Religion Does Pollute Science

Thanks to PZ Myers for the links to this Jerry Coyne piece on Francis Collins (Obama’s choice for NIH Director) lecture at UC Berkeley. (And a review by Sam Harris.) Dr. Collins will have more responsibility for biomedical and health-related research than any person on earth, controlling an annual budget of more than $30 billion. … Continue reading “Religion Does Pollute Science”

Not Short on Wisdom

I’ve now read almost two thirds of “Shop Class as Soulcraft“. I like to blog my book reviews in segments, because unless I’m genuinely surprised by picking up a book in the first place, I am always conscious that I’m reading it because is seems to fit my agenda (positively or negatively).  I like to … Continue reading “Not Short on Wisdom”

Enlightened MBA ?

It’s fair to say that doing an MBA back in the late 1980’s was instrumental in developing my focus on the psychological aspects of the question, “What, why and how do we know?” I’ve referenced my dissertation once or twice before and acknowledged the input from the tutors in the “organizational behavioural” subjects. Of course … Continue reading “Enlightened MBA ?”

Authentic Radical Fundamentalism ?

I’ve just thoroughly read and re-read a piece by Slavoj Zizek in The Cabinet entitled “From Western Marxism to Western Buddhism“. Zizek is on my “must read” list for various reasons, so this was a good start, and I quoted briefly from this particuar piece in responding to Chris Locke’s reference to it in his … Continue reading “Authentic Radical Fundamentalism ?”

ECT – A Fine Meme

A main thread of my work is that what passes for sense, knowledge and rationality in communication and decision-making with any “what should we do” qualitative, ethical or moral element, is essentially memetic. A western meme that dominates western society and western dominated worlds; a meme that focusses on quantifiable values and discrete objects  than … Continue reading “ECT – A Fine Meme”

Cor baby, that’s really free.

One of my pet subjects is the fact that in (free democratic) systems of governance, there must be institutions that are not free and democratic, not in the sense of the popular “one man one vote” mantra. OK, so most people quickly see that total freedom for popular decision-making is a recipe for anarchy, not … Continue reading “Cor baby, that’s really free.”

Ob-Platte or the next best thing ?

The whole world in a grain of salt. Where to start ? You maybe don’t need me to point out that these are anagrams of each other? Table-Top Battle-Op Ob-Platte Potel-Bat Bel-Patto Plato-Bet But what are they ? It might help if you knew that they are the title of Chapter 8 of Douglas Hofstadter’s book “Fluid … Continue reading “Ob-Platte or the next best thing ?”

Manifesto

PSYBERTRON’S MANIFESTO This page retains links to the origins of this blogging project back in 2001, and is organized in three parts: Who is Psybertron? What is Psybertron’s Worldview generally? What is Psybertron’s Agenda specifically? WHO? Ian Glendinning (Psybertron)’s profile and contact details here. (2001 vintage page, with only Resume content updated.) [Personal “Thought Journey” … Continue reading “Manifesto”