Thank you for helping me keep my perspective correct.

Any time.

Posted by dahsdebater on 9/26/2016 4:48:00 PM (view original):
Also, it has nothing to do with being talented and everything to do with being famous. How many of you know that Ahmed Zewail died last month? He was undoubtedly one of the most brilliant living scientists. He won a Nobel Prize for the development of ultrafast spectroscopy, which is now the most important tool for studying chemical reactions and interfacial processes and is ubiquitous in chemistry and physics research. He was a serious candidate for a second prize a few years back for development of 4-dimensional spectroscopies.

Since nobody outside of science really identifies with ultrafast spectroscopies, how about Irwin Hahn? He died last week. How many of you knew that? Irwin Hahn discovered the spin-echo in the '50s. That led to the development of modern NMR technologies, which are also ubiquitous in chemical characterization and arguably the most important characterization technique for synthetic chemists. Still esoteric, even though materials developed with assistance of numerous NMR characteristics are all around, including within the laptops, tablets, and smartphones we view this site with. But the same technology was also adapted for MRI. And who doesn't know someone who's had an MRI? How many lives have been extended by the results of MRI scans?

I guarantee you that any Kardashian death would elicit orders of magnitude more sadness and feeling of loss from the general American public than Irwin Hahn's. Nothing to do with talent. All about being famous.

I mean, people are (for better or worse) famous for a reason. Most of the time, someone is famous because they're talented and massive amounts of people feel a connection with them.

It's why people mourned Michael Jackson. He wasn't a good dude, but his music was something that created an emotional response in tens (hundreds?) of millions of people.

As much as I can't stand the Kardashians, a lot of people, for whatever reason, feel a connection to them.

There's also a weird dynamic where people glorify the recently deceased, and elevate them above their normal place in society.

I thought everybody was RACIST!!!!! Why would they mourn Michael Jackson?

Posted by MikeT23 on 9/26/2016 6:02:00 PM (view original):
I thought everybody was RACIST!!!!! Why would they mourn Michael Jackson?

Who said everybody was racist?

Uh, you.

Posted by MikeT23 on 9/26/2016 6:02:00 PM (view original):
I thought everybody was RACIST!!!!! Why would they mourn Michael Jackson?

He was white when he died.

Duh.

Posted by MikeT23 on 9/26/2016 6:37:00 PM (view original):
Uh, you.

Nope.

Wasn't a question. Just a statement of fact.

Posted by MikeT23 on 9/26/2016 7:04:00 PM (view original):
Wasn't a question. Just a statement of fact.

Oh, I see. We're playing Mike's made-up bullshit game.

This was fun last time, when you made up the story of admin sending you a warning sitemail. Then admin said no sitemail was sent and the game ended.

Post the entire sitemail they sent you. And are you implying that you haven't screamed RACISM!!! at virtually opportunity?

Posted by MikeT23 on 9/26/2016 7:13:00 PM (view original):
Post the entire sitemail they sent you. And are you implying that you haven't screamed RACISM!!! at virtually opportunity?

Wasn't a question. Just a statement of fact.

I was sad hearing about Fernandez yesterday, but seeing all the Marlins players in his jersey and bawling before the game was brutal. I don't know any of them personally, but I'm connected to them through baseball. I've watched them play, I've become familiar with them - watching them, as grown men, get that emotional is impactful. I understand if someone can't relate, but as a baseball player, and a fan of professional baseball, seeing the reactions of men who lost a teammate and a friend definitely hits hard.

Posted by Jtpsops on 9/26/2016 7:43:00 PM (view original):
I was sad hearing about Fernandez yesterday, but seeing all the Marlins players in his jersey and bawling before the game was brutal. I don't know any of them personally, but I'm connected to them through baseball. I've watched them play, I've become familiar with them - watching them, as grown men, get that emotional is impactful. I understand if someone can't relate, but as a baseball player, and a fan of professional baseball, seeing the reactions of men who lost a teammate and a friend definitely hits hard.

Seriously. Seeing Dee Gordon hit that homerun and then fall apart as he touched home plate was brutal.