tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3427479692989285926.post6706753059183808771..comments2024-03-17T11:54:10.124+11:00Comments on Journeyman Philosopher: What is now?Paul P. Mealinghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14573615711151742992noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3427479692989285926.post-40117434988881438372015-11-24T06:11:15.669+11:002015-11-24T06:11:15.669+11:00Wow, reading Gribbin's book now, you were righ...Wow, reading Gribbin's book now, you were right, amazingly to the point, packed with data and facts and .. he makes a ton of sense. May be each galaxy in the Universe is an "incubator" for one intelligent civilization so that it can develop in protected isolation from one-another until advanced enough to make contact (the distances between galaxies been the natural barrier to avoid early contact).<br /><br />I have also re-read your "Human Nature" post from 2000..excellent summary, brilliant.<br /><br />The minimum wage for females thought is very provocative and interesting. We do need different ideas like that to try improve this world.<br /><br />thanks Paul.Bill MDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01936989354408206481noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3427479692989285926.post-58714650594918319802015-11-06T16:29:28.062+11:002015-11-06T16:29:28.062+11:00Okay, I think I know what you're talking about...Okay, I think I know what you're talking about. Collapse of civilizations like the Mayans or Easter Island. Yes, we are in danger of doing that on a global scale. If you're an optimist you would say that we have the technology to forbear it. But if you're a pessimist you'll say that our consumerist society will run us out of resources by simply chasing the modern Western dream, which we export world-wide.<br /><br />I've written on this a number of times but <a href="http://journeymanphilosopher.blogspot.com.au/2011/09/biology-economy-humanity.html" rel="nofollow">this</a> is probably the most relevant discussion.<br /><br />Also <a href="https://www.newscientist.com/round-up/ocean-to-ozone-earths-nine-life-support-systems/" rel="nofollow">this article from New Scientist</a> (quite a few years ago), if you can access it, is worth looking at.<br /><br />I really think that giving more power to women all over the world is the key to our future. Because women invest in their children. In Brasil, a trial of a minimum salary has been implemented by a woman mayor, but it's only given to women, not men, and, apparently, it works, because they prioritise their children's needs, specifically food and education.<br /><br />Regards, Paul.Paul P. Mealinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14573615711151742992noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3427479692989285926.post-68820144110055861212015-11-05T03:08:44.217+11:002015-11-05T03:08:44.217+11:00thanks Paul, I was looking for a new book to read,...thanks Paul, I was looking for a new book to read, I will give Gribbin's a try, just bought it on Amazon.<br /><br />The Great Filter is a proposed explanation as to why there are no other signs of intelligent life in the Universe. I am sure you are familiar with the concept, just not the name great filter. Basically, it means there is some unkonw factor that filters intelligent civilizations out at some point in their history; examples would be nuclear armaggedon, over-pollution of the environment, runaway population growth, creation of destructive black holes in labs,... Some believe (I think you may be one of them from what I have read in your blogs) that we are approaching that Great Filter time here on Earth ourselves.<br /><br />take care.<br />Bill MDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01936989354408206481noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3427479692989285926.post-41215732022303628482015-11-03T11:26:40.914+11:002015-11-03T11:26:40.914+11:00I don't know what the 'Great Filter' i...I don't know what the 'Great Filter' is, I have to admit.<br /><br />Curiously, I just finished reading an excellent book that addresses your question in the second last paragraph, which I'd highly recommend.<br /><br />John Gribbin's <a href="https://www.google.com.au/search?q=the+reason+why+john+gribbin&ie=utf-8&oe=utf-8&gws_rd=cr&ei=lvg3VqXTGqilmQX22ryYDQ#q=reason+why+the+miracle+of+life+on+earth&stick=H4sIAAAAAAAAAONgecToyS3w8sc9YSmHSWtOXmO04uIKzsgvd80rySypFNLhYoOylLgEpHj00_UNjZJyzY0rkgw0GKT4uFBEeACU7u6zTgAAAA" rel="nofollow">The Reason Why</a> discusses this issue comprehensively and in great detail. He concludes that we are most likely, uniquely, the only technically advanced civilization within the entire Milky Way Galaxy. His arguments are compelling on a number of fronts.<br /><br />Every book I read only reinforces the point that our existence is extraordinary in the extreme; you've read my post on the fine-tuned universe.<br /><br />Did you read my post on 'Reason' last month? Effectively, a discussion of Paul Davies' book <i>The Mind of God</i> (written in the 90s).<br /><br />The point is that even if there is a multiverse, as Tegmark claims, our universe is still special. John Barrow in his excellent book, <i>The Book of Universes</i> (which I also <a href="http://journeymanphilosopher.blogspot.com.au/2011/05/cosmology-infinity-existence-how-they.html" rel="nofollow">previewed</a>, makes the point '...that if we were to produce a bell curve of probable universes that our particular universe exists in the "tail" and not at the peak as one might expect.' <br /><br />In my last comment I referenced a post I wrote many years ago (originally in 2000) called <a href="http://journeymanphilosopher.blogspot.com.au/2007/11/human.html" rel="nofollow">Human Nature</a>. Despite having written it so long ago, it still sums up my philosophy on 'human nature' pretty well.