[This is my Thanksgiving post from 2008. I've made some minor edits, but I still truly feel this way.]
Today in the United States is the holiday of Thanksgiving, one of our more deeply tradition-laden days. I suspect most people in other countries know this as the time we eat turkey, stuffing, mashed potatoes, and pumpkin pie (though not me, I prefer chocolate pie). And then there’s the shopping the next day, of course.
But there is also the tradition after which the holiday itself is named: giving thanks. People do it in different ways, of course. At a family dinner many years ago, my then-young niece suggested that we go around the dinner table and everyone could say what they were thankful for. It was a sweet idea, and we’ve done it many times since, when we’re all gathered.
But there’s something about it that bugs me, and again it’s the word itself. To give thanks, there has to be something to receive it. For some it’s God, which is their personal choice. For others it may just be fate, or happenstance. That bugs me. I have an appreciation for math and some basic statistics; I know that, ironically, rare things happen all the time because there are so many seconds in a day, and so many of us humans walking the Earth. Tell me that I am a one-in-a-million guy, for example, and I know reflexively there are 5999 more of me out there somewhere.
Egads.
So sometimes things just happen. But I also know that the world is what we make of it. We make decision, consciously and unconsciously, every second of every day, day in and day out, for all our lives. The big decisions stick with us, and maybe smaller ones that went the wrong way. But they’re our decisions.
So I’m not the kind of guy, you might not be surprised to learn, to give thanks to some entity or entities named or otherwise. To me, it’s not a matter of giving thanks. It’s a matter of assessing what you have, what you want, and being glad or sad about the way things did or didn’t go.
Should I thank the random nature of the Universe that a young woman in 1992 decided to take astronomy in summer school, setting up the circumstance that I would see her every day in the Astronomy Department at UVa? And should I thank Fate that she was someone I had already met because we were in band together, giving us a chance to start chatting before her astronomy class that hot, humid summer? And whom do I thank for me finally getting the guts to invite her to the Fourth of July picnic at my friend’s house, a date that led to us being happily together for 17 years now?
Or should I just be glad things worked out that way, and I was able to take advantage of the opportunities that arose?
Should I be thankful that the one particular sperm swam some small percentage faster than the others to meet up with that one particular egg that happened to have been previously deposited in my wife’s Fallopian tube, producing a zygote that would eventually be the daughter I see today, possessed of a lovely singing voice, an aptitude for music, drawing, writing, and science? I’m just glad it worked out that way, and that my wife and I did the best we could — and still do — to raise our daughter. Knowing all this is started out somewhat randomly doesn’t lessen the fierce feelings I have for my daughter now, and the pride I feel every day when I see her.
I decided in the late 90s to write a book. I wrote magazine articles first, then started giving talks, then got an agent, then the book contract. We needed blurbs for the cover, so I sent a copy to my hero, James Randi, whom I had never met. He wrote an enthusiastic endorsement, and then invited me to speak at the first of an annual conference he was planning.
Now I’m the president of his educational foundation. I am paradoxically humbled and proud to be in this position. Whom do I thank for that?
Oh, wait! I have an answer for that: Randi. And my agent, and my friend who introduced me to my agent, and and and. I’m glad they were able to help me, and I’m glad I took the initiative to jump on those opportunities when they arose.
And so in this case, the thanks really do have someone to receive them. I bet that’s true in a lot of cases.
I thank my family for their support, and my friends over the course of my life for shaping that life. I’m glad for the opportunities, but I’m thankful to the people.
The world is what we make it. It’s the people who make the difference. I am who I am today — we’re all who we are today — because of people, both good and bad, influencing us, both in good ways and bad.
And it’s what we’ve done with that experience. Events happen, but it’s up to us to do with them what we can. Be glad for that, be thankful.
The world is what we make of it. Make it a good one.
November 26th, 2009 at 11:31 am
Thank you Phil! For all you do.
November 26th, 2009 at 11:41 am
Chocolate pie is tasty, but pumpkin pie is superior.
November 26th, 2009 at 12:04 pm
Wow, my feelings exactly. As an atheist I’m not thankful to any invisible hand of fate or some imaginary sky-daddy. I’m thankful to all the real human beings around me who through their actions have helped to enrich my life.
