and it may be nearly impossible to see the others side. But the common thread is what we should focus on. I love arguing so that will never happen, but at the end of the day, caring for each other is what we should invest in.

[@ncooty]

If likability were evidence, this would have been a great presentation for Skepticon. Engineers often apply the *outputs* of science, but few of them are familiar with using science to generate knowledge. The fact that Dustin thinks skeptics by definition require proof suggests that he doesn't understand scientific epistemology. Similarly, his religious beliefs and the fact that he talked about Bacon but not Popper, suggest he might not fully understand the scientific importance of empirical falsifiability.

[@stauffap]

That was my suspicion as well. Engineers are often very weak in regards to the philosophical justifications for science. He should really read about epistemology or listen to some dillahunty. Of course his spider example was a very poor example of scientific skepticism. Initial doubt and scientific skepticism are very different things. A talk about a teapot in outer space would have been a better example of his understanding of scientific skepticism.

[@silverbackhayabusa]

@@stauffap Right, because Destin was speaking to an audience of scientists and should have spoken at that level rather than speaking as if the audience were a bunch of rando atheists at a convention run by social justice warriors. "Skepticon is a skeptic/freethinker/educational/awesome conference that is held annually in St Louis, MO. It is the mission of Skepticon to support, promote, and develop free-thought, skeptic, and scientific communities through inclusive educational programming, and with an expressly social-justice oriented philosophy."

[@stauffap]

@@silverbackhayabusa I don't see what your comment has to do with mine. Why did you address it to me?

[@silverbackhayabusa]

​@@stauffap Both you and the person you're replying to are calling into question Destin's understanding of science based on a very broad and brief convention presentation not designed to discuss science at the level you're critiquing because the audience is made up of a wide range of people with varying science backgrounds. I'm pointing out the failed logic involved in your guys' critiques.

[@stauffap]

@@silverbackhayabusa I don't agreee with that. I don't think there's anything advanced about what i wrote. It's quite basic in my view. And the basics are the exact thing that we should be able to communicate very clearly and unambivalently.

[@samuelcarvalho3691]

Destin I love you even more because of your faith and how you are not afraid to tell the world about it!

[@AlexAKaravas]

Awesome video , Yes Destin is a smart guy!

[@onthebrink8211]

Awesome presentation Destin

[@FrankSergeant]

I loved the bit about the chicken (10m17s to 13m12s) and the bit about the cat (14m56s to 17m18s). The rest could probably serve as a case study in something.

[@nicolascristi6303]

I think the point here it´s about "choice": ¿What implies to make a choice? And that´s whats being answered with the "belief threshold" concept (which by the way I think it´s a great term, never heard of it before). Well, I think making a choice implies that our brain reached it´s belief threshold. And i would consider that this threshold varies from time to time, depending our current state; state of consciousness, of skepticism, of knowledge, of effort. But the problem comes when we aren´t able to reach this threshold. When this happens we have to choices: Or we are consistent with our beliefs and we do nothing, or we aren´t consistent with our beliefs and do something about the problem. Now, most problems are absolutely avoidable, and the other big portion of them are virtually resolved (i.e: we strongly believe in the data we have to resolve the problem in a certain way). But some problems are really hard to be solved (and if there is a solution the people and science community do not believe in it), and also require a solution. This are the Big problems, because the need and the irresolvable character forces us to act, to chose. And this is the heart of the hold thing: if we do not reach the belief threshold and still chose, our choice is irresponsible (i.e: it doesn´t respond to anything, it lacks of substance, it´s arbitrary), it´s arbitrarily. There it comes "faith" which i'd like to define (using the term believe threshold) as the act of belief in a choice we took not lowering the threshold to believe in it´s truth or rightness. And there is a great difference between faith and believe, being believe defined as the thought of something being right (or wrong) only when we reached our threshold. Now a belief is scientific if our threshold is up to the scientific method, and it´s bullshit when we decide to lower the threshold because we are lazy or are biased or lack of information to know how tall the threshold should be. But in all this cases we are somewhat unaware of the real height a threshold should have to really make justice to the truth itself. How tall must the threshold be for us to be sure that our believe corresponds itself with truth? We don´t know this answer, but we know that science is the best option out there. But the argument that states that science is the best option, dose not make science immediately the right thing, it´s just the best, and sometimes, the best we have for some questions is still a really bad answer. And having in mind that we still need to answer the problem, (because we stated that this kind of problems are irresolvable and Require an answer) we can begin to appreciate the role of Faith. Appreciate it because in the end Faith is our ability to make choices knowing, holding consciousness, that we do not know the answer. This would be a responsible way to make the choice, as long as the choice is responding to a certain statement which we decide to sustain because of our need* for it to exist and a lack of an believable answer to it. The hold thing comes to this point: We make choices, we can ignore our reasons to make it (Bullshit decision, lowering the threshold), we can acknowledge our reasons as sufficient (science, reaching a common threshold put by the scientific community), or we can be aware of our limitations when trying to reach the unreachable threshold and not lie to ourselves (obviously this is valid as long as we have MADE THE CHOICE). The last option would be not to choose at all because of our incapacity to reach the threshold (scientific approach), but we are ALIVE, a condition which makes us unable to "not choose", we can´t stop living even when we ultimately do not know at all why does everything exist when nothing could have existed. Destin doesn´t use the term like this i believe, but still I think it´s an interesting point of view the one I described.

