What, Why & How do we Know ?
Good to hear Rabbi Lord Sacks piece on BBC R4 Today this morning. Plenty of doomed to repeat history if we don’t appreciate it angles to the current Syria / Iraq / Iran sectarianism between Sunni vs Shia and comparisons with divided mono-theistic histories generally. His primary point however – disestablishment. Civil rule cannot, must … Continue reading “#Disestablishment again”
Heard Sacks on BBC Sunday, talking sense as usual. Not really digested this yet. Contentious, was equating trust with religion – with which I have no problem – religion / trust is what binds “us” together. Only question is who is “us” and the nature of the “bondage”. In essence I agree with Sacks point … Continue reading “Losing the Plot @BHAhumanists”
Ideas evolve, species are created only with hindsight, everyone’s thoughts are woven from others. Original creation is no exception. Good piece on Oliver Sacks from Brain Pickings – Maria Popover again.
I agree with Mr Sacks, the Chief Rabbi, with maybe minor (but very significant) adjustments inserted: Atheism has failed [is failing]. Only religion [or a more enlightened atheism] can defeat the new barbarians. Certainly my main agenda for some years has been that New Atheism has won the puerile sound-bite war, but needs to up … Continue reading “Atheism Needs Religion”
Lots of examples in Sacks, and in Ramchandran and in Damasio if I recall. (Ram is mentioned in the story in fact.)
Listening now to Laurie Taylor’s Thinking Allowed … quoting Emily Dickinson’s “Brain is Wider than the Sky”. Not an original idea, but Bryan Appleyard uses it as the title of his latest work. A veritable meme. Actually drawn to this edition of TA by Laurie’s introduction: “Bryan Appleyard and John Gray on why simple solutions … Continue reading “I Don’t Believe It !”
This sad news story reminded me I had recently read Oliver Sacks childhood memoir Uncle Tungsten – Memories of a Chemical Boyhood Reminded me of myself, even the Nitrogen Iodide trick, though I never went so far as to get a fume-cupboard installed in the home. This book underlies everything else Dr Sacks has written, … Continue reading “Uncle Tungsten”
Spooky experience today … I was immersed in my new UK rail (north-east), “free” wi-fi, new HP laptop, new iPhone, blogging, facebook, work-email, learning experience, from Darlington en-route to Kings Cross, Heathrow, Terminal 3, SAS to Stavanger business travel, when the seat beside me was occupied at York by someone reading Sacks “Man Who Mistook … Continue reading “Brain Connections”