But sorry, sweet-potato pie trumps both chocolate and pumpkin.
November 26th, 2009 at 12:09 pm
Mince pie with lots of rum in the mixture… that’s the ticket.
Of course, Thanksgiving for me was last month.
November 26th, 2009 at 12:14 pm
Of course, due to a recent illness, I am currently on doctor’s orders to eat only a low-fat diet and consume no alcohol. So I can be thankful that Thanksgiving here was in October and thus I did not miss out on the feast
November 26th, 2009 at 12:45 pm
If a tree falls in the woods, does somebody have to hear it?
Giving thanks can be cathartic in its own right. It is a way for us to acknowledge the others in out life that help make this crazy whirlwind adventure so much fun. Even if there is no-one to hear it, just giving thanks can help set the human mind at ease. Although if there are others there, it’ll probably get seen as one of those bonding experiences we humans are known for, what with being social creatures and all.
I am thankful I am still on the crazy train of life, and I am glad that I can share the ride with everyone I can.
November 26th, 2009 at 12:57 pm
I love this post. I feel the same.
November 26th, 2009 at 1:03 pm
I don’t see gratitude and thankfulness as useless even if there is no one to “receive” them. Being grateful for the good things we have is good for our mental health, and that is reason enough for me.
There does not need to be a god, or fate, to spend a little time reflecting on the good things we have in our lives. I spend today thanking the people I care about for being wonderful and for being in my life. I reflect on the good things I have (a job, my health, my cat) and it FEELS GOOD. It’s enough for me.
Well, that and the turkey. I love turkey.
November 26th, 2009 at 1:11 pm
Thank you Phil, for an always interesting blog (frequently with AWESOME photos!) Thank you too, for introducing me to some of my other favorite bloggers. Although my husband might not thank you so much; between you, PZ, Randi, WWdN, and others, I spend way too much time online! Have a great day.
November 26th, 2009 at 1:28 pm
Thank you!
November 26th, 2009 at 2:32 pm
What you said, with knobs on!
For years I’ve been twitching over Thanksgiving, and indeed the “Grace” prayer (For what we are about to receive, may the Lord make us truly thankful….)
To whom? This “lord” didn’t cook the bird. Nor did he season it. Nor did he feed it daily. The bird’s existance, and the existance of all the concomittant bits, were due to farmers working dilligently. The presence of the bird was thanks to a truck driver. The retail price of the bird was down to a large number of people in everything from stock purchase to credit control, not to mention the people who built the store and made the fridge work so it didn’t go bad before we bought it. With, I hasten to add, money that was not of any kind of divine providence.
And yet, millions of people daily thank the nonexistant magic food pixie.
Seems bloody churlish if you ask me.
November 26th, 2009 at 2:58 pm
Anyone who saw the most recent episode of Dexter might start having different feelings about going around the table to give thanks.
November 26th, 2009 at 3:21 pm
I give thanks for the global warming email leaks that finally prove that scientists tried to cover up facts that proved it hasn’t been happening, but instead they silenced dissenting scientists. Too bad Phil doesn’t have the guts to mention it in his blog.
November 26th, 2009 at 3:26 pm
I always have wondered why we need a special day to give thanks or (more pertinent to the UK) to give presents…so I have started – little by little – just giving people presents for no apparent reason. Ditto the thanks – it’s year round; don’t let social stigma guilt trip you into determining how you spend your days.
(Well….maybe if everyone else is having turkey or other christmas fare, I might deign to join them
)
November 26th, 2009 at 3:30 pm
Well, gee. Thanks, Phil, for being an effective speaker, for persevering in the pursuit of a “hard” degree and for appreciating your fans. Speaking to you at Dragoncon is a distinct pleasure.
And, to any of you others out there I have not met who are doing the hard work of understanding your surroundings, and who make it a habit to think about what you’re doing: thank you, too. Sometimes, what you do is art.
Some of you I know about because your work is published in some way, and I can be satisfied that even though I didn’t do it, it’s getting done!
November 26th, 2009 at 3:35 pm
Happy turkey day.
November 26th, 2009 at 3:38 pm
Randomness (in general) might actually be something to be glad about. Though it can be good or bad or even painful on the human scale, without randomness the Universe would likely not
exist or it would be very different – or both – or neither.
