400 Trillion Miles Away, a Comet Storm Waters a World Kurzweil Responds: Don’t Underestimate the Singularity — Last week, Paul Allen and a colleague challenged the prediction that computers will soon exceed human intelligence. Now Ray Kurzweil, the leading proponent of the “Singularity,” offers a rebuttal. Scientists are from Mars, the public is from Earth — A squib on how scientists could better talk to the “evolution is only a theory ” crowd. Waiting for Lightning to Strike: A Wobbly Agnostic among the Atheists — The screenwriter of this season’s big movie on faith and doubt goes underground at a huge atheist convention. A rather odd essay on atheism from a religious point of view. (Via scarlettina .) Chinese Jews feel more at home in Israel — Descendants of Persian traders in Kaifeng, China, move to Israel with the help of a religious group and finally learn Jewish rules and traditions. ?otD: Backed up your hard drive lately? 10/20/2011 Writing time yesterday: 0.0 hours (chemo fatigue) Body movement: 30 minute stationary bike ride Hours slept: 6.5 hours (fitful) Weight: 217.8 Currently reading: Snuff by Terry Pratchett Originally published at jlake.com . You can comment here or there .