tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-36671023078816871032024-03-05T23:17:43.781+00:00Limes InferiorThis blog offers a collection of this exobrain’s random musings and conversations with itself about the big questions that keep us up at night. From the mysteries of the universe to the intricacies of the human mind, as well as the complexities of health, medicine, nutrition, and excretion, this blog is a space where we can explore the wonders of our world together. And who knows? Maybe we'll even come up with some answers along the way. TL;DR? The answer is 42.Limes Inferiorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16566802367512396467noreply@blogger.comBlogger33125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3667102307881687103.post-79767283635877388062024-02-19T21:44:00.008+00:002024-02-19T22:07:44.132+00:00The Serfs of Silicon: Neofeudalism in the Digital Age<blockquote style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"></blockquote><p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXTkIzTrKIKadCSW-wQj6tlaBy9McnXFEzS-1lHDW36kvJryIRTpkWfJaTCJYU8Arjty8jguIwlK44mEzaC4Ls8_0kRsFbf8_HF3ZpYIY_xi75QC0T-6FQHRRMgA2SHiTEraJSrBAYEF8mhFz4-wHw6xg1mIPItep6SXkDu-CmBTHcSfZl5x2cB65cwh41/s1024/IMG_2159.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1024" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXTkIzTrKIKadCSW-wQj6tlaBy9McnXFEzS-1lHDW36kvJryIRTpkWfJaTCJYU8Arjty8jguIwlK44mEzaC4Ls8_0kRsFbf8_HF3ZpYIY_xi75QC0T-6FQHRRMgA2SHiTEraJSrBAYEF8mhFz4-wHw6xg1mIPItep6SXkDu-CmBTHcSfZl5x2cB65cwh41/w400-h400/IMG_2159.JPG" title="Neopharaohs of the Digital Edge" width="400" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">In the labyrinthine corridors of the modern economic landscape, a disquieting echo of the past resonates. Gary Stevenson, a renegade from the gilded cage of high finance, warns of a chilling regression – the specter of feudalism. While Yanis Varoufakis, the astute economist, aptly captures this phenomenon through the evocative term technofeudalism, painting a stark picture: a world where the once vibrant tapestry of capitalism unravels, replaced by a rigid hierarchy dominated by a select few <b>neopharaohs</b>.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Stevenson, with the keen eye of a disillusioned insider, lays bare the cracks in the edifice of contemporary capitalism. He observes the widening chasm of inequality, where the fruits of prosperity disproportionately nourish the coffers of the privileged, leaving the ordinary citizen to navigate an increasingly treacherous economic terrain. The pandemic, he argues, served as a cruel catalyst, exacerbating existing imbalances through quantitative easing policies that inflated asset prices, further enriching the already wealthy while leaving the underclasses teetering on the precipice of precarity.In the labyrinthine corridors of the modern economic landscape, a disquieting echo of the past resonates. Gary Stevenson,a renegade from the gilded cage of high finance, warns of a chilling regression – the specter of feudalism. While Yanis Varoufakis, the astute economist, aptly captures this phenomenon through the evocative term technofeudalism,painting a stark picture: a world where the once vibrant tapestry of capitalism unravels, replaced by a rigid hierarchy dominated by a select few.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Stevenson, with the keen eye of a disillusioned insider, lays bare the cracks in the edifice of contemporary capitalism. He observes the widening chasm of inequality, where the fruits of prosperity disproportionately nourish the coffers of the privileged, leaving the ordinary citizen to navigate an increasingly treacherous economic terrain. The pandemic, he argues, served as a cruel catalyst, exacerbating existing imbalances through quantitative easing policies that inflated asset prices, further enriching the already wealthy while leaving the underclasses teetering on the precipice of precarity.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Varoufakis, with the meticulous precision of a scholar, dissects the anatomy of this emergent neofeudalism. He identifies powerful actors, encompassing not just tech giants but also inheritors of vast wealth and those wielding control over critical resources, as key players in this system. Their influence extends far beyond the physical realm, encompassing the very fabric of our lives – communication, commerce, and even entertainment. These powerful actors, akin to the historical pharaohs, extract rents from a significant portion of the population, who struggle to access essential services and economic opportunities.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The specter of neofeudalism casts a long shadow, threatening to extinguish the flickering flame of social mobility and economic justice. But amidst the gathering gloom, a glimmer of hope persists. Asimov, the visionary bard of science fiction, once penned, "Violence is the last resort of the incompetent." We must heed his wisdom. The solution lies not in brute force, but in the collective ingenuity of the human spirit.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The emergence of artificial intelligence (AI) further complicates this landscape. AI has the potential to automate vast swathes of jobs, potentially displacing millions and further concentrating wealth in the hands of those who control these powerful technologies. AI algorithms, if left unchecked, can also perpetuate and exacerbate existing biases, leading to discriminatory outcomes in areas like employment, lending, and criminal justice.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Firstly, we must dismantle the walls of the fiefdoms controlled by these powerful actors. Data, the lifeblood of their power, must be democratized, empowering individuals with control over their personal information. Libre software,fueled by open standards, offers a path towards a more equitable digital landscape. Platforms built on the foundation of GNU/Linux principles can serve as bulwarks against the encroaching tide of digital serfdom.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Secondly, education, the great equalizer, must be revitalized. We must equip our citizens with the digital literacy necessary to navigate the complexities of the tech-driven world, including an understanding of AI and its potential impacts. Coding skills, data analysis, critical thinking, and ethical considerations must become cornerstones of a new curriculum, empowering individuals to become not merely passive participants, but active agents in shaping their economic destinies and ensuring responsible development and deployment of AI.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Finally, we must foster a spirit of collective action and explore bold solutions. Reforming inheritance laws could serve as a tool to curb the perpetuation of economic inequality and prevent the consolidation of power in the hands of a select few. Additionally, promoting worker ownership through cooperatives and strengthening social safety nets can empower individuals and communities to resist the exploitative practices of the powerful actors in this system. We must also regulate the development and deployment of AI to ensure it benefits all of society, not just a select few. This could involve establishing ethical guidelines for AI development, promoting transparency and accountability in AI decision-making, and investing in programs to reskill and upskill workers displaced by automation.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Furthermore, the very technological advancements that raise concerns about job displacement also present an opportunity for a paradigm shift: the implementation of a universal basic income (UBI). With automation potentially freeing up vast resources, UBI could provide every citizen with a guaranteed minimum income, irrespective of their employment status. This would not only alleviate the immediate economic anxieties of those displaced by AI but also foster a more equitable society where individuals have the freedom to pursue education, entrepreneurship, or creative endeavors without the constant pressure of financial precarity.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">The road ahead is fraught with challenges, but the stakes are undeniably high. By harnessing the collective power of knowledge, innovation, and solidarity, we can forge a path towards a more just and equitable future, one where the benefits of the digital age and beyond are not hoarded by a select few, but shared by all. The time for action is now. Let us rise to the challenge, and together, rewrite the narrative of the digital age, ensuring that technology and resources serve humanity, not the other way around.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><p></p><blockquote style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"></blockquote><blockquote style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"></blockquote><blockquote style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"></blockquote><blockquote style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"></blockquote><blockquote style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"></blockquote><blockquote style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"></blockquote><blockquote style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"></blockquote><blockquote style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"></blockquote><blockquote style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"></blockquote><blockquote style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"></blockquote><blockquote style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"></blockquote><blockquote style="border: medium; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"></blockquote>Limes Inferiorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16566802367512396467noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3667102307881687103.post-58364835005220129132023-02-23T15:05:00.000+00:002023-02-23T15:06:00.657+00:00Is Misanthropy Holding You Back? Insights from Psychology and Stoicism<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWP8jSHgawlscVzNvkxD3Uvf8XnbBoKVzfiRqc843yY4-1jQMN4VpPmb459Sh5cJCTiEIOVTZX2BdsjvZTi2DigCtkDh0UhgzUTVzcs241R9-u3Vs3ecXK2dCYn0qo2-Jbm4Unk206ddOcJGf64lXEE39GnV2Trsq-Tt0QF6JyCarttkzV7fRZE54q6w/s500/1AD60505-ED8E-4957-9798-78BF81488CE4.