<br /><br />Regards, Paul.Paul P. Mealinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14573615711151742992noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3427479692989285926.post-44964116567912929532015-11-03T07:11:35.784+11:002015-11-03T07:11:35.784+11:00Excellent answers, thank you Paul. So in your opi...Excellent answers, thank you Paul. So in your opinion, scientific knowledge and evolutionary traits of empathy (survival through helping others) has steered humanity away from evil, to avoid the persistance of evil. For example, Hitler didn't win because the Allies "empathized" with the plight of occupied Europe? Or, when people have to chose between following an evil leader or a "good" leader, empathy for the suffering of those hurt by the evil leader makes us chose the good instead? Interesting, I see your point. I agree; for example, who nowadays would be attracted to the evil of ISIL other than an aberrant few after witnessing the pain they inflict on our fellow human beings? I also with you agree that Science is a beacon for chosing good over evil, generally.<br /><br />I did read Tegmark's book, yes. I am still shocked at how it ends: "we are the only intelligent, self-aware beings in this universe". Wow! that is so bold! I do believe we probably are the only advanced civilization in the Milky Way, but..the whole Universe? All those galaxies and trillions of stars? Just for us to give them meaning? What do you think, Paul?<br /><br />By the way, your last paragraph may well be refering to the "Great Filter", you know?<br /><br />Thank you.Bill MDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01936989354408206481noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3427479692989285926.post-20892092415288060582015-10-29T10:46:17.232+11:002015-10-29T10:46:17.232+11:00Hi Bill,
Have you read Tegmark’s book, The Mathem...Hi Bill,<br /><br />Have you read Tegmark’s book, The Mathematical Universe? I agree with his Platonist philosophy, and, whilst numbers seem to underpin the Universe in a Pythagorean fashion, the equations themselves do not create energy or stuff – there is no fire in the equations. If you’ve read my previous post to this, you will also know that I’m rather sceptical of the multiverse theories (there’s more than one).<br /><br />2+2=4 doesn’t of itself make the Universe deterministic – you probably know that – it’s just an example of a mathematical truth that is universal, like Pythagoras’s equation in Euclidean geometry (Pythagoras’s equation doesn’t work on curved surfaces, which makes it a good litmus test for curved surfaces).<br /><br />The roll of the dice is an example of a chaotic phenomenon where the smallest change in initial conditions can create a different outcome. One can mathematically prove that, in chaos, the initial conditions are impossible to determine because one would have to calculate them to infinite decimal places.<br /><br />So chaos and quantum mechanics both ensure that the Universe is not deterministic.<br /><br />Your question is really about God. You believe that God intervenes to keep us ‘on track’ in a good way. Actually, I turn this on its head: I believe that God is more likely dependent on us than the other way round – we get the God we deserve.<br /><br />I expect there are a number of reasons that things have generally improved – many years ago I wrote a post on human nature, but I won’t revisit that. Empathy is the key to our success, I would argue, past present and future. In fact, a social psychologist (I can’t remember who) suggested that evil should be called lack of empathy, because evil happens when empathy goes awol (away without leave). This is an evolutionary trait, without which, I believe, we would have gone extinct a long time ago through self-destruction. Another evolutionary trait, narcissism, has probably been the greatest generator of out-of-control megalomania that has brought out the worse in humanity.<br /><br />Another reason things have improved, I would argue, is scientific knowledge in all its forms, including mathematics. Science has created a perspective of our place in the Universe that truly humbles us. Plus, science, more than any other endeavour, has displaced superstition and ignorance and provided the most successful platform for the execution of reason. And reason is what separates us from all other species.<br /><br />It’s our success that’s going to get us into trouble, combined with the economic paradigm of infinite growth based on rampant consumerism, but that’s another topic.Paul P. Mealinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14573615711151742992noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3427479692989285926.post-76151904478197693002015-10-29T04:14:36.494+11:002015-10-29T04:14:36.494+11:00Excellent post as usual, Paul. Tegemarks MUH is in...Excellent post as usual, Paul. Tegemarks MUH is intriguing and provides insight into how the mathematical Universe can be both deteministic (2+2=4) and stochastic at the same time (a roll of the dice is all math if you break it down to angular momentums, pull of gravity, surface areas,..)<br /> <br />Now here is my first question for you: why am I fearful when going into a dark alley at night then? Why has evolution built fear into the survival instinct of living beings if everything is pre-determined anyway? Surely, Nature wouldn't have wasted time developing the instinct of fear if the outcome was pre-determined to be life or death no matter what the organism did (escape, fight,..)<br /><br />Here is my second question: isn't it a bit curious to you that, in History, things have always (eventually) turned out "right"? In other words, why was Nazism defeated? And totalitarian regimes during the Cold War, why didn't they prevail? Why did the Renaissance bring back the Classical knowledge, why didn't the Dark Ages go on forever? Why did Jesus' moral set of values (don't hurt your fellow humans) spread, and not the values of, say Guy Fawkes or the Unabomber? If we live in a chaotic/ stochastic universe, the odds of "good stuff" always prevailing should be equal to bad things prevailing. Are we just fortunate enough to live in a slice of the multiverse where Nero, Attila, Ghengis Khan, Marat, Hitler and Stalin "happen" to be on the losing side of History? Also, going forward, I am willing to bet you that the popularity of the Kim-Jong Uns or Ayatollahs of the world won't be catching on any time soon. Why is that? Why does, in your opinion History (so far) turn out right?<br />Thanks Paul.Bill MDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01936989354408206481noreply@blogger.com