So I guess I’m thankful to The Guardian on the Edge of Forever.
November 26th, 2009 at 3:38 pm
The greatest reason to give thanks is because we are. We are, because of the “Word”, written in the hearts of men and women; without which we cannot even conceive of being. “For all things at all times always give thanks”
November 26th, 2009 at 3:43 pm
Ah, I see that Gideon is one of those that refuse to see that incident in context. Nothing like pulling words of an email, or any document out of context and basing your argument on that! Did you actually read the rebuttals from those involved? Of course not! Maybe start here:
http://timpanogos.wordpress.com/2009/11/22/smoking-guns-in-the-clr-stolen-e-mails-a-real-tale-of-real-ethics-in-science/
Thanks for all the hard work you do Phil, and others to bring the light of reason and understanding to the masses.
November 26th, 2009 at 3:59 pm
I like giving thanks to the people in my life; my husband (and his parents, of course!), and my son, and my best friend, in the same way I’m thankful when I say Happy Birthday. To me, that’s saying, “I’m so happy that you were born!” I think when people go around the table giving their thanks, they are giving it to those around them. How often do we express our sentiments to each other? Thanksgiving is the perfect opportunity to do so, whether or not you believe in fate, the Universe, Gods/Goddesses. It’s a way of saying, “I’m so glad you are a part of my life.”
Happy Thanksgiving!
November 26th, 2009 at 4:00 pm
I believe the word you’re looking for is appreciative. It’s the same as thankful, minus the implication of an agent.
November 26th, 2009 at 5:22 pm
Should you thank your forefathers for decimating peoples, cultures, and then destroying their land? Or should you be thankful for never creating one holocaust museum for that?
Selective memory and traditions: THANKS!!!
November 26th, 2009 at 6:58 pm
Rub-a-dub-dub.
Three cheers for the grub.
Dig in!
So nice to see the AGWers are still with us. I was beginning to think they’d given up(and what would we do if we had no one to wrestle with?).
Greenland ice cap is melting.
East antarctic is melting
Artic is melting,,,
But I guess that’s just because we’re entering an ice age???
1)earth will survive
2) human civilization will survive
3) but a lot of people will be dispossessed (and you just know some of them will want to move somewhere more amenable).
Peace, Y’All,
Gary 7
November 26th, 2009 at 7:25 pm
Ismael is right guys. We decimated a culture, all they wanted to do was smoke peace pipes! They didn’t brutally rape and scalp women and children (something they had been doing for the past 1000 years during inter-tribal conflicts)
freaking lulz
November 26th, 2009 at 7:46 pm
To give thanks, there has to be something to receive it.
Really? That premise strikes me as dubious.
Why can we not be thankful in general without needing anything or one to be thankful to?
Good post BA – I agree with everything else you’ve said there – although as an agnostic rather an an atheist, I wouldn’t entirely rule out at least the *possibility* that God exists.
November 26th, 2009 at 8:36 pm
The Back to the Future quote at the end really sells it
November 26th, 2009 at 8:37 pm
@ 23. Gary Ansorge Says:
So nice to see the AGWers are still with us. I was beginning to think they’d given up(and what would we do if we had no one to wrestle with?).
Glad you appreciate us! It’s always nice to debate big issues with folks & hopefully enlighten some of them.
Greenland ice cap is melting.
East antarctic is melting
Artic is melting,,, But I guess that’s just because we’re entering an ice age???
That’s a reasonably good guess.
In fact, we’re *already* living in a Ice Age – only we’re currently in a warmerinterglacial period within this broader ice Age.
As these folks:
http://www.geocraft.com/WVFossils/GlobWarmTest/start.html
put it:
Don’t panic when you hear global alarmists warning the earth may have warmed almost 1 degree in the last 200 years. Although this still hasn’t yet been proven, it is in fact exactly what should be happening if everything is normal.
If Global Warming stops, then you can start worrying! It means our warm interglacial phase is over and we may be heading into another Ice Age!”
So far from messing ourselves as the “Gorebull Warmer” Hysterics would have us do, we should welcome this natural climatic warm spell & enjoy it while it lasts.
Sadly, the planetary warming trend has already passed its peak which happened back in 1998 and the world is now cooling down again just as it was back in the 1970’s.