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="500" data-original-width="351" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWP8jSHgawlscVzNvkxD3Uvf8XnbBoKVzfiRqc843yY4-1jQMN4VpPmb459Sh5cJCTiEIOVTZX2BdsjvZTi2DigCtkDh0UhgzUTVzcs241R9-u3Vs3ecXK2dCYn0qo2-Jbm4Unk206ddOcJGf64lXEE39GnV2Trsq-Tt0QF6JyCarttkzV7fRZE54q6w/s320/1AD60505-ED8E-4957-9798-78BF81488CE4.jpeg" width="225" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;">We recently published two blog posts on misanthropy and infidelity (see links below), and our readers asked us to delve deeper into the topic of misanthropy itself. Since we're interested in Stoicism and Psychology, we decided to blend these two perspectives to explain what misanthropy really means.</div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">Misanthropy is a term used to describe a general dislike or hatred of humanity. It is a complex psychological phenomenon that has been studied by psychologists and philosophers alike. From a psychological perspective, misanthropy can be seen as a form of negative social cognition, characterised by negative attitudes and beliefs towards other people. From a Stoic perspective, misanthropy can be seen as a symptom of an unhealthy mindset that prevents one from living a virtuous life.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;"><br /></h3><h3 style="text-align: left;">Classification</h3><p style="text-align: justify;">Misanthropy can be classified in different ways depending on the context and the underlying causes. Here are some of the classifications of misanthropy:</p><p></p><ul style="text-align: left;"><li style="text-align: justify;">Self-inclusive misanthropy: This refers to a general dislike or distrust of humanity that includes the individual themselves. Self-inclusive misanthropes may view themselves as flawed, unworthy, or incapable of living up to societal expectations, and may feel a sense of self-loathing or hopelessness.</li><li style="text-align: justify;">Self-exclusive misanthropy: This refers to a general dislike or distrust of humanity that excludes the individual themselves. Self-exclusive misanthropes may view themselves as superior, enlightened, or above the flaws and shortcomings of the rest of humanity, and may feel a sense of detachment or superiority.</li><li style="text-align: justify;">Environmental misanthropy: This refers to a dislike of humanity as a whole, often based on concerns about environmental destruction and the impact of human activity on the planet. Environmental misanthropes may view humans as a destructive force that is causing irreparable harm to the earth.</li><li style="text-align: justify;">Social misanthropy: This refers specifically to a dislike or distrust of other people, often based on negative experiences with individuals or groups. Social misanthropes may view people as selfish, cruel, or untrustworthy, and may prefer to avoid social interaction.</li><li style="text-align: justify;">Intellectual misanthropy: This refers to a distrust or disdain for the intellectual capacity of humanity, often based on a belief that most people are ignorant, irrational, or incapable of critical thinking.</li><li style="text-align: justify;">Cultural misanthropy: This refers to a dislike or rejection of the cultural norms, values, and beliefs of a society or group. Cultural misanthropes may view these norms as oppressive, superficial, or arbitrary, and may reject them in favor of alternative perspectives.</li><li style="text-align: justify;">Political misanthropy: This refers to a distrust or rejection of the political systems and institutions of a society, often based on a belief that they are corrupt, ineffective, or unjust. Political misanthropes may view politics as a futile or even harmful endeavor.</li></ul><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">It's worth noting that these classifications are not mutually exclusive, and some individuals may exhibit multiple forms of misanthropy at the same time.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Psychology</h3><p style="text-align: justify;">Misanthropy is often associated with negative emotions such as anger, resentment, and cynicism. Individuals who experience misanthropy may have had negative experiences with people in the past, which has caused them to develop a general distrust or dislike of others. This negative social cognition can manifest in a variety of ways, from avoiding social situations to openly expressing contempt towards others.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">One of the key factors that contribute to misanthropy is social isolation. People who are socially isolated are more likely to experience negative social cognition, including misanthropy. This is because social isolation can lead to feelings of loneliness, boredom, and a lack of purpose, which can contribute to negative attitudes towards other people.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Another factor that can contribute to misanthropy is cognitive biases. People who experience misanthropy may have a tendency to focus on negative aspects of social interactions and disregard positive experiences. This cognitive bias can lead to a self-fulfilling prophecy, where negative attitudes towards others lead to negative social interactions, which in turn reinforce negative attitudes.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Ancient Stoics were keen observers of human psychology. Here are a couple of quotations relevant to our discussion:</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><i>"Choose not to be harmed and you won't feel harmed. Don't feel harmed and you haven't been." - Marcus Aurelius</i></p><p style="text-align: justify;">This quote highlights the importance of cognitive reframing, which is a technique that can help individuals overcome negative social cognition, including misanthropy. By choosing not to be harmed by negative social interactions and focusing on positive aspects of social interactions, individuals can develop a more positive mindset towards others.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><i>"We are more often frightened than hurt, and we suffer more from imagination than from reality." - Seneca</i></p><p style="text-align: justify;">This quote emphasizes the role of cognitive biases in contributing to negative attitudes towards others. By recognizing that our imaginations can lead us to exaggerate negative social interactions, we can learn to separate reality from our perceptions of it and develop a more positive mindset towards others.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Stoicism</h3><p style="text-align: justify;">Stoicism is a philosophy that emphasizes the importance of living a virtuous life. From a Stoic perspective, misanthropy can be seen as a symptom of an unhealthy mindset that prevents one from living a virtuous life. This is because misanthropy is often associated with negative emotions, which can lead to a lack of empathy and compassion towards others.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The Stoics believed that virtuous living involves developing a deep sense of empathy and compassion towards other people. This is because virtuous living is not just about following a set of moral principles, but about developing a sense of connection and responsibility towards the world around us. Misanthropy, on the other hand, can prevent us from developing this sense of connection and responsibility, as it leads to a general sense of contempt and disregard for others.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">From a Stoic perspective, misanthropy is not only a symptom of an unhealthy mindset but is also an obstacle to virtuous living. This is because misanthropy can lead to a lack of compassion and empathy, which are essential components of virtuous living. The Stoics believed that developing a sense of empathy and compassion towards others is essential for living a virtuous life, as it allows us to connect with others on a deeper level and develop a sense of responsibility towards the world around us.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><i>"Men are disturbed not by things, but by the views which they take of things." - Epictetus</i></p><p style="text-align: justify;">This quote emphasises the role of mindset in determining our emotional reactions to social interactions. By changing our views of things, we can change the way we feel about them and develop a more positive mindset towards others.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><i>"The happiness of your life depends upon the quality of your thoughts." - Marcus Aurelius</i></p><p style="text-align: justify;">This quote highlights the importance of developing a virtuous mindset in order to live a fulfilling life. By cultivating positive thoughts and emotions towards others, we can develop a deeper sense of connection and responsibility towards the world around us and live a more virtuous life.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">TL;DR</h3><p style="text-align: justify;">Misanthropy is a complex psychological phenomenon that can have negative effects on an individual's well-being and ability to live a virtuous life. From a psychological perspective, misanthropy is characterized by negative attitudes and beliefs towards other people, which can be exacerbated by social isolation and cognitive biases. From a Stoic perspective, misanthropy is seen as a symptom of an unhealthy mindset that prevents us from living a virtuous life by hindering our ability to develop empathy and compassion towards others. Overall, it is important to recognize misanthropy as a negative and potentially harmful mindset and work towards developing a sense of empathy and compassion towards others in order to live a virtuous and fulfilling life.</p><h3 style="text-align: left;">Links</h3><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><ol><li><a href="http://limesinferior.blogspot.com/2023/02/broken-promises-relationship-between.html">Broken Promises: The Relationship Between Extramarital Affairs and Misanthropy</a></li><li><a href="http://limesinferior.blogspot.com/2023/02/broken-hearts-and-broken-trust.html">Broken Hearts and Broken Trust: The Connection Between Betrayal and Misanthropy</a></li></ol><p></p>Limes Inferiorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16566802367512396467noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3667102307881687103.post-60119497217261531932023-02-22T14:52:00.001+00:002023-02-22T15:43:44.772+00:00Broken Hearts and Broken Trust: The Connection Between Betrayal and Misanthropy<p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://i.pinimg.com/originals/3d/95/b7/3d95b7d75bb5685df9dcaf7a7fae5c8e.jpg" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="557" data-original-width="800" height="279" src="https://i.pinimg.com/originals/3d/95/b7/3d95b7d75bb5685df9dcaf7a7fae5c8e.