Friday, May 18, 2012

Enchanted Glass as a Book Title

Enchanted Glass, a novel by Diana Wynne Jones, is described at the Wikipedia:
"Enchanted Glass is a fantasy novel by Diana Wynne Jones which was first published in 2010."

Monday, June 14, 2010

My bright idea: Guy Deutscher | Science | The Observer

Robert McCrum in My bright idea: Guy Deutscher | Science | The Observer:
writes:
"Guy Deutscher is that rare beast, an academic who talks good sense about linguistics, his chosen field. In his new book, Through the Language Glass (Heinemann), he fearlessly contradicts the fashionable consensus, espoused by the likes of Steven Pinker, that language is wholly a product of nature, that it does not take colour and value from culture and society. Deutscher argues, in a playful and provocative way, that our mother tongue does indeed affect how we think and, just as important, how we perceive the world."

Sunday, January 03, 2010

The Enchanted Glass: Scientific American

The Enchanted Glass: Scientific American by Michael Shermer
"Francis Bacon and experimental psychologists show why the facts in science never just speak for themselves."
"Cognitive barriers that color clear judgment presented a major impediment to Bacon's goal. He identified four: idols of the cave (individual peculiarities), idols of the marketplace (limits of language), idols of the theater (preexisting beliefs) and idols of the tribe (inherited foibles of human thought)."

The Subconscious Brain - Who's Minding the Mind? - New York Times

The Subconscious Brain - Who's Minding the Mind? - New York Times:

According to the article, hot-wiring the brain works, so that subconscious inputs precede conscious action - it reminds one of the principle of autosuggestion in hypnotism.

It would seem to this observer that the pathological fixations and obsessions that masquerade today in many places as religion can be explained by this phenomenon. Collections of individuals who have made themselves to believe a given dogma are essentially brainwashed psychopaths.

The question is, how can this be reversed? or can it be reversed?

The Subconscious Brain - Who's Minding the Mind? - New York Times

The Subconscious Brain - Who's Minding the Mind? - New York Times

BBC - Science & Nature - Human Body and Mind - Mind

BBC - Science & Nature - Human Body and Mind - Mind

EDGE

EDGE
"To arrive at the edge of the world's knowledge, seek out the most complex and sophisticated minds, put them in a room together, and have them ask each other the questions they are asking themselves."

UC Berkeley social scientists build case for 'survival of the kindest' | Eureka! Science News

UC Berkeley social scientists build case for 'survival of the kindest' | Eureka! Science News

Monday, October 30, 2006

Happy Halloween 2006 : And What is more Enchanted than a Cat?

Happy Halloween 2006
And What is more Enchanted than a Cat?


HAPPY HALLOWEEN 2006.
And what is more enchanted than a cat?

Saturday, December 24, 2005

Ward Cunningham Wiki Inventor

Via Slacker Manager we found Mike Rogoway's December 19, 2005 The Web's wizard of working together, an article about Ward Cunningham, the inventor of the "wiki". Definitely worth a read.

Wednesday, August 03, 2005

Blogthings - How You Life Your Life

How You Life Your Life

You have a good sense of self control and hate to show weakness.

You say whatever is on your mind. Other people's reactions don't phase you.

You tend to have one best friend you hang with, as opposed to many aquaintences.

You have one big dream in your life, and you never lose sight of it.

Thursday, February 10, 2005

Edge

Edge is definitely a bookmark of value. Take a look.

Monday, August 30, 2004

Environmental Photo of the Year by NASA

A recent article about the demise of the Maya has an interesting sidelight.

The August 24, 2004 NASA article by Mischon Scott entitled Mayan Mysteries contains a photo which I would entitle the "Environmental Photo of the Year".

It is a space photograph of the border between Mexico and Guatemala and shows clearly the political border between the two countries as if it been drawn onto the Earth by ruler and pencil.

The reason for this is the deforestation in Mexico and retention of the rain forest in Guatemala. The deforestation is so severe that it makes the political boundaries between the two states visible in a photo from space. Take a look.