The Enchanted Glass

My bright idea: Guy Deutscher | Science | The Observer

2010-06-14T23:40:00.001+02:00

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."

Brain Size Matters... For Video Games

2010-01-21T04:22:00.000+01:00

Brain Size Matters... For Video Games

The Enchanted Glass: Scientific American

2010-01-03T22:19:00.000+01:00

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

2010-01-03T17:33:00.000+01:00

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

2010-01-03T17:08:00.001+01:00

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

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

2010-01-03T17:08:00.000+01:00

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

EDGE

2010-01-03T17:07:00.000+01:00

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

2010-01-03T16:36:00.000+01:00

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

Celebrating 150 years of 'On the Origin of Species' | Wellcome Trust

2009-11-24T17:28:00.000+01:00

Celebrating 150 years of 'On the Origin of Species' | Wellcome Trust

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

2006-10-30T20:31:00.000+01:00

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

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

Ward Cunningham Wiki Inventor

2005-12-24T14:43:00.000+01:00

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.

Blogthings - How You Life Your Life

2005-08-03T15:02:00.000+02:00

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.

How Do You Live Your Life?

Edge

2005-02-10T10:01:00.000+01:00

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

Environmental Photo of the Year by NASA

2004-08-30T12:25:00.000+02:00

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.

We All Carry a Stick

2004-08-04T04:24:00.000+02:00

We All Carry a Stick

Nina Camic over at the The Other Side of the Ocean makes an admirable admission:

"So, at least looking at the list in the New Yorker, I can boast my superior command over myself: I don’t smoke (never liked the stuff so I guess I can’t claim great virtue there), I keep my weight under control, I try to be nice to colleagues (last week was the exception – I was just getting back at a grave injustice that befell me!), and I don’t carry around a stick.

Or do I? It’s invisible, but sure enough, I think I do carry a stick. Darn it. I’m not even superficially perfect."

Our question is: do we not all carry a stick of some kind?

Life and Living

2004-08-04T04:08:00.000+02:00

Life and Living

Across the Atlantic writes in a fitting context:

"“Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body; but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming, “Wow! What a Ride!’”

There is a lot of truth to that concept of life and living.

The Scorpion and the Frog

2004-08-04T03:59:00.000+02:00

The Scorpion and the Frog

Nelson Ascher at EuroPundits recounts the "famous story" of the scorpion and the frog, which reflects much of the world situation. We have both too many gullible frogs in this world and also too many scorpions just waiting to take advantage of them.

Are You Omniscient?

2004-05-21T13:56:00.000+02:00

Are You Omniscient? by omniscient
Your Personality Type
Your Knowledge Level
Your Intuition Awareness
Your Skills Capability
Your Creative Edge
Your Romance Desires
Your Practical Judgment
Your Omniscient Omen	Man seeks to Know, only GOD is Omniscient.

Created with the ORIGINAL MemeGen!