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Dino Valls</span></td></tr></tbody></table><span face="Söhne, ui-sans-serif, system-ui, -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Ubuntu, Cantarell, "Noto Sans", sans-serif, "Helvetica Neue", Arial, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol", "Noto Color Emoji"" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: 100%; caret-color: rgb(55, 65, 81); color: #374151; font-size: 16px; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span><p></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: medium;">Meet Sarah, a dedicated humanist who has always believed in the inherent goodness of people. She's seen the good in people, even when it's been hard to find. She's strived to create a world that is more just, compassionate, and equitable, based on reason, science, and empathy.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 27.2px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: medium;">But when Sarah's husband cheats on her, it's like everything she believed in has been shattered. The act of infidelity feels like a violation of her trust and a betrayal of her values. She questions whether her belief in the inherent goodness of people is misguided or naive.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 27.2px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: medium;">As the emotional fallout of being cheated on takes hold, Sarah feels a sense of anger, sadness, and a deep sense of loss. The hurt and pain are overwhelming, and she can't imagine ever trusting anyone again.</span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: medium;">Over time, Sarah starts to feel a sense of cynicism and bitterness towards others. She views people as inherently selfish and untrustworthy, assuming that everyone is capable of betraying her. This leads to a sense of isolation and a reluctance to form new relationships, as the fear of being hurt again is too great.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 27.2px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: medium;">As the years go by, Sarah's negative feelings accumulate, leading to a general sense of misanthropy. She starts to see the world as a cruel and unforgiving place, full of people who are incapable of acting with kindness or empathy. It feels like her belief in the potential for human goodness has been shattered beyond repair.</span></p><p class="p2" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; min-height: 27.2px; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody;"></span><br /></span></p><p class="p1" style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; font-stretch: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px; text-align: justify;"><span class="s1" style="font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: medium;">In conclusion, being cheated on by one's spouse can be a deeply traumatic experience that can challenge a humanist's fundamental beliefs about the inherent goodness of humanity. The emotional pain and betrayal can lead to a sense of cynicism and bitterness towards others, ultimately contributing to the development of misanthropic tendencies. It is essential for those who have been betrayed to seek support and healing, finding ways to rebuild their trust in others and rekindle their belief in the potential for human beings to act with kindness and compassion.</span></p>Limes Inferiorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16566802367512396467noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3667102307881687103.post-20007935458878879042023-02-22T13:45:00.004+00:002023-02-22T15:33:15.088+00:00Broken Promises: The Relationship Between Extramarital Affairs and Misanthropy<p></p><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnOfq-GOsl2K4l-r-SHn-lFAdtp_JORfkyvrzmOMPstg_msKlyYzYm0jJNito6PPWUPExJA9podo-0jtgLRjtNWnQhXfeU1eHvcy-khuzVDawZtHYstM81soFqS7-e5A6OrIK4FYP5gmRBWvZWJ8twxGIqFVojaf3UioddMPvWIaQyCRtPGMScEDT3pg/s474/7C1981AB-33F3-4FDD-9728-743856D27061.jpeg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="197" data-original-width="474" height="166" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnOfq-GOsl2K4l-r-SHn-lFAdtp_JORfkyvrzmOMPstg_msKlyYzYm0jJNito6PPWUPExJA9podo-0jtgLRjtNWnQhXfeU1eHvcy-khuzVDawZtHYstM81soFqS7-e5A6OrIK4FYP5gmRBWvZWJ8twxGIqFVojaf3UioddMPvWIaQyCRtPGMScEDT3pg/w400-h166/7C1981AB-33F3-4FDD-9728-743856D27061.jpeg" width="400" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: x-small;">Glenn Close and John Malkovich in Dangerous Liaisons (1988)</span></td></tr></tbody></table><p></p><div><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Extramarital affairs, by their very nature, involve deceit and betrayal, both of which can have a profound impact on the individual who experiences them. Infidelity can lead to feelings of guilt, shame, and emotional turmoil, which can ultimately result in a loss of faith in humanity and a general sense of misanthropy.</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">When a person engages in an extramarital affair, they are breaking a sacred promise and violating the trust of their partner. This can result in a sense of guilt and self-loathing, as the individual may feel that they have betrayed not only their partner but also their own values and principles.</span></p><div><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Furthermore, infidelity can be emotionally destabilizing, leading to feelings of isolation, loneliness, and a sense of being disconnected from others. The betrayal of one's partner can lead to a breakdown in communication and trust, which can make it difficult for the individual to form meaningful connections with others in the future.</span></p></div><div><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Over time, these negative emotions and experiences can accumulate, leading to a general sense of disillusionment with humanity as a whole. The individual may become jaded, bitter, and resentful towards others, seeing them as untrustworthy and deceitful, just as they themselves had been.</span></p></div></div><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">In conclusion, extramarital affairs can be a significant contributing factor to the development of misanthropic tendencies. The emotional toll of infidelity can be profound, and the resulting loss of trust and faith in others can lead to a general sense of cynicism and pessimism about human nature. It is therefore essential that individuals who find themselves tempted to engage in such behavior consider the potential consequences carefully, not only for themselves but also for their relationships and their view of the world around them.</span></p>Limes Inferiorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16566802367512396467noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3667102307881687103.post-70025136361966403172018-03-20T14:12:00.000+00:002018-03-20T14:14:25.531+00:00To fast, or not to fast, that is the question<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5BxNR4f4-rjYp4mb2oREL_ZC26Ln5z4fkWLcDa7oqRwpN5YG9K4bWA-qoxVYq8qqFx22B20D3r5_mWQ53rUjbzNYZ6MDOyVQfESRHUyguPBL7wpImT3lTv7IDRiBjmcCOxTGCdT4-1abO/s1600/blackhamletskull.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="453" data-original-width="635" height="285" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5BxNR4f4-rjYp4mb2oREL_ZC26Ln5z4fkWLcDa7oqRwpN5YG9K4bWA-qoxVYq8qqFx22B20D3r5_mWQ53rUjbzNYZ6MDOyVQfESRHUyguPBL7wpImT3lTv7IDRiBjmcCOxTGCdT4-1abO/s400/blackhamletskull.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr align="center"><td class="tr-caption"><blockquote class="tr_bq">
<div style="padding-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;">
<i>Whether 'tis nobler in the mind to suffer</i></div>
<div style="padding-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;">
<i>The slings and arrows of outrageous fortune,</i></div>
<div style="padding-left: 1em; text-indent: -1em;">
<i>Or to take arms against a sea of troubles</i></div>
<i>And by opposing end them.</i></blockquote>
</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
</blockquote>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
There is always a trade-off between being adventurous and adopting a more conservative approach to innovation. The <b>theory of diffusion of innovation</b> comes to mind. The vast majority of people are not innovators or early adopters - innovators are quite rare. </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
We often wrongly assume that deferring a decision whether we should introduce something new into our lives (i.e. our making a decision to maintain the status quo) is a safe choice. To <b>"wait and see" does not necessarily mean to "play it safe"</b>.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Imagine that you are a smoker living in 1920s Germany and you read that doctor <b>Fritz Lickint</b> claims that smoking causes cancer. Not only many doctors you know are smokers and consider smoking safe, but some even say that smoking actually improves health, and you (and many other smokers you know) agree with them. You love smoking and decide you do not want to quit <b>till there is a scientific consensus</b> (if ever) that smoking really not only does not improve health but actually causes cancer. <b>Decades pass.</b> To escape the war you emigrate to America. In the 1960s, the United States Surgeon General's Report on Smoking and Health is published and <b>you finally have your consensus</b>: smoking tobacco does cause cancer and many other diseases. You have been killing yourself for the last forty years!</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Or an alternative ending: Considering all that smoking, maybe you are already dead when the report comes out... </div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Why am writing this? Why the title? Well, I have just had a discussion about fasting & LCHF lifestyle and the existing research on their short-term and long-term effects in humans. Over the years, I stumbled upon quite a lot of studies, in both animials and humans, that show many potential
benefits of both fasting and ketogenic / LCHF lifestyle (e.g.