So I predict its not too long now before the somewhat more-justified hysteria over an ice age starts and people reccomend we desperately *add* as much Co2 and other greenhouse gases as possible to our atmosphere to try to forestall the coming nasty return to Ice Age conditions as our interglacial repreive ends.
Not that it will work – natural processes still massively outweigh any human impact. For instance, 95% of Co2 emissions come from sources such as volcanoes and so forth. In fact, the world’s natural wetlands produce more greenhouse gas contributions annually than all human sources combined.
The drivers of global climate change are natural variation cycles in the Sun (eg. sunspot and esp. maunder and other sunspot minima), the Earth esp. its orbital eccentricity Milankovitch cycle, and other astronomical and geological cycles. Humans did and can sqaut against these over-rising natural phenomena & anyone saying otherwise is either misled or simply dishonest.
The dishonesty of such Climate “Scientists” has (as noted on past threads here) been exposed via the leaked CRU emails which among other things contain the damming admission by the leading Climate Alarmist & IPCC lead author, Kevin Trenberth who privately confessed to his Alarmist colleagues that the data simply doesn’t show what their climate models predicted:
“The fact is that we can’t account for the lack of warming at the moment and it is a travesty that we can’t. ”
Sadly, rather than admit the Greenhouse Effect scare is nonsense, the Alarmists have tried all sorts of tricks to “hide the decline” and have resorted to outright censorship to continue to hype up the “Gorebull Warmer” scare.
Just like the creationists-IDiots, these pretenders to being “scientists” have tried to change the evidence to suit their pre-judged conclusions rather than change their conclusions in light of the factual evidence which contradicts their politicised, cash-raising quasi-religion.
All this is now on the record for everyone to see. Hopefully those who have most seriously violated scientific ethics and even committed outright fraud will soon face the consequences.
—-
PS. I’m not sure why the BA has, so far, been disappointingly reluctant to blog about this major story and development – are you listening Phil Plait?
Why no blog post here on the CRU email revelations yet?
I know that’s its your blog and your choice & I’m cool with that but we are asking if it is also your ideology getting in the way on posting on this? Its looking somewhat that way to me, I’m afraid. You’ve said you’ll take on bad science on the political Left as well as the Right. Well, here’s your chance to prove it.
November 26th, 2009 at 10:25 pm
Spectroscope: … or maybe it’s because it’s not a major story, it’s a manufactured one by global warming deniers, and it’s covered extensively by others.
November 26th, 2009 at 10:35 pm
After you’ve all given thanks for eating those precious delicious Turkeys, maybe watch this video. It will most certainly give you something to think about! (It was made by Seth Shostak and a group of astronomers in 1969)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PyV5d-aZMbM&feature=player_embedded
November 26th, 2009 at 11:23 pm
Wow.
Spectroscope is really dumb, isn’t he?
November 27th, 2009 at 2:24 am
I’ve always felt that “giving thanks” was a Hallmark-induced way to take the word Thanksgiving with excessive literal intent and that this causes people to act smarmy. The holiday was Anglo-xtian in origin and even though it was secularized by FDR, it seems kind of thin and pointless to me. You can equally give thanks any day of the year. Of course, it’ s known as a foods holiday today, which is fine; acknowledging the harvest and all that. My family doesn’t observe it but it’s cool to have a federal holiday in November. I’m all for new traditions like MLK but Thanksgiving…meh. Look up what George Washington said about it.
)
(Is there a bah humbug equivalent?
November 27th, 2009 at 3:48 am
Thanks Phil and to all postees!
Wee, you better get ready, you’d better think twice, there’s another Saturnalia – A Winter Solstice Ritual misplaced holiday (holy day) a’coming and the “Christmas songs” are already 24/7 on some radio stations.
Please, don’t wish “Peace on Earth”! It won’t happen. Make it happen.
November 27th, 2009 at 4:37 am
Thank you Phil!
November 27th, 2009 at 5:23 am
You sure taught them Geeves.. You sure taught them well..
November 27th, 2009 at 7:12 am
You should give thanks, Phil, and try not to see this deliberately secular holiday as a religious intrusion on your life. It isn’t, and it shouldn’t be.
Why?