[@nicolascristi6303]

* this "requirement" raises the problem: what is "need"? (i.e: required) Do we need something, anything? At first it seems obvious: We need to eat, breath etc. Why? because in order to survive we do need to eat. But who said we NEED to survive? what is it necessary for? If you think about it we do not need to survive at all. So when we say "i need" we actually are making a decision. We are making the decision which enables us to make more decisions. The decision being "I need" or "I have a meaningful existence". This decision is normally made without any thought, as I early said, the belief threshold varies depending of our state of knowledge. But when we really put the question "Do I have a meaningful existence?" up to the standards of our threshold of belief which we put for other questions like: how does a neuron work?, we find ourselves lacking of a proper answer that reaches the threshold that let´s us believe that we exist in a meaningful way. Why is it importan for our existence to be meaningful? well if it has no meaning we can´t really say that we exist at all. I´m not using the word meaning as an teleological concept, I´m using it as an "informational" concept: If we do not mean anything, we are imposible to be investigated in any way, we as a material object do not carry any information about the universe.

[@RogerBarraud]

What's the deal with the edit/discontinuity at around 50:16? :-/

[@MatthewIdom]

Yeah? Anyone know what's up with that? I'm looking at you +HamboneProductions.

[@silverbackhayabusa]

@@kapppa888 That's a good explanation. Looking at the other end of the spectrum of possibilities, my thought is this is where he's getting to the meat of people challenging their deeply-held beliefs and those who made the video didn't want to show it. The whole bicycle thing is about rewiring how your mind works and that can be an ideological threat when a Christian is suggesting such to skeptics.

[@elgavilan7731]

25:00 heckler ?

[@DesertCookie]

Thank you for sharing!

[@gabrielrowlison9649]

I sincerely hope that his close friend that lives in london is who i think it is, because if its CGP Grey, my mind is blown with excitement because i love watching them both.

[@dogmahacker8278]

I would like to know what Destin's Christian views are, he seems like he's really progressive beyond what most progressive Christians are. Either way I love his approach on things and even skeptical atheists can learn alot from him.

[@guest_of_randomness]

the closing is a well say.

[@mikemoloney6448]

Hey Destin great talk I myself actually have many debates within my own mind on belief issues. it helps positive loop in check!

[@maxximumb]

Excellent video.

[@marylagua5079]

Thanks Destin.

[@TrevorHaagsma]

If only all Christians see the scientific method the same way you do, you’re more a freethinker and I admire this video, you are a legend and the best Christian I don’t know. Brilliant talk, hope to meet one day. +smartereveryday

[@matronarona]

@YexaC actually, false. I used to be an anti-theist atheist for years and now I am a believer after years of doubt, humiliation, and skepticism. It is OK to be skeptical and question everything and that doesn't mean one will permanently be an atheist.. well, it isn't for my case. Look up Francis Collins, Nikola Telsa, and the new cosmonauts on the ISS. Many are believers.

[@silverbackhayabusa]

@YexaC I would love to see your credentials for the basis of your beliefs. I suspect you are not a renowned physicist, biologist, mathemtician, etc. and that you seem [to] appeal to (scientific) authority as a basis for your beliefs. *[to] edited in.

[@silverbackhayabusa]

@YexaC “Obviously I know more about psychology and critical thinking than you.” Hopefully, at some point, we’ll see some evidence for this absurd claim. “1) You don't have to be an expert in 'x' to believe in 'x'” Good to you used the correct word here, “believe.” You almost got the point but then we got this mess below instead. “2) Just because you have an advanced degree or high intelligence doesn't mean you hold only precise or rational beliefs.” I didn’t claim this and I’m not sure why you’re off on this tangent. “3) Cognitive dissonance, magical thinking, compartmentalization and failing to properly apply skepticism to your own beliefs exists in everyone, myself included. The only variation is how extreme are these present in an individual and for what?” And? “If you want to bring scientists in this little discussion, you won't win. Religiousity is much lower in scientists than the general public.” So now that you’ve dispensed with a probable appeal to authority, you’ve moved on to an appeal to popularity. Awesome critical thinking skills you’re putting on display here. “Funny side note: You assume I commit the appeal to authority fallacy as a basis for my atheism directly after telling me I can't criticize Destin” Feel free to cite where I said you cannot criticize Destin? My comment was in direct response to your criticism of E S and had nothing to do with Destin. I did not assume you committed an appeal to authority, I simply stated “you seem [to] appeal to (scientific) authority.” Note: Bracketed word is typo missing in original. “because you assume I lack the proper credentials.” No, you're assuming. I sought additional information because I wondered if you had credentials that backed a belief or if the belief was merely a result of faith. “So let me ask you, if I went out and got a Ph.D. in physics would my word mean more than Destin's and then he would lack the creds to critique my positions?” ” What does this have to do with Destin? And a PhD in Physics would merely be the beginning. I really don’t care whether someone has a degree in a field, I care whether someone has accepted a certain position on faith, as it appears you have, or if the person actually knows and understands the topic from a position of knowledge and expertise. “Your reasoning is horrendous, wish I wasn't drunk as I'd probably notice much more wrong with it.” Maybe you should sober up so you wouldn’t be so stuck in ignorance, assumption, and logical fallacies to make your arguments.