anti-carcinogenic, neuroprotective, cardioprotective, anti-aging,
anti-inflammatory). Unfortunately, most available data comes from short-term studies and there is scarcity of long-term studies (which, in case of medical research, is quite typical).</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Ultimately, everyone has to do their own research, carefully weight pros and cons, and make their own decisions. We should never stop challenging our preconceptions and the status quo. Inaction, a choice not to change anything, is not automatically a safer choice.</div>
Limes Inferiorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16566802367512396467noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3667102307881687103.post-27136815624867806742018-02-09T14:34:00.001+00:002018-03-20T14:12:48.530+00:00Nutrition: omega-6 to omega-3 ratio<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsLX9zzVbRm94yoDN2zOVCtHUqdba1bX662tm9xj0TgYLpVXKIzEF0DuhhBcQM0P7hzhUSSeulUqqBRZnbuTYjOHi5Wk5r5o0c7lOA0bB61S64KCuLPoakoIUNBBCcBgE9Dk9i0UHBKSHh/s1600/mixed-nuts.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="808" data-original-width="1200" height="268" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsLX9zzVbRm94yoDN2zOVCtHUqdba1bX662tm9xj0TgYLpVXKIzEF0DuhhBcQM0P7hzhUSSeulUqqBRZnbuTYjOHi5Wk5r5o0c7lOA0bB61S64KCuLPoakoIUNBBCcBgE9Dk9i0UHBKSHh/s400/mixed-nuts.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
It has been claimed that human beings evolved on a diet that had a ratio of omega-6 to omega-3
fatty acids (FA) of about 1:1; whereas today, Western diets have a ratio
of 10:1 to 20–25:1, indicating that Western diets are deficient in
omega-3 FA (e.g. <span class="bibliographic-information__value u-overflow-wrap" id="doi-url">DOI:10.1007/s12035-010-8162-0</span>). There is tentative evidence of omega-3 FA lowering inflammation levels in humans while omega-6 FA and their metabolites may have proinflammatory effect (but see 1). Because of all the above, some hypothesise that the "unnaturaly" high ratio of n6:n3 is the reason why modern diets are correlated with many inflammatory disorders (e.g. cancer, atherosclerosis, and ischemic heart disease).<br />
<br />
Many health and nutrition gurus and professionals advise that, in order to improve our health, we should eat X instead of Y because Y has a terrible omega-6 FA to omega-3 FA ratio. To give just a couple of examples:<br />
<ul>
<li>I have stumbled upon advice from <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Greger" target="_blank">Dr Michael Greger (MD)</a> of <a href="https://nutritionfacts.org/" target="_blank">NutritionFacts.org</a> that we should eat walnuts because they have a good n6:n3 ratio of c. 4:1</li>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/user/TheTdelauer/about" target="_blank">Thomas DeLauer</a> <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VlFFtGmVF84" target="_blank">advised</a> his viewers not to eat almonds because of their high omega-6 FA and phytic acid (see 2) content. At the same time he recommended pecans.</li>
</ul>
Pecans contain almost twice as much n-6 as almonds. Walnuts are even worse in this respect as they contain around three times as much omega-6.<br />
It seems obvious that ratios of
n6:n3 in individual products are not important (unless one follows a monotrophic (or close to monotrophic) diet which one should not). What is important is the
ratio of your cumulative daily intake of both FA groups. If you ingest x grams of
almonds (n6:n3 ratio of c. 2000:1) you still get <b>three times less n-6</b>
than if you ingest x grams of walnuts (which boast of a much "better"
n6:n3 ratio of c. 4:1). It seems reasonable that what you should do is just enjoy your almonds, walnuts, pecans or
whatever else you might fancy and add some ground flaxseeds into your diet to bring the daily
n6:n3 ratio closer to 1:1 ;).<br />
<br />
<br />
Footnotes:<br />
<ol>
<li>Omega-6 FA are still essential for the human body to function. Moreover, there is also
evidence of their anti-inflammatory effect so to consider them just
proinflammatory is one-sided.</li>
<li>"Studies examining the effects of phytic acid demonstrate that it is important in regulating vital cellular functions. Both in vivo and in vitro experiments have demonstrated striking anticancer (preventive as well as therapeutic) effects of phytic acid. Research shows anti-carcinogenic effects, albeit to a lesser extent and it acts in inhibiting cancer. In addition to reduction in cell proliferation, phytic acid increases differentiation of malignant cells often resulting in reversion to the normal phenotype." (DOI: 10.1046/j.1365-2621.2002.00620.x)</li>
</ol>
Limes Inferiorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16566802367512396467noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3667102307881687103.post-2031555767197437692017-01-11T16:26:00.000+00:002017-01-11T16:26:08.395+00:00Authority, Fear and Zimbardo's Lucifer EffectThese two short TED videos are best considered together. The first one shows how ordinary people fall prey to unscrupulous politicians who manipulate them in order to gain power, legitimacy and authority:<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/jFICRFKtAc4/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/jFICRFKtAc4?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<br />
<a href="http://ed.ted.com/lessons/how-did-hitler-rise-to-power-alex-gendler-and-anthony-hazard" target="_blank">View full on TED-Ed: How did Hitler rise to power?</a><br />
<br />
Divide et impera. Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it.<br />
<br />
The second video shows how ordinary people change after they have given authority to a wrong person or group:<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/OsFEV35tWsg/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/OsFEV35tWsg?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
<br />
<a href="http://www.ted.com/talks/philip_zimbardo_on_the_psychology_of_evil" target="_blank">See full on TED: Philip Zimbardo - The psychology of evil</a><br />
<br />
To quote Zimbardo, there are only 7 social processes that grease "the slippery slope of evil":<br />
<ol>
<li>Mindlessly taking the first small step</li>
<li>Dehumanization of others</li>
<li>De-individuation of self (anonymity)</li>
<li>Diffusion of personal responsibility</li>
<li>Blind obedience to authority</li>
<li>Uncritical conformity to group norms</li>
<li>Passive tolerance of evil through inaction or indifference</li>
</ol>
The above makes it easy to understand the recent rise of populist nationalism, both in Europe (e.g. Brexit) and globally (e.g. Trump), just a few years after the ruling elites caused <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Great_Recession" target="_blank">the Great Recession</a> in 2008, and shows how it is possible that millions of ordinarily rational people could swallow even the most preposterous lies, and transform into mindless masses of fearful, prejudiced and deluded followers of their new fascist leaders (who, unsurprisingly, preach anti-intellectualism (who needs experts, right?), as rational thinking is their worst enemy and could allow their followers to wake up and see through all the lies).Limes Inferiorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16566802367512396467noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3667102307881687103.post-16209079482233358042016-11-27T13:30:00.000+00:002016-11-27T13:33:59.306+00:00Today's comments on Brexit<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYdXLd62aY1pDZpm7C73Qb5xOVS4MZOJ0H13VNI-HPrR1oPyYVmlFZqadYndWPfXc4wvh4N_Wr-yyzQZo6KqAkqKXhVJ9KFm5ZVQ3sAzJ8NDbmPm_15c4Kxg1aEJDeChog9OzAEw5OFDA_/s1600/tmp_13000-15134793_583639415159469_2581650499835711520_n-262590337.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhYdXLd62aY1pDZpm7C73Qb5xOVS4MZOJ0H13VNI-HPrR1oPyYVmlFZqadYndWPfXc4wvh4N_Wr-yyzQZo6KqAkqKXhVJ9KFm5ZVQ3sAzJ8NDbmPm_15c4Kxg1aEJDeChog9OzAEw5OFDA_/s400/tmp_13000-15134793_583639415159469_2581650499835711520_n-262590337.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
FWLaing wrote:<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Brexit <b>isn't a battle against elites</b> rather it can be correctly understood as a battle <b>between elites</b>, a battle for power. More specifically it's a battle between a more <b><span style="color: #6aa84f;">controlled and moderate version of capitalism as represented by the EU</span> </b>and an <span style="color: red;"><b>unfettered US style of radical free market capitalism</b></span> as proposed by Hayek and his supporters on the outer fringes of the conservative party and radical and extreme right movements.</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
