Viewing profile — pitspotter2

Philosophy (as I regard it) is a sort of history of very clever but confused thinking, thinking which didn't lead anywhere. Thinking which did lead somewhere got relabelled science…

Yes. Dopamine is the mediator of the brain's seeking system, SEEKING being one of the seven emotional drives, according to Jaak Panksepp and Mark Solms. The full list of instinctua…

For me it's not an issue of perception, but sheer lack of working memory: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s2FXfFeRtJo

I've heard that submarines can now extract information from ambient ocean noise. Car honkings and traffic noise have got to be at least as useful, for the roads. Would require a mi…

I wonder what are the implications for the automated cars.

Corundum vs carborundum. It's a conundrum!

And while we're in the Sahara Desert with abundant sunshine, sand and carbon dioxide, let's build a silicon carbide brick factory . Sunlight to provide electrical power and, via fo…

Additionally I would like knurling on the knobs and muted musical tones to provide feedback, not the blaring monotonous beeps of today. Star Trek TNG was wrong about the desirabili…

(1) and (2) might empirically-speaking look similar over long enough timescales. Also if (2) is correct then fundamental progress, arising from periodic breakthroughs, depends more…

I get that bad news sells. It grabs attention I think partly because it's useful. It's a sort of 'prediction error' which helps us to learn from the misfortunes and mistakes of oth…

Two different philosophies of hope: (1) Optimism . The world has been getting better and all present evils can eventually be cured by developing the specific know-how (think Apollo…

SEM == scanning electron microscopy

Can you solder? Because in my experience with corded headphones the first thing to fail is the cord itself.

My parenting tip is: if you're expert at something, teach it to your children.

Another explanation for depression I've heard from Mark Solms. Or partial explanation. He thinks it may be a dysfunctional or pathologised form of mourning . There are two relevant…

Matt Ridley makes the case for attempting to bring back the 'penguins of the north': https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xJbXk7NldnM#t=18m

Without Delia Derbyshire Dr Who might have sounded more like this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t1SZs4xudf8

The hilarity illustrates an important point. We never just make a thing. A recipe or blueprint is a convenient fiction. Rather we participate in a dynamic evolving process which it…

The format of Foundation is rather terse and spare encyclopaedic entries alternating with stories of the characters meeting each other, conversing and so on. One of the reason it f…

Thank you!

I've read The Tacit Dimension but I'd be interested to know what are your favourite Polanyi links or writings?

(1) Keep a couple of pencils on the piano to write your fingering on the manuscript, (2) Feel free to ignore the editor's fingering if it's clunky for you, (3) No premature optimis…

The reason these false conspiracy theories spread is because many people distrust the motives of those in charge, now more than ever I think. Motives can't be observed scientifical…

In evolution things usually persist for multiple reasons. It seems possible that the gesture is both functional (in terms of the dog's hearing) and attractive (to humans). An attem…