Ultimate vapourware

The story of the current 15 seconds is... someone is selling their soul on TradeMe. As the article mentions, this was tried on eBay, but pulled as their contracts say that the item has to exist and a 'soul' was too tenuous a concept to be allowed. (Didn't stop a book being published called "I Soul My Soul on eBay", but that was about an atheist who was actually selling his time to go to churches in proportion to people bidding, and the money went to charity anyway.)

However, not such restriction applies to TradeMe that I can find. Certainly, my own views on the existence of a soul should be guessable by all, but failing that the winner will get a nice framed certificate.

The question and answer section is interesting and amusing. There are numerous references to that Simpsons episode, and references to religious implications (which Walter merely comments as 'interesting'. The very fact of him selling his soul either points to his own religious convictions, or a healthy sense of humour, or both!)

The idea of a soul, a nefariously ill-defined concept, is a tempting idea, the idea that something will live on when the body dies. There's certainly no scientific evidence towards it, and certainly not that it weighs 21 grams. That doesn't stop the idea from being captivating, and much has been made from convincing people that their soul is in jeopardy. All that taken into account... I think the best anyone will get out of that auction is the nice frame...

EDIT UPDATE: His soul went to Hell. ;)

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