[@silverbackhayabusa]

​@YexaC Nice deflection from that catastrophe of an argument you put forward earlier. Not sure why I'd engage on you anything else after that train wreck. Maybe you should go fix that first.

[@silverbackhayabusa]

@YexaC You made absurd claims and were soundly refuted. I'm not emotional. You are self-admittedly drunk. Go sober up.

[@Lord_Baphomet_]

16:54 did I hear a “Meow” lol

[@marylagua5079]

I really like this..

[@glitchxero4687]

Anyone who refers to facial orifices as "instrumentation ports" is ok in my book.

[@DCPhoto]

I think even Destin was confused when he ended and just said his name and not "welcome back to smarter every day"

[@DMan-G]

9:55 Nooooo! Destin, you deserve it! You're awesome!!! Prince Albert's drop, woo hoo! Seriously, this guy does the coolest experiments. Man, this crowd is so defensive and disrespectful. As an atheist, this is unacceptably embarrassing. So embarrassing. Learn to respect people who give you respect. #SmarterEveryDay

[@chewy531]

+SmarterEveryDay From one skeptical christian engineer to another, I've got to say I really appreciated this talk. I've been enjoying your videos for years and its your fault that I briefly got into RC helicopters until I decided to build a 450 size RC helicopter that I'm too afraid to fly because it could injure me or someone nearby because I will crash it into. Your backwards brain bicycle video most of all caused me to look at my own views differently and it might actually be my favorite smarter everyday video for that reason. Keep up the good work, keep seeking truth, and I look forward to more amazing videos in the future!

[@jonathanwalther]

Thank you, thank you, thank you. High five!

[@AssailantLF]

Who edited this video and thought it was a good idea to periodically show the Skepticon logo in the lower corners? I obviously know that this is Skepticon, so those animations were just distracting and annoying. The dinosaurs on skateboards used to hide the stage hands were similarly bad. Destin gave a great talk, regardless. I love his honesty and integrity in everything he does. I came to this video wondering why he's a Christian, and I left with tons of interesting ideas to think about.

[@shreyasp3287]

Last part was the best

[@user32455]

Wtf at 50:18?

[@justinarchitech1471]

In durban,South Africa, we had a guy on the beach who used to ride a bike like this on the beach. He used to offer money to people if they could ride it.

[@jgttech]

+SmarterEveryDay I love Francis Bacon and the application of his Scientific Method.

[@passedhighschoolphysics6010]

Video was not uploaded by Destin, sorry he wont’ see my comments. Nice talk, but I would have liked him to say why with all of his education he believes in Jesus. ANd why with over 100 people alive today all claiming to be Jesus he not believing them. High five for the talk.

[@silverbackhayabusa]

If you study Jesus, it may become apparent. You may also want to consider that modern science was born from Christians and much of its early work is based on Christian scientists. When I was growing up, the scientists of my day were denouncing Jesus and the Bible because the Bible should be supported by archaeological evidence given it's claim of locations and structures. During my childhood, there was no archaeological evidence supporting the Bible. When archaeological evidence began to be found left and right, the "skeptics" shifted their goal posts to new arguments. Instead of being open to new evidence, they dismissed all their strongly-held positions about the Bible and archaeology and invented new skepticisms. So, who is more invested in science and truth? Those who posit a theory (The Bible can't be true because archaeological evidence refutes it) and ignore the results, or those who accept the theory and follow its evidence? It seems that many atheists who embrace science to, in part, support their religious positions, are bent on only looking at bleeding edge science. The science that is still relatively early in the observation/evidence-gathering phase. The counter to that is there is established science (e.g. evolution) that disproves the Bible but an honest look at such science will show it still lacks a lot of evidence for its grander claims (e.g. macro vs micro evolution, abiogenesis).

[@ChristianStuff256]

This is actually a great example of something profound that is missing in the world... Empathy.

[@ChristianStuff256]

@YexaC you obviously don't see my POV. Lol.

[@ChristianStuff256]

@YexaC by the right of personal experience with Him and His faithfulness to the promises He gives in the Bible, yes. I do trust and believe in Him. I've staked my whole life and family on Him keeping His word. He hasn't failed me. And you?

[@ChristianStuff256]

@YexaC just to understand what you believe, you either think there is a God but He can't be known or that there is no God or gods at all?

[@ChristianStuff256]

@YexaC by falsified, do you mean that you mean all gods are made up?

[@ChristianStuff256]

@YexaC as Destin was talking about, what is the threshold of belief that has to be met for you to believe in a god?