What, Why & How do we Know ?
Most of what’s wrong with Today could be fixed by retiring Humphrys IMHO but as an atheist, humanist, rationalist I happen to like Thought for the Day. Ironically it is Humphrys’ view that is closest to mine: “Sometimes it’s good … an interesting thought in a provocative way [but] inappropriate that Today should broadcast nearly three … Continue reading “BBC R4 Today Presenters’ Views of TFTD”
I’m fond of saying that humans ARE special, humanity IS special. That is technically we are a species, as distinct as any other, and in practice we are the most highly developed intelligent life and culture to have evolved in the universe we know. That is not exceptionalism in any unique or exclusive sense. We … Continue reading “Physical Inevitability of Intelligent Life”
Interestingly, just seconds after the previous post on the disservice done to science by the conflation of science and technology, Lisa Jardine also tweeted a link to this Sue Nelson piece on “BBC lads’ science” in the Telegraph. And, only hours after Jim AlKhalili had tweeted to “boast” (tongue in cheek) about acquisition of his iPhone5 … Continue reading “Laddish Disservice to Science @ProfLisaJardine @SueNelson @alicebell @tiffanyjenkins”
It’s a little difficult to explain how I came to be Googling for Greenteeth, and you’d never believe it anyway, too spooky for words, but I’m glad I did. A certain Ian Thorpe runs a very entertaining blog in the name of Jenny Greenteeth the Boggart, or is that Bloggart. Roll on. Toilet humour isn’t … Continue reading “Greenteeth”
Hofstadter’s GEB has a thread – his eternal golden braid I guess – on strange loops from the outset, mathematical, visual and musical at the obvious level of his title, and clearly from the content, he’s leading to the idea of emergence of “intelligence” from multi-layered (recursive, cyclical) patterns of complexity. I noted a clear … Continue reading “Strategic Loops – Mothers of Invention”