The Brexit movement has a very clear structure. It is <b>financed by very rich extreme right wing businessmen</b> who also have <b>very large media interests</b> and who share an <b>extreme Thatcherite-Hayekian vision for the UK which involves the abolishing of much of UK employment law, most taxation and the privitisation of the entire state</b> except the military. Much as a client would engage a barrister, they have, <b>through their media interest procured the services</b> of various professional journalists and commentators, notably Johnson and Gove, (there are numerous others,) <b>who are paid to make the case for the UK leaving the EU</b>. These people are top notch thinkers and speakers and have used a variety of means to sway the public in this matter, notably sovereignty, the plight of the working man (a typical fascistic strophe) and, most corrosively, immigration. But most of this is just very clever advertising and PR. <b>The real goal of the top-dog Brexiteers is to unleash unfettered, no holds barred capitalism in the UK.</b></blockquote>
</div>
<br />
Sendoake responded to FWLaing:<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
Very good analysis, thank you. I might add to that: it might be <b>good for the EU once the UK gets out</b>. After all, the <b>UK was the biggest advocate of unrestricted, uncontrolled capitalism in the EU</b>. We might move towards something more moderate after Brexit.</blockquote>
</div>
Limes Inferiorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16566802367512396467noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3667102307881687103.post-89915589392467865932016-10-30T02:05:00.002+00:002016-10-30T03:19:09.510+00:00What Brexit means for EU citizens<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinVh8FAKuFVBeWrUt-PHae1z9RNfnbDORRTkUxU58wtDVYIPn1edSE_55kCJhuR4DVw9MAYb9E2V44-vnEXw7kSyr1B9-poEGJ4mAZOb1yz4-6XJEJ_VpUYAjf5KNvCgnmXX16va0pqw5K/s1600/tmp_5638-yoda-EU-714x4761573511075.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinVh8FAKuFVBeWrUt-PHae1z9RNfnbDORRTkUxU58wtDVYIPn1edSE_55kCJhuR4DVw9MAYb9E2V44-vnEXw7kSyr1B9-poEGJ4mAZOb1yz4-6XJEJ_VpUYAjf5KNvCgnmXX16va0pqw5K/s400/tmp_5638-yoda-EU-714x4761573511075.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
How do EU citizens exercising their treaty rights to live anywhere in the European Union feel about the prospect of being offered work permits and visas by the UK government and thus becoming immigrants after everything that has happened? While reading the Financial Times, I stumbled upon the following comment which, I believe, hit the nail on the head:</div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i>"All my friends who are EU citizens are considering leaving the UK. Most of them are actively considering jobs elsewhere. Not so much because they feel particularly exposed - most of them have been here for more than 10 years and have good jobs here, several of them have created successful corporate finance businesses here attracting foreign investors from the EU and UK investors in the EU, companies which are relatively easy to relocate and often already have offices elsehere in the EU - but because they do not like the UK anymore and do not want it to continue to profit from their industry.</i></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i>It is mainly affective: they believed the UK to be the most tolerant, meritocratic and open society in the EU. They feel Europeans and this was their place in British society and their common identity with the British. The "new UK " post referendum is seen as xenophobic and inward looking. They complain about the EU but the referendum made them realise that they had a deep attachment to its founding principles. They do not want the UK to prosper at the expense of the EU. And they don't want to help.</i></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i>There is a deep sense that if the UK believes itself to be better than any other nations and wants to stand alone, then it should be alone and not drain from the EU the best talents.</i></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i><br /></i></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<i>In a sense the EU referendum has awoken their own nationalism but as Europeans citizens. Their is a new desire to protect Europe and work to change it for the better."</i></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Will Brexit turn out to be a boon for the EU, then? Possibly. Most of us, if not all, were infatuated with Britain and that made how we had been treated during the referendum affair hurt even more, that can be clearly sensed in our attitudes described in the comment cited above.</div>
Limes Inferiorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16566802367512396467noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3667102307881687103.post-45595350625312053332016-02-11T17:27:00.001+00:002016-02-11T19:26:09.568+00:00The Great Programmer<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://cdn.paper4pc.com/images/freemason-wallpaper-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://cdn.paper4pc.com/images/freemason-wallpaper-1.jpg" height="256" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I have just read something which got me thinking about my old theory of The Great Programmer ;).</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I started my today's reading with the following article (if you want to follow the links, I recommend skipping this one and going straight to the source - i.e. the next two): <a href="http://www.uncommondescent.com/intelligent-design/a-world-famous-chemist-tells-the-truth-theres-no-scientist-alive-today-who-understands-macroevolution/" target="_blank">A world-famous chemist tells the truth: there’s no scientist alive today who understands macroevolution</a>.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The first article refers to another article, by professor <a href="http://limesinferior.blogspot.co.uk/2016/02/the-great-programmer.html#jmtour" name="jmtourstar" rel="nofollow">James M. Tour*</a>, available here: <a href="http://www.jmtour.com/personal-topics/the-scientist-and-his-%E2%80%9Ctheory%E2%80%9D-and-the-christian-creationist-and-his-%E2%80%9Cscience%E2%80%9D/" target="_blank">Layman’s Reflections on Evolution and Creation. An Insider’s View of the Academy</a>; and a video recording of the professor giving a talk: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PZrxTH-UUdI" target="_blank">Nanotech and Jesus Christ - James Tour at Georgia Tech</a>.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
It was all interesting and I do recommend checking out those sources (especially the last two).</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
My thoughts? I am not really convinced by professor Tour's argument as I view macroevolution as just an emergent property of a complex system which
means that chemistry is just a medium for this system and not really
important to understand macroevolution as a whole (as long as we
understand all the basic interactions between the simple elements (i.e.
molecules) the system is composed of - which, as far as I know, we do).
What follows is that the system may be too complex for us to ever be able
to explain macroevolution on the level of abstraction professor Tour is
talking about.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Of course it is possible that I just do not know
enough about chemistry and/or macroevolution to fully appreciate
professor Tour's thoughts on the subject.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
I also do agree with him that the new
dogmatism becoming so prevalent in academia is not only troubling but
unbecoming to scholars.</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Even if I am right though, it does not
mean that evolution disproves intelligent design as both those theories
are not mutually exclusive (unless one chooses an arbitrary (and
probably least intelligent <u><i>;)</i></u> ) definition of intelligent design). In case you were bored, here are some of my thoughts about that (and The Great Programmer) I wrote down some time ago: <a href="http://limesinferior.blogspot.co.uk/2013/01/on-computer-programming-atheism-and.html" target="_blank">On computer programming, atheism and human cognizance</a></div>
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<i><a href="http://limesinferior.blogspot.co.uk/2016/02/the-great-programmer.html#jmtourstar" name="jmtour">*</a> "Professor James M. Tour is one of the ten most cited chemists in the
world. He is famous for his work on nanocars (pictured above, courtesy
of Wikipedia), nanoelectronics, graphene nanostructures, carbon
nanovectors in medicine, and green carbon research for enhanced oil
recovery and environmentally friendly oil and gas extraction. He is
currently a Professor of Chemistry, Professor of Computer Science, and
Professor of Mechanical Engineering and Materials Science at Rice
University. He has authored or co-authored 489 scientific publications
and his name is on 36 patents."