Because I strongly feel that the most important entities to give thanks to on this holiday are your family, your friends, and other associates. But mostly your family. Giving thanks to God; well, for those of us who are religious, that can be useful too, but though I’m a Christian, I never considered Thanksgiving a religious holiday. Sure, churches have tried to celebrate it, but attendance is generally dismal. That’s because this holiday isn’t about religion. It’s about *family*. Whatever family you have, which certainly may include people who are not blood relations. (The astronauts in space right now celebrated with their astronaut families, one might say.) And you should give thanks to them. We get caught up in life, and it’s too easy to forget to let them know how much you appreciate what they do in your life. Thanksgiving gives us a chance to do that.
It’s also my favorite time for charitable giving; I see it as thanking my fellow man. People, some of them strangers, were there for me when I needed help. I can’t thank them personally. But I can express my gratitude by giving to those who need it, even if they may never know me.
So give thanks! Mostly, give it to the people who are important to you.
Chet:
Please, don’t wish “Peace on Earth”! It won’t happen. Make it happen.
The Discworld book “Hogfather” (by Terry Pratchett, an author whom I cannot recommend enough) has a wonderful bit towards the end. It also appears in the film adaptation. Susan is discussing belief with her grandfather (Death), and why it is important that children believe in the Hogfather (the equivalent of Santa Claus). He says that people have to start out believing in the little lies as practice so they can believe in the big lies: things like justice, duty, and mercy. She protests that that’s different, but he points out that if you grind the universe down into dust, you will not find a single atom of any of those things. They only exist because people believe in them. The actual line is something like:
YOU HAVE TO BELIEVE IN THEM, OR ELSE HOW CAN THEY BECOME?
(Death speaks in all caps.) So yes. Don’t just wish peace on Earth. It won’t happen unless we make it happen. Wishing it is the first step; it acknowledges that we believe it is possible. But we can’t stop there.
November 27th, 2009 at 7:19 am
“I’m glad for the opportunities, but I’m thankful to the people.”
I’m going to have to borrow that line, it’s perfect =p
November 27th, 2009 at 8:10 am
“or maybe it’s because it’s not a major story, it’s a manufactured one by global warming deniers”
These “scientists” want to be at the forefront of the reordering of our entire way of life and they’ve one again been caught playing fast and loose with the data and it’s not a major story?
Thank You for one of the best laughs I’ve had all week!
November 27th, 2009 at 8:20 am
Phil, A succinct reply to Spectroscope was nice. That reply (http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/intersection/2009/11/24/the-climategate-burden-of-proof/) notes the “consilience of studies from multiple studies and fields that we accept that climate change is human caused…” Great summary.
Can you explain the past decade or so with no warming–even conceded by the leading non-denying climate scientists, where they further concede they cannot explain why this is occurring (which excludes the “climate” versus “weather” distinction)–why this is happening?
I’ve been following this for sometime & it seems to be conundrum (much like the 20 percont or so of annual carbon output that disappears unaccounted, per NOAA). CERN’s CLOUD experiment seems to show some hope for an explanation, or not; given the high calibre of those researchers, whatever they find will be significant given the uncertainties & unknowns with cloud dynamics.
Also, I’ve been watching & hearing so many people (like that actor on a recent Fox News interview) parroting the need to focus on “peer reviewed” scientific literature. But I cannot find any substantial (with objective quantitative data) to rebut the Wegman Report’s findings of a) how limited the climate science community is, and b) how much this allegedly tiny community base their research & findings on each others work–repeating to a significant degree rather than adding to the overall body of knowledge.
SO tosummarize:
- What physical phenomena explain the past decade or so of no warming–what fundamental physics/dynamics are the climate scientists missing?
- Given the emphasis on peer reviewed literature and the observations made in the Wegman Report (which anybody can verify, if anecdotally, via on-line searches & reviews of author references) can you explain how the “vast body of climate science work out there” is really a) that vast and b) not incestuous as implied by bibliographic references… I.E. that this typical for a significant research area.
Those are two areas that either don’t seem to have an answer, or, what readily available evidence is there seems to undermine the assertions made.
Any objective response, supported by equally objecive data, is greatly appreciated.
November 27th, 2009 at 9:07 am
# 34 Calli Thanks. I did see Terry’s “Hogfather” on Eon TV thoroughly enjoying it and bought the dvd. I also read the novel. I met Terry at Boskone, Boston, MA.
