Thread: No Such Thing As An Original Thought?

There was a time when the Internet was inconceivable. And yet, someone thought of it for the first time. Its creators might have been inspired by technological advances—or even by natural changes in the environment and the abilities of certain lifeforms!—but the thought to devise something new that never existed before (at least on this planet) was truly unique, and therefore, original.

Originally Posted by Summerlander

There was a time when the Internet was inconceivable. And yet, someone thought of it for the first time. Its creators might have been inspired by technological advances—or even by natural changes in the environment and the abilities of certain lifeforms!—but the thought to devise something new that never existed before (at least on this planet) was truly unique, and therefore, original.

The Internet is nothing more than the physical manifestation of telepathy, an extension of the telephone, a tool to aid the handicapped.

In November of 1973, (I was 19) I made a request directly to God for a network platform that anyone could access at any time they chose so that when they were ready, they could find His Word and the teachings of His Son, Jesus. That was long before personal computers. We were still using rotary phones! I had no direct knowledge that the internet was already under construction and has been since before WWII.

The U.S. Patent Office is full of original ideas - that's why it's there - but everyone of those patents is like a branch on a tree, not a snow flake. If you find a snow flake in that pile, please make it known. The only published depiction of an original thought I am aware of is found in John 1 - In the beginning was the Word...

Nice try Summerlander!

Originally Posted by LDyogi

The Internet is nothing more than the physical manifestation of telepathy, an extension of the telephone, a tool to aid the handicapped.

What quote is the from?


As you might expect for a technology so expansive and ever-changing, it is impossible to credit the invention of the internet to a single person. The internet was the work of dozens of pioneering scientists, programmers, and engineers who each developed new features and technologies that eventually merged to become the “information superhighway” we know today.

Long before the technology existed to actually build the internet, many scientists had already anticipated the existence of worldwide networks of information. Nikola Tesla toyed with the idea of a “world wireless system” in the early 1900s, and visionary thinkers like Paul Otlet and Vannevar Bush conceived of mechanized, searchable storage systems of books and media in the 1930s and 1940s. I think there is a network before that though.

This is like trying to figure out what comes first, the chicken or the egg? Even ants have probably better networking than humans do.

Originally Posted by LDyogi

The Internet is nothing more than the physical manifestation of telepathy, an extension of the telephone, a tool to aid the handicapped.

What quote is that from?

I wasn't aware I was quoting anyone - that's my perception. Do you know the limits of telepathy? I don't. Especially after experiencing telekinesis through remote viewing. Scary stuff. How would you go about controlling your thoughts if every single thought was actionable?
I tried enforcing the rules of "Simon Says" with that. It doesn't work. Not for long anyway.

As for which came first - the chicken or the egg?

It was the egg which was created - usually explained as "by God" which makes perfect sense IF you understand "God". MOST people don't. And that also explains why other than realizing that you've never had an original thought, how difficult it is to experience an original thought.

My observation is that a lot of people confuse cognitive ability as being original thoughts

I have no issue with you, LDyogi. I just wanted to clarify how I see things as far as I can reasonably tell. When I think about making love to my wife under my roof, with my body at my particular address somewhere on the globe, nobody on the planet is having that thought and never did before and never will a posteriori. Even after I have mentioned having such thought to people, others may try envisioning what it is like to be me acting in such a way and having that particular thought about it, but nobody will replicate such thought with every itty-bitty detail.

Originally Posted by LDyogi

What quote is that from?

I wasn't aware I was quoting anyone - that's my perception. Do you know the limits of telepathy? I don't. Especially after experiencing telekinesis through remote viewing. Scary stuff. How would you go about controlling your thoughts if every single thought was actionable?
I tried enforcing the rules of "Simon Says" with that. It doesn't work. Not for long anyway.

As for which came first - the chicken or the egg?

It was the egg which was created - usually explained as "by God" which makes perfect sense IF you understand "God". MOST people don't. And that also explains why other than realizing that you've never had an original thought, how difficult it is to experience an original thought.

My observation is that a lot of people confuse cognitive ability as being original thoughts

Now, there are a number of things I do agree with you. The egg does indeed come before the chicken because their gallinaceous ancestors—not to mention unrelated mammals that came before it—were already producing eggs long before a creature that could be called a chicken emerged in the course of evolution by natural selection. At least this is my reason for agreeing with you on this point.

I also do not think any sentient being in the universe possesses free will, but they may think they do. I'm very much a hard determinist! Living things do have a will, but it is predetermined by natural forces they do not control. Having said this, I do believe that the biblical usage of 'free will' as it was meaningfully intended from the outset, is appropriate because determinism is not fatalism—from our vantage point, we may still make decisions as influenced by the past and because we don't know what the future holds for the most part. Determinism does not rob us of the illusion of control in any way, shape or form.

I don't know if Jesus Christ ever existed, but I recognise that at least he can symbolically represent a paragon of virtue that may influence human beings on how to conduct themselves; and logic here dictates that no free will is required if an individual is to impact the behaviour of another by example. In a similar vein, God may represent an ideal that no mortal creature can ever reach or emulate, but He may inspire us all to at least attempt to be the best version of ourselves with the little time that we have left here on Earth.

And this is coming from an atheist (in relation to how most people purport to conceptualise God).

P.S. Determinism and free will may seem off-topic at first but thoughts are pertinent because they influence action which in turn influence thoughts. Theology here may also have been somewhat pertinent because each individual conceptualises, and therefore thinks about God, in different ways—differences in thought about the same deity are also found between members of the same religion. Even atheists think about God in different ways which lead them to reject the concept outright for a number of reasons which can make the difference between being de facto, militant, or sympathetic about it as a useful meme.

I'm with you Summerlander, and there's a whole other thread on free will here that I may be posting in again. Meanwhile...

I just realized that when I do experience an original thought, nobody is going to like it because most people will be stripped naked by it. And for those that aren't, they will be angry at me for causing more division among everyone than there already is - at least in their minds that will be so.

So I am ending my endeavor to share any original thought I may experience because I'm not here to offend anyone. Or maybe I should if it proves a point. I honestly don't know. I'll cross that bridge when I get to it.

Right now, I'm pretty confused why I would think this unless it's someone other than me in the near future that is going to reveal an original thought and this will be the outcome.
(I experience premonitions somewhat often and this may be one of them)

Oh, my! For most people, this simple post comprises an original thought!