</i></div>
Limes Inferiorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16566802367512396467noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3667102307881687103.post-21012923341587796602015-09-29T15:00:00.001+01:002016-02-11T17:28:17.173+00:00Paradise Lost or Never Gained<br />
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One Summer's Day by Joe Hisaishi. When we compose music we do not really express what we think the music is about. This one is not about one summer's day. It is about our longing for one summer's day as we feel it should be... something intangible, something we can never touch, at least not in this life... perhaps never... something which we think we could have grasped decades ago when we were still young... a chance we can never have again... the chance we have never really had. Longing for that which is always out of our reach and which we can never truly define and for which we mistake other things... things which are but mere reflections of the truth. Listen and see for yourself.</div>
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(an alternative arrangement by Kyle Landry)Limes Inferiorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16566802367512396467noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3667102307881687103.post-19393669242119574632015-03-27T02:33:00.006+00:002015-03-27T03:22:09.656+00:00Poland Historically Least Antisemitic Country in Europe<div style="text-align: justify;">
I do not understand what is the source of the <b>myth</b>, which seems to be so widespread in the West, that Poland and Poles were or are particularly antisemitic. Not only is it a <b>complete falsehood</b> but a <b>terrible injustice</b>. I will not even mention the utter nonsense of the "Polish" concentration camps. They were <b>Nazi concentration camps </b>built and operated <b>by Nazi Germany</b> (who occupied Poland) and used (together with other means of terror and extermination) <b>by Nazis to murder around 6 million Polish citizens</b> (including 3 million <b>Polish</b> Jews).</div>
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The history and facts are quite clear (more information and sources in the next two sections). <b>Poles and Polish culture were the most tolerant and least antisemitic in Europe</b>. Poland has become the safe haven for Jewish communities persecuted throughout Europe. The majority of Jews escaped persecution raging in the other European countries and settled in Poland - and that was one of the reasons (if not the main reason) why Nazi Germany built their concentration camps in that country. Some facts and sources showing that in the next sections.</div>
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All that does not imply that there was no antisemitism in Poland. This and other similar evils are present everywhere and no country is free from them. It is just that <b>Poland is historically the least antisemitic</b> (<b>and the most prosemitic</b>) country in Europe and all the large cases of antisemitism in that region occurred when sovereign <b>Poland ceased to exist</b> (and thus <b>could no longer protect its Jewish citizens</b>) and were <b>caused by Russian Empire, Austro-Hungary, Kingdom of Prussia, German Empire, Nazi Germany and Soviet Union</b> - i.e. the countries which banded together to invade Poland and then not only did they persecute Polish Jews (because of antisemitism) but also non-Jewish Poles and worked hard to destroy Polish culture (because of political reasons and antipolonism).</div>
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Below are some interesting facts found on the <b>English Wikipedia</b> (seems fairly <b>objective</b>).</div>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d4/Reception_oh_Jews_in_Poland_1096.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/d/d4/Reception_oh_Jews_in_Poland_1096.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span class="mw-mmv-title"><i>The Reception of the Jews in Poland in the Year 1096</i>. Painting by <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jan_Matejko" title="Jan Matejko">Jan Matejko</a></span></td></tr>
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<span style="color: #f1c232;">Hundreds of thousands of unknown heroes of the Holocaust</span><b><br /></b></h2>
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<b>Polish citizens have the world's highest count of individuals</b><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-righteous_count_1-0"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polish_Righteous_Among_the_Nations#cite_note-righteous_count-1"></a></sup> who have been recognised as <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Righteous_Among_the_Nations" title="Righteous Among the Nations">Righteous Among the Nations</a></b> by <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yad_Vashem" title="Yad Vashem">Yad Vashem</a> as <b>non-Jews who saved Jews from extermination during the Holocaust</b>.</div>
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It is estimated that <b>hundreds of thousands of Poles concealed and aided hundreds of thousands of their <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polish_Jewish" title="Polish Jewish">Polish-Jewish</a> neighbours</b>.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Lukas_2-0"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polish_Righteous_Among_the_Nations#cite_note-Lukas-2"></a></sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-HG_3-0"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polish_Righteous_Among_the_Nations#cite_note-HG-3"></a></sup> Many of these initiatives were carried out <b>by individuals</b>, but there also existed <b>organised networks of <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polish_resistance_movement_in_World_War_II" title="Polish resistance movement in World War II">Polish resistance</a></b> which were <b>dedicated to aiding Jews</b> – most notably, the <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/%C5%BBegota" title="Żegota">Żegota</a></i> organisation.</div>
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In <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/General_Government" title="General Government">German-occupied Poland</a> the task of <b>rescuing Jews</b> was <b>especially</b> <b>difficult</b> <b>and</b> <b>dangerous</b>. <span style="color: #cc0000;"><b>All household members were punished by death if a Jew was found concealed in their home or on their property</b></span>.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-jvl_4-0"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polish_Righteous_Among_the_Nations#cite_note-jvl-4"></a></sup> One study estimates that the number of <b>Poles who were killed</b> by the <a class="mw-redirect" href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nazi" title="Nazi">Nazis</a> <b>for aiding Jews</b> was as high as <b>tens of thousands</b>, 704 of whom were posthumously honoured with medals. </div>
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(source: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polish_Righteous_Among_the_Nations">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Polish_Righteous_Among_the_Nations</a> )</div>
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<span style="color: #f1c232;">Poland sheltering Jews from European antisemitism for almost 1000 years</span></h2>
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The history of the Jews in Poland dates back over 800 years. <b>For centuries, Poland was home to the largest and most significant Jewish community in the world.</b> Poland was <b>the centre of Jewish culture thanks to a long period of statutory religious tolerance and social autonomy</b>.</div>
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This <b>ended with the Partitions of Poland </b>which began in 1772, in particular, with the<b> discrimination and persecution of Jews in the Russian Empire</b>.</div>
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During World War II there was a nearly complete <b>genocidal destruction of </b>the<b> Polish Jewish </b>community<b> by Nazi Germany</b>, during the 1939–1945 German occupation of Poland and the ensuing Holocaust.</div>
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<b>Since the fall of Communism there has been a Jewish revival in Poland</b>, characterised by the annual Jewish Culture Festival, new study programmes at Polish high schools and universities, the work of synagogues such as the Nozyk, and the Museum of the History of Polish Jews.</div>
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<b>From the founding of the Kingdom of Poland</b> in 1025 through to the early years of the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth created in 1569, <b>Poland was the most tolerant country in Europe</b>.[5] Known as paradisus Iudaeorum (Latin for <b>"Paradise for the Jews"</b>), it became a<b> shelter for persecuted and expelled European Jewish communities</b> and the <b>home to the world's largest Jewish community</b> of the time.</div>
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According to some sources, about <b>three-quarters of all Jews lived in Poland</b> by the middle of the 16th century.[6][7][8]</div>
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<b>After the partitions of Poland in 1795 and the destruction of Poland as a sovereign state, Polish Jews</b> were <b>subject to the laws of the partitioning powers</b>, the <b>increasingly antisemitic Russian Empire,[11] as well as Austro-Hungary and Kingdom of Prussia (later a part of the German Empire)</b>. Still, <b>as Poland regained independence in the aftermath of World War I, it was the centre of the European Jewish world with one of world's largest Jewish communities</b> of over 3 million. Antisemitism, however, from both the political establishment and from the general population, <b>common throughout Europe</b>, was a growing problem.[12]</div>
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At the start of World War II, <b>Poland was partitioned between Nazi Germany and the Soviet Union</b> (see Molotov–Ribbentrop Pact). The war resulted in the <b>death of one-fifth of the Polish population</b>, with <b>90% or about 3 million of Polish Jewry killed</b> along with approximately <b>3 million Polish non-Jews</b>.[13]</div>
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Although the Holocaust occurred largely in German-occupied Poland, <b>there was little collaboration with the Nazis</b> by its citizens.</div>
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<b>Collaboration by individual Poles has been described as smaller than in other occupied countries.</b>[14][15]</div>
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<b>Statistics of the Israeli War Crimes Commission indicate that less than 0.1% of Polish gentiles collaborated with the Nazis.</b>[16]</div>
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Examples of Polish gentile attitudes to German atrocities varied widely, from <b>actively risking death in order to save Jewish lives</b>,[17] and passive refusal to inform on them; to indifference, blackmail,[18] and in extreme cases, participation in pogroms such as the Jedwabne pogrom. Grouped by nationality, <b>Poles represent the largest number of people who rescued Jews during the Holocaust</b>.[19][20]</div>
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In the postwar period, many of the approximately <b>200,000 Jewish survivors </b>registered at Central Committee of Polish Jews or CKŻP (of whom 136,000 arrived from the Soviet Union)[20][21][22] <b>left the Communist People's Republic of Poland for the nascent State of Israel</b> and North or South America. Their departure was hastened by the destruction of Jewish institutions, post-war violence and the hostility <b>of the Communist Party to both religion and private enterprise</b>, but also because in 1946–1947 <b>Poland was the only Eastern Bloc country to allow free Jewish aliyah to Israel</b>,[23] without visas or exit permits.[24][25]</div>
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<b>Britain demanded Poland to halt the exodus, but their pressure was largely unsuccessful</b>.[26] Most of the remaining Jews left Poland in late 1968 as the result of the <b>Soviet-sponsored "anti-Zionist" campaign</b>.</div>
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<li>In 1967, following the Six-Day War between Israel and the Arab states, Poland's <b>Communist government, following the Soviet lead</b>, broke off diplomatic relations with Israel and launched an antisemitic campaign under the guise of "anti-Zionism". However, <b>the campaign did not resonate well with the Polish public, as most Poles saw similarities between Israel's fight for survival and Poland's past struggles for independence</b>. </li>
<li>Many <b>Poles also felt pride in the success of the Israeli military, which was dominated by Polish Jews</b>. The slogan "our Jews beat the Soviet Arabs" (Nasi Żydzi pobili sowieckich Arabów) became popular in Poland.[202][203]</li>
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<b>After the fall of the Communist regime</b> in 1989, <b>the situation of Polish Jews became normalised and those who were Polish citizens before World War II were allowed to renew Polish citizenship</b>.</div>
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<b>Religious institutions were revived</b>, largely through the activities of Jewish foundations from the United States. The contemporary Polish Jewish community is estimated to have approximately 20,000 members,[27] though the actual number of Jews, including those who are not actively connected to Judaism or Jewish culture, <b>may be several times larger</b>.</div>
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(source: <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Jews_in_Poland">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_of_the_Jews_in_Poland</a> )</div>
Limes Inferiorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16566802367512396467noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3667102307881687103.post-79302141897461389212013-08-27T10:26:00.000+01:002013-08-27T10:26:34.300+01:00Modify Environment to Influence Behaviour<div style="text-align: justify;">
I have just heard about a PI (i.e. principal investigator) who was very accomplished because she was able to, I quote, squeeze money out of a stone. At the same time, she was such a terrible person that her group members were (literally) hiding under their desks when she was passing by. Apparently, she had "conversations" with her scientists during which she was abusive and shouting at them. As probably most heads of groups nowadays, she had to travel a lot and attend numerous meetings so she did not have time for thinking about details or doing the actual research and she often forgot what she had said to her co-workers a week before or confused what she said to whom and why. This resulted in incidents during which she would accuse someone of not doing something she claimed to had asked them to do and when they replied that she had specifically told them not to do that thing she would shout at them that they were not special at all and 5000 others from among the worthless rabble were just dying for her to give them a chance to replace any of her researchers. What happened to human dignity and every person being special and precious? What happened to just simple common courtesy and respect? Are good manners a thing of the past? Do we really want academia to degenerate into this?</div>
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Apart from what we want academia to be or not to be, what we can observe here are clearly visible results of having a self-taught manager with no leadership skills charged with a task of leading a group of people and managing projects. Even worse, we see an employee whose real purpose in her organisation is not what they are officially tasked to do (i.e. manage projects and people or do research) but to acquire funding. In other words, we have a very specialised salesperson (or a group's frontman) with no knowledge, skills and/or time to be a manager put in a position where they were led to believe they are, in fact, a manager. Combine it with that false </div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKku0oo2WEYBEe6KtuwFR-JFqvX6wOzdEQyHBG2_KB2SEH06JmGo0FjIXy-US_-A_LxEuWeD-ghiz-UN-Oh_05zz6FjUvws85V2H2Qcc9mcdcDG9Zb9XYRK0I65e9kJeO0z8Mnrl5F2IDV/s1600/Nasa_earth_observatories.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKku0oo2WEYBEe6KtuwFR-JFqvX6wOzdEQyHBG2_KB2SEH06JmGo0FjIXy-US_-A_LxEuWeD-ghiz-UN-Oh_05zz6FjUvws85V2H2Qcc9mcdcDG9Zb9XYRK0I65e9kJeO0z8Mnrl5F2IDV/s320/Nasa_earth_observatories.jpg" width="320" /></a>sense of intellectual superiority so common in the academic world, spice it up with extremely high levels of competitiveness acquired during the academic rat race and you end up with an abusive tyrant, ineffective manager and frustrated scientist destroying her co-workers and wasting public money on producing mostly useless publications instead of effectively solving real problems the humanity is facing (when will we finally cure cancer? anyone?). Academia has become such an inefficient system. It has to be restructured and optimised so that we can finally use our full potential to save lives, prevent suffering and improve quality of life of everyone on the planet.</div>
<br />Limes Inferiorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16566802367512396467noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3667102307881687103.post-26335987542441100882013-01-22T11:43:00.001+00:002016-02-11T15:25:45.934+00:00On computer programming, atheism and human cognizance<div style="text-align: justify;">
What started as a light-hearted comment to one of my friend's Google+ posts about the structure of the snowflake ultimately got me thinking about epistemology and the self-imposed limits of human cognizance. In the comment I had jokingly stated that all snowflakes were probably just an artefact of an L-system (*) written by a bored programmer. Now, when one starts thinking about it, the following chain of thoughts immediately comes to mind: Creator / God, Reality / Universe, Evolution, Atheism, Richard Dawkins. All right, I admit that the last sentence was only half-serious but I am sure that now you will be able to understand why I came to the conclusion described below.</div>
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For someone like me, atheists like Richard Dawkins seem to be completely irrational when they try to use Evolution as “proof” that Life and Universe could not have been created. Till now I was assuming they had behaved that way just because, as any fundamentalists, THEY ARE irrational (and they are) but now I see that the reason for their madness is twofold. So what is the second reason? It is just that they are not computer programmers ;). For any programmer or mathematician (**) it is natural and obvious that one system can be just an artefact of another system – e.g. a snowflake or a snowflake-like structure (system 1) which may be perceived by us in 3D space and is a part of our material reality can be a product (or a by-product) of functioning of a completely different system 2 which may operate in a totally different space (if you are still not bored but at the same time a little “lost in space”, you may want to check some Wikipedia articles on mathematical concept of space and to fully appreciate the vastness and importance of this topic read about the algebraic space, function space, topological space and so on) and thus may be immaterial and impossible to directly visualise. And yet system 2 may produce something as tangible as snowflakes. One can also put it differently and more succinctly – one system may be just an emergent property of another (possibly hidden) system (again, if you feel a little lost, you may want to read a Wikipedia article on complex systems theory).</div>
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What I describe above is so obvious to us (i.e. mathematicians, programmers, system scientists etc.) that we do not usually think about it or even consider that others (and especially other scientists) could have such an impaired perception / poor understanding of reality – which explains why it took some effort for me to consider the possibility that an evolutionary biologist like Dawkins could lack that additional layer of perception which would perfectly explain his flawed reasoning that led him to conclusion that Evolution contradicts the idea of God. Well, it does not. Evolution and God are perfectly compatible. God may be viewed as a programmer who created the Universe/Multiverse, life and each of us by creating a system (or writing a programme/algorithm if you will) which makes our Reality and lets all the events unfold precisely as planned. The material part of this creation (i.e. what Science deals with and what materialists postulate is the only thing that exists) is a chaotic system (you may want to read about Chaos Theory as well - a very cool part of Mathematics) and this brings about another interesting topic – namely that of Free Will. Since chaotic systems are deterministic in nature there is no free will if you are part of such system unless you believe in the concept of soul which is not a part of the material world but is interfaced with it via your material body.</div>
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Ah, so many interesting topics and so little time.</div>
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To save you some googling:</div>
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* An L-system or Lindenmayer system is a parallel rewriting system, namely a variant of a formal grammar, most famously used to model the growth processes of plant development, but also able to model the morphology of a variety of organisms. An L-system consists of an alphabet of symbols that can be used to make strings, a collection of production rules which expand each symbol into some larger string of symbols, an initial "axiom" string from which to begin construction, and a mechanism for translating the generated strings into geometric structures. L-systems can also be used to generate self-similar fractals such as iterated function systems.
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** If you do not understand why computer programmers and mathematicians were put in one bag I recommend reading “On the cruelty of really teaching computing science” by one of the titans of computer science famous prof. Edsger Dijkstra. Here are some interesting quotes:</div>
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“A further benefit is that it gives us a clear indication where to locate computing science on the world map of intellectual disciplines: in the direction of formal mathematics and applied logic, but ultimately far beyond where those are now, for computing science is interested in effective use of formal methods and on a much, much, larger scale than we have witnessed so far.”</div>
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“The programmer is in the unique position that his is the only discipline and profession in which such a gigantic ratio, which totally baffles our imagination, has to be bridged by a single technology. He has to be able to think in terms of conceptual hierarchies that are much deeper than a single mind ever needed to face before. Compared to that number of semantic levels, the average mathematical theory is almost flat. By evoking the need for deep conceptual hierarchies, the automatic computer confronts us with a radically new intellectual challenge that has no precedent in our history.”</div>
Limes Inferiorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16566802367512396467noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3667102307881687103.post-10251855044055424452013-01-14T01:25:00.005+00:002013-01-14T19:02:32.644+00:00The system that crucifies altruists and freedom fighters<div style="text-align: justify;">
A sufferring from depression Internet activist and freedom fighter Aaron Swartz was relentlessly persecuted by the US legal system (controlled by oligarchs and psychopatic corporations) and, if convicted, would face 35 years in prison and $1 million in fines. The Intellectual Property hounds (I wrote a short article about the IP / DRM crowd here: <a href="http://limesinferior.blogspot.co.uk/2012/02/how-to-achieve-anything-you-want.html" target="_blank">How to achieve anything you want legally?</a>) chased him to his death.<br />
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<a href="http://www.kazak.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/fox-hunt-final.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="206" src="http://www.kazak.com/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2011/09/fox-hunt-final.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
He was a perfect target to make an example of as he was a particularly vocal activist fighting for our freedoms and strongly opposing socially harmful actions of corporations and the infamous SOPA.</div>
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His crime? He connected his laptop to the MIT network and started downloading academic papers published in <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JSTOR" target="_blank">JSTOR </a>to share them with the world for free (a lot of people working in science will tell you that all papers should be freely accessible - anything else (while increasing profit of companies involved in their publication and dissemination) hampers the advance of science and thus will cost many lives of people who are currently waiting for new cures for their diseases). Curiously enough JSTOR did not side with the prosecutors (who continued their persecution nevertheless) and gave the public open access to the papers the same week as Aaron's death. Here is an excerpt from Wikipedia if you are interested in some more details:</div>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
On July 19, 2011, federal authorities charged Internet activist <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aaron_Swartz" title="Aaron Swartz">Aaron Swartz</a> with several <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Data_theft" title="Data theft">data theft</a>-related
crimes, including wire fraud, computer fraud, unlawfully obtaining
information from a protected computer, and recklessly damaging a
protected computer, all in relation to bulk-downloading academic journal
articles from JSTOR.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Bilton_9-0"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JSTOR#cite_note-Bilton-9">[9]</a></sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-open-access-adv_10-0"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JSTOR#cite_note-open-access-adv-10">[10]</a></sup> According to the indictment against him, Swartz surreptitiously attached a laptop to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Massachusetts_Institute_of_Technology" title="Massachusetts Institute of Technology">MIT</a>'s computer network, which allowed him to "rapidly download an extraordinary volume of articles from JSTOR".<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-CB1_11-0"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JSTOR#cite_note-CB1-11">[11]</a></sup> Prosecutors in the case say Swartz acted with the intention of making the papers available on <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peer-to-peer_file_sharing" title="Peer-to-peer file sharing">P2P file-sharing sites</a>.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Feds:_Harvard_fellow_hacked_millions_of_papers_12-0"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JSTOR#cite_note-Feds:_Harvard_fellow_hacked_millions_of_papers-12">[12]</a></sup>Notably, JSTOR did not side with the prosecutors in the case.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-13"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JSTOR#cite_note-13">[13]</a></sup>
Swartz surrendered to authorities, pleaded not guilty to all counts and
was released on $100,000 bail. Two days later, on July 21, Greg Maxwell
published a <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torrent_file" title="Torrent file">torrent file</a> of a 32-GB archive of 18,592 academic papers from JSTOR's Royal Society collection, via <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Pirate_Bay" title="The Pirate Bay">The Pirate Bay</a>, in protest against Swartz' prosecution.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Whitwam_14-0"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JSTOR#cite_note-Whitwam-14">[14]</a></sup><sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Goodin_15-0"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JSTOR#cite_note-Goodin-15">[15]</a></sup> These articles were acquired independently of those downloaded by Swartz.<br />
The case was still pending when Swartz committed suicide on January 11, 2013.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-16"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JSTOR#cite_note-16">[16]</a></sup><br />
From September 6, 2011, JSTOR has made some <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Public_domain" title="Public domain">public domain</a> content freely available to anyone.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-Early_journal_content_17-0"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JSTOR#cite_note-Early_journal_content-17">[17]</a></sup>
JSTOR stated that they had been working on making it free for some
time, and the Swartz controversy made them "press ahead" with the
initiative.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-early_content_free_18-0"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JSTOR#cite_note-early_content_free-18">[18]</a></sup> <b class="selflink">JSTOR</b> announced the same week as Swartz's death it would make "more than 4.5 million articles" available to the public for free.<sup class="reference" id="cite_ref-19"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/JSTOR#cite_note-19">[19]</a></sup></blockquote>
So why was a talented young altruist and activist - who co-authored the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rss" target="_blank">RSS</a> specification when he was fourteen, created one of the widely used and known web frameworks <a href="http://webpy.org/" target="_blank">web.py</a> and shared it with the world for free by making it open source, spent a lot of effort and time (among the top 1500 Wikipedia contributors) democratizing access to human knowledge, co-founded a progressive advocacy group <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Demand_Progress" target="_blank">Demand Progress</a> and devoted large part of his life to make the world a better place for everyone and fight for everyone's freedom - why was such a rare and valuable member of our society branded a felon? Why did Obama's administration refuse to stop that persecution? Why did Assistant U.S. Attorneys Stephen P. Heymann and Scott L. Garland pursued the criminal case against Swartz under U.S. attorney Carmen M. Ortiz spending a lot of taxpayers' money and resources and using a legal loophole which, according to the federal appeals court would put millions of unsuspecting
individuals in jail for engaging in criminal conduct (more here: <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aaron_Swartz#JSTOR">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aaron_Swartz#JSTOR</a>)? <span style="font-size: small;"> Why<span style="font-size: small;"> was Aaron Swart<span style="font-size: small;">z <span style="font-size: small;">pushed <span style="font-size: small;">to suicide by representatives of the very people he tried to help? </span></span></span></span></span>It is a rhetorical question. Let me finish by just quoting Aaron's family and partner whose words perfectly describe the current system so terribly distorted by money and corporations:<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><b>"Aaron's death is not simply a personal tragedy, it is the product of
a criminal justice system rife with intimidation and prosecutorial
overreach."</b></span></div>
</blockquote>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/84/Aaron_Swartz_2_at_Boston_Wikipedia_Meetup,_2009-08-18_.jpg/640px-Aaron_Swartz_2_at_Boston_Wikipedia_Meetup,_2009-08-18_.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/8/84/Aaron_Swartz_2_at