I would also recommend his novel “Little Gods”, too.
November 27th, 2009 at 9:27 am
And, Calli, I would recommend some comparative religious studies, esp, the pagan religions of Saturnalia, Mithraism, and Sol Invictus with the later Christianity that not only incorporated much from them but generally replaced them by the sword.
November 27th, 2009 at 10:43 am
Ismael: If those things hadn’t happened, we probably wouldn’t be where we are now – however distasteful they are to us now. So, yes, you should be “thankful” for history as it is, because that’s what got us here. It has shaped our civilisations, and is probably precisely why you now find it distasteful…It doesn’t stop you from looking forward and using that hard-won background to steer us away from doing those sorts of things in the future (or indeed the present?)
November 27th, 2009 at 12:44 pm
Chet — I believe you mean “Small Gods”. That’s one of the best of the Discworld books, and one I often recommend people read.
Comparative religion is one of the most fascinating topics around, in my opinion. It’s interesting to see how the different religions influenced one another through the millenia. Due to personal family history, I tend to be more interested (or at least more informed) about the path of Christianity into Scandinavia. A very interesting story indeed, and definitely one which involved a lot of blood. (And how many Scandinavian Christians still put out a bowl of porridge for the julenisse?)
November 27th, 2009 at 8:22 pm
Well, now you’ve really bent my brain with your “who are we thanking during Thanksgiving” notion. D’oh! How about I just thank “the Universe” for my good fortune.
I recently saw an ABC News article about pilgrims on the Haij and Swine Flu concerns. The pilgrims all responded “It is Allah’s will“. IE, Fate and Destiny. That’s not something Americans generally believe in (seeing as “the land of opportunity” sort of implies you can create your own destiny) but a sizeable fraction of the World’s population does believe in Fate. Hard for me to understand but I don’t need to… it’s what they believe.
November 28th, 2009 at 10:54 am
30. EmaNymton Says:
“Spectroscope is really dumb, isn’t he?”
No, he isn’t dumb. His command of language would suggest he’s intelligent but has a different POV.
27. Spectroscope:
Typical interglacial periods last about 8-10 thousand years. In the ’70s, climatologists WERE concerned that we were PROBABLY at the end of an interglacial and should be preparing for another ice age. They didn’t have good data to suggest that was in fact the case, but it was something to think about. When they began to look at GLOBAL temps in earnest, they found data that indicated the exact opposite of their previous assumption, (which really disappointed me, because I’m a down hill skier and was looking forward to more snow. Oh well.)
Over the last 30 some years, average world wide temps HAVE shown an upward inclination of about 1 degree(Centigrade, I believe). This made no sense, because glacial/warming cycles were assumed to be massive changes, so what could be going on that would mitigate another ice age? How could it be so subtle we hadn’t noticed it? Analyses of prehistoric CO2 levels in ice cores in the Antarctic indicated an increase in CO2 since humans became industrialized. Granted, volcanos liberate a lot more CO2 than we do, but that is an infrequent pollutant, whereas our industrial contribution is continuous and constantly increasing, more or less in line with what the ice cores showed. Thus we have a causal connection.
As far as there being little to no increase in temps over the last decade, all I can say is that here in Georgia, the plants and animals all seem to think it’s time to move north. Animal migration from Florida has been about 5 miles/year, for the last 40 years. It’s Nov 28 and we have yet to experience a single day of freezing temps. Historically, that’s quite unusual, at least as far as the folk who have lived here all their lives contend. Personally, I can only consider the last five years.
Granted, a local perturbation says nothing for what’s happening elsewhere in the world, so I guess I’ll just have to trust people much more knowledgeable than myself. I can do that, because I’m a firm believer in the efficacy of the Method to detect and allow us to rectify human error. Besides, I am anything BUT paranoid.
Gary 7
November 29th, 2009 at 9:43 am
“To give thanks, there has to be something to receive it.”
Like a commenter before me, I would question this premise, but if one wants to hold to it one could replace “give thanks” with “be thankful.”
It is the inward act which is of value in any case, just as with forgiveness. The person that benefits from thanks is the person who is thankful and the person who benefits from forgiveness is the person who forgives.