# Great Debates **URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/c/great-debates/13.md [Latest](https://boards.straightdope.com/latest.md) · [Categories](https://boards.straightdope.com/categories.md) · [Tags](https://boards.straightdope.com/tags.md) --- ## [New Rules for Great Debates and Elections – January 2020](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-rules-for-great-debates-and-elections-january-2020/845726)
**Author:** [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [January 1, 2020, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/new-rules-for-great-debates-and-elections-january-2020/845726 "2020-01-01T17:41:48Z")
Moderation in Great Debates and Politics and Elections In general, Great Debates and Politics and Elections are the most contentious fora on the SDMB. Because of that, you’ll find that moderation is more active and pro… --- ## [About the Great Debates category](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/about-the-great-debates-category/911003)
**Author:** [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Replies:** 0\ **Last updated:** [April 2, 2021, 4:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/about-the-great-debates-category/911003 "2021-04-02T04:00:00Z")
For long-running discussions of the great questions of our time. This is also the place for religious debates. Other discussion of religion, religious figures, personal beliefs and the like typically belongs in the IMHO … --- ## [Thread and Topic Bans for Great Debates](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thread-and-topic-bans-for-great-debates/847725)
**Author:** [@Jonathan\_Chance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jonathan_Chance)\ **Replies:** 1\ **Last updated:** [November 29, 2020, 11:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/thread-and-topic-bans-for-great-debates/847725 "2020-11-29T23:27:09Z")
..Thread Bans: kevlaw Is there a non-bigoted reason to be anti-same-sex-marriage? see post 368 7-27-2021 {What Exit?} DrDeth: Is 'Zoo Hypothesis' Mainstream? . . . Damuri Ajashi is forbidden from PE and GD until … --- ## [Why is Vladimir Putin still alive?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-vladimir-putin-still-alive/1033390)
**Author:** [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Replies:** 30\ **Last updated:** [September 26, 2026, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-vladimir-putin-still-alive/1033390 "2026-09-26T22:54:33Z")
It can’t have escaped the notice of the Ukrainian government that Putin is the architect and booster for the aggression against Ukraine; that unlike almost every war fought in modern times, it really makes a difference w… --- ## [What's the Christian views on extra-terrestials](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-christian-views-on-extra-terrestials/1033285)
**Author:** [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Replies:** 52\ **Last updated:** [September 26, 2026, 10:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-christian-views-on-extra-terrestials/1033285 "2026-09-26T22:52:43Z")
Inspired by another recent thread on a narrower topic. Is there a general consensus among Christians on the subject of intelligent races on other planets? Do they feel that extraterrestrials are impossible because the … --- ## [Social Media -- Ban the Ads, Charge the User?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/social-media-ban-the-ads-charge-the-user/1033408)
**Author:** [@DtypeJag](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DtypeJag)\ **Replies:** 11\ **Last updated:** [September 26, 2026, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/social-media-ban-the-ads-charge-the-user/1033408 "2026-09-26T21:53:52Z")
With all the talk about how harmful social media can be for various groups because of the clever algorithims enticing people to keep clicking, bringing up pages that confirm their perceived prejudices. I have never hear… --- ## [What bottlenecks would you consider for the drake equation that prevent the development of intelligent, technologically advanced life](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-bottlenecks-would-you-consider-for-the-drake-equation-that-prevent-the-development-of-intelligent-technologically-advanced-life/1031581)
**Author:** [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Replies:** 91\ **Last updated:** [September 26, 2026, 7:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-bottlenecks-would-you-consider-for-the-drake-equation-that-prevent-the-development-of-intelligent-technologically-advanced-life/1031581 "2026-09-26T19:15:05Z")
As a spinoff of this thread, what would you consider to be bottlenecks that prevent intelligent, technologically advanced life forms from evolving? There are roughly 10^24 planets in the universe. But if you keep adding… --- ## [Measuring productivity for cognitive work](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/measuring-productivity-for-cognitive-work/1033372)
**Author:** [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Replies:** 18\ **Last updated:** [September 26, 2026, 5:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/measuring-productivity-for-cognitive-work/1033372 "2026-09-26T17:52:41Z")
Subject inspired by discussion in several threads about AI but not necessarily about AI. It also is a question about how cognitive work productivity is measured, how it actually makes sense measure it, and how productivi… --- ## [So what will our AI civilization of the future look like?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-will-our-ai-civilization-of-the-future-look-like/1032973)
**Author:** [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Replies:** 90\ **Last updated:** [September 26, 2026, 5:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-what-will-our-ai-civilization-of-the-future-look-like/1032973 "2026-09-26T17:42:41Z")
I personally don’t hold much credence in predictions that AI will either destroy the world or create a utopia. I feel like this is a combination of sci fy BS and Silicon Valley marketing hype designed to encourage capit… --- ## [Do progressives believe that all religions are liberal at their true core?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-progressives-believe-that-all-religions-are-liberal-at-their-true-core/1033297)
**Author:** [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Replies:** 137\ **Last updated:** [September 26, 2026, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/do-progressives-believe-that-all-religions-are-liberal-at-their-true-core/1033297 "2026-09-26T16:59:50Z")
I’ve often seen progressives argue that hard-line fundamentalist Christians or Muslims don’t reflect “true” Christianity and Islam, and that the true nature of a religion is found in its peaceful moderates. This is ofte… --- ## [Resolved: The US Contribution to WWI was critical, even though late](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-the-us-contribution-to-wwi-was-critical-even-though-late/1033366)
**Author:** [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Replies:** 11\ **Last updated:** [September 25, 2026, 11:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-the-us-contribution-to-wwi-was-critical-even-though-late/1033366 "2026-09-25T23:05:05Z")
This thread Resolved: Germany was the aggressor against France in WWI was highly educational for me, in spite of it eventually being closed, so I’m inspired to start my own. It’ll start with a fairly strong claim, but … --- ## [They are trying it again- Ten Commandments](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-are-trying-it-again-ten-commandments/1003134)
**Author:** [@DrDeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrDeth)\ **Replies:** 198\ **Last updated:** [September 24, 2026, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/they-are-trying-it-again-ten-commandments/1003134 "2026-09-24T02:52:56Z")
https://thehill.com/homenews/education/4730255-louisiana-require-ten-commandments-classrooms/ Louisiana became the first state in the nation to require the Ten Commandments be displayed in public school classrooms. Gov… --- ## [Have we reached the point when it is kooky to not believe in massive amounts of intelligent life having evolved throughout the universe?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-we-reached-the-point-when-it-is-kooky-to-not-believe-in-massive-amounts-of-intelligent-life-having-evolved-throughout-the-universe/969972)
**Author:** [@Gozu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gozu)\ **Replies:** 760\ **Last updated:** [September 23, 2026, 5:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/have-we-reached-the-point-when-it-is-kooky-to-not-believe-in-massive-amounts-of-intelligent-life-having-evolved-throughout-the-universe/969972 "2026-09-23T17:35:57Z")
Pre-Webb, We estimated there were hundreds of billions of visible galaxies out there, with each galaxy being made of hundreds of billions of stars and possibly trillions of wet rocks like our little planet earth here. To… --- ## [What is Ben Crump doing in these cases?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-ben-crump-doing-in-these-cases/1031754)
**Author:** [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Replies:** 10\ **Last updated:** [September 23, 2026, 4:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-is-ben-crump-doing-in-these-cases/1031754 "2026-09-23T16:29:43Z")
I have seen Ben Crump in the news lately over three different incidents. He is representing the family of Nolan Wells, who drowned in Mississippi, Daniel Irving, who drowned in Texas, and Kadir Skinner, who was shot and … --- ## [Is a homogeneous society a better, healthier option in the modern age?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-homogeneous-society-a-better-healthier-option-in-the-modern-age/1033066)
**Author:** [@Jasmine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jasmine)\ **Replies:** 144\ **Last updated:** [September 23, 2026, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-a-homogeneous-society-a-better-healthier-option-in-the-modern-age/1033066 "2026-09-23T14:06:16Z")
I’ve come to believe that a homogeneous society, like that in Japan, is much healthier than a society consisting of many different value systems and behavior. I see the components of our society pulling against one anot… --- ## [What contributed the most to increased longevity--medicine or sanitation?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-contributed-the-most-to-increased-longevity-medicine-or-sanitation/1033264)
**Author:** [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Replies:** 21\ **Last updated:** [September 22, 2026, 4:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-contributed-the-most-to-increased-longevity-medicine-or-sanitation/1033264 "2026-09-22T16:10:17Z")
Basically, what I am asking is whether clean water and sewage contributed more to increasing life span than advances in medicine. The latter includes, but is not limited to, antibiotics and vaccines. --- ## [What's the straight dope on getting other vaccines along with your flu shot?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-straight-dope-on-getting-other-vaccines-along-with-your-flu-shot/921191)
**Author:** [@ThelmaLou](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ThelmaLou)\ **Replies:** 83\ **Last updated:** [September 22, 2026, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/whats-the-straight-dope-on-getting-other-vaccines-along-with-your-flu-shot/921191 "2026-09-22T00:04:40Z")
I’m an ahem senior citizen, and I plan on getting my flu shot in the next couple of weeks. My doc also wants me to get a tetanus booster and a shingles vaccine. A friend is looking at tetanus and a pneumonia vaccine in a… --- ## [Resolved: Germany was the aggressor against France in WWI](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-germany-was-the-aggressor-against-france-in-wwi/1033000)
**Author:** [@DeadTreasSecretaries](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DeadTreasSecretaries)\ **Replies:** 103\ **Last updated:** [September 21, 2026, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/resolved-germany-was-the-aggressor-against-france-in-wwi/1033000 "2026-09-21T20:24:08Z")
Germany, France and Great Britain were signatories to a treaty guaranteeing Belgian neutrality. German war planners relied on a plan of invading both Belgium and France in the event of a war against France and Russia. T… --- ## [Lindsay Clancy...child murderer or victim?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lindsay-clancy-child-murderer-or-victim/1033205)
**Author:** [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Replies:** 103\ **Last updated:** [September 20, 2026, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/lindsay-clancy-child-murderer-or-victim/1033205 "2026-09-20T23:41:56Z")
There is no doubt that Lindsay Clancy murdered her three young children. I think her own legal defense team admits that. Their defense is Clancy was severely mentally unstable due to a variety of reasons. I admit I am… --- ## [At what point is a person completely toxic to agree with about anything?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-what-point-is-a-person-completely-toxic-to-agree-with-about-anything/1033192)
**Author:** [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Replies:** 17\ **Last updated:** [September 20, 2026, 7:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-what-point-is-a-person-completely-toxic-to-agree-with-about-anything/1033192 "2026-09-20T19:28:06Z")
A more specific attempt to get to one of my questions from my now closed thread (RIP). Obviously, nobody is wrong all of the time. But if, for example, Hitler had an interesting opinion about chiaroscuro, you sure as he… --- ## [AIs have passed the Turing Test](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ais-have-passed-the-turing-test/1032674)
**Author:** [@Exapno\_Mapcase](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Exapno_Mapcase)\ **Replies:** 208\ **Last updated:** [September 19, 2026, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/ais-have-passed-the-turing-test/1032674 "2026-09-19T21:37:22Z")
The 5 craziest discoveries from OpenAI’s HuggingFace investigation Axois ran a detailed analysis of the AI Hugging Face hack. Jawdropping. The AIs acted - and sounded - exactly like people, created their own secret mess… --- ## [Intervening to stop genocide/atrocities while not wanting to be world police - which events qualify?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/intervening-to-stop-genocide-atrocities-while-not-wanting-to-be-world-police-which-events-qualify/1033158)
**Author:** [@Velocity](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Velocity)\ **Replies:** 26\ **Last updated:** [September 19, 2026, 5:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/intervening-to-stop-genocide-atrocities-while-not-wanting-to-be-world-police-which-events-qualify/1033158 "2026-09-19T17:05:03Z")
Didn’t want to hijack the ongoing Sudan-crisis thread, so I started a separate one: Many times there is an ongoing atrocity, genocide, civil war, other war, etc. you get two camps of people: One side (correctly) says t… --- ## [At what point does debate around Israel become antisemitism?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-what-point-does-debate-around-israel-become-antisemitism/1033102)
**Author:** [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Replies:** 225\ **Last updated:** [September 18, 2026, 7:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/at-what-point-does-debate-around-israel-become-antisemitism/1033102 "2026-09-18T19:33:37Z")
This is, of course, one of the big complicating factors in discussions of the current war: one side calling out what they see as antisemitism and the other accusing the first side of trying to deflect legitimate criticis… --- ## [How do you respond to the “Let people enjoy things” argument?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-respond-to-the-let-people-enjoy-things-argument/1033028)
**Author:** [@Cmyers1980](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cmyers1980)\ **Replies:** 84\ **Last updated:** [September 17, 2026, 6:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-do-you-respond-to-the-let-people-enjoy-things-argument/1033028 "2026-09-17T18:32:03Z")
It seems like whenever anything concerning the state of society and the people in it comes up online, there’s always the chorus of “Why do people care about this? It isn’t illegal or harmful, it doesn’t affect you, you’r… --- ## [So here’s my theory on 9/11 (U.S. knew it was imminent)](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-here-s-my-theory-on-9-11-u-s-knew-it-was-imminent/1033012)
**Author:** [@Moriarty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Moriarty)\ **Replies:** 68\ **Last updated:** [September 14, 2026, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/so-here-s-my-theory-on-9-11-u-s-knew-it-was-imminent/1033012 "2026-09-14T23:20:23Z")
No, nothing about controlled demolitions, or Israeli intelligence, or a U.S. attack on its own people. But I do believe that the top of the U.S. government knew that this attack was imminent (despite not specifically kn… --- ## ["Christianophobia" - is there a double standard in the way Christianity is treated?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christianophobia-is-there-a-double-standard-in-the-way-christianity-is-treated/1032877)
**Author:** [@Gyrate](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gyrate)\ **Replies:** 221\ **Last updated:** [September 11, 2026, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/christianophobia-is-there-a-double-standard-in-the-way-christianity-is-treated/1032877 "2026-09-11T21:21:47Z")
Continuing the discussion from Trump-haters: What things do you agree with Trump on?: Duly following mod instructions to take a very off-topic discussion elsewhere (as it has nothing to do with Trump per se). We’ll see … --- ## [What are UFOs if they're NOT alien spacecraft?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-ufos-if-theyre-not-alien-spacecraft/998108)
**Author:** [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Replies:** 543\ **Last updated:** [September 11, 2026, 8:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-are-ufos-if-theyre-not-alien-spacecraft/998108 "2026-09-11T08:41:51Z")
Really the only reason we have for supposing that UFOs are vessels for extraterrestrial beings is a number of accounts that seem dubious and contradictory. So what else could they be? I’d like to toss out a somewhat unh… --- ## [Should sports arenas be left to the private sector?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-sports-arenas-be-left-to-the-private-sector/764672)
**Author:** [@boffking](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/boffking)\ **Replies:** 265\ **Last updated:** [September 11, 2026, 3:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/should-sports-arenas-be-left-to-the-private-sector/764672 "2026-09-11T03:03:10Z")
My town lost its AHL team at the end of last season. The arena had just recently been remodeled, at the county’s expense, for this teams benefit. Now taxpayers cover all the costs of the place. Even when the team was s… --- ## [Is there any amount of immigration, legal illegal either both, that is too much?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-amount-of-immigration-legal-illegal-either-both-that-is-too-much/1032515)
**Author:** [@DSeid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSeid)\ **Replies:** 224\ **Last updated:** [September 11, 2026, 1:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/is-there-any-amount-of-immigration-legal-illegal-either-both-that-is-too-much/1032515 "2026-09-11T01:47:00Z")
Continuing the discussion from Democratic Party Official Position is to Abolish ICE: I think the discussion there is going beyond the slogan of “Abolish ICE” to broad brushstrokes that The argument seems to have becom… --- ## [How would you respond to the deferential wife scenario?](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-respond-to-the-deferential-wife-scenario/1031355)
**Author:** [@Cmyers1980](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cmyers1980)\ **Replies:** 132\ **Last updated:** [September 10, 2026, 10:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-would-you-respond-to-the-deferential-wife-scenario/1031355 "2026-09-10T22:14:48Z")
The philosopher Thomas Hill Jr. made up a scenario decades ago about a woman who is extremely deferential and subservient to her husband. Below is a quote from him that sums up the scenario: “The deferential wife is utt… [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/c/great-debates/13.md?page=1)