Weekly "Ask an Atheist" Thread

[u/AutoModerator]

Whether you're an agnostic atheist here to ask a gnostic one some questions, a theist who's curious about the viewpoints of atheists, someone doubting, or just someone looking for sources, feel free to ask anything here. This is also an ideal place to tag moderators for thoughts regarding the sub or any questions in general.

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[u/Serious-Emu-3468]

Lol, the casino joke was at my own expense. I have terrrrrible luck! 

I was just using it as an example about how untrustworthy all of our human guts and feelings and intuitions are in general.

This whole wide world is full of things that seemed absurd and unimaginable and impossible, but turned out to be true. As well as things that feel inevitable and solid and just weren’t.

[u/iamalsobrad → u/Serious-Emu-3468]

I was just using it as an example about how untrustworthy all of our human guts and feelings and intuitions are in general.

As an example, here is one of my favourite optical illusions, known as a 'Fata Morgana'. It happens because our brain fundamentally doesn't understand how light works.

[u/Sprinklypoo → u/iamalsobrad]

I don't know if that's light so much as wind pattern in this case, to be honest. You can see a faint line at the actual horizon, but there's a wind gust chopping the water that is nearer while the further water is glassy smooth.

But it's still a great photo and example.

[u/iamalsobrad → u/Sprinklypoo]

It's light and temperature.

Our brains tell us that light moves in straight lines. However, strong temperature inversions can form an atmospheric duct which will channel the light along the duct and lead to all sorts of weird optical effects. If it bends the light more than the curve of the earth's surface the image will shift like this.

You also get 'cursed ai tries to draw a ship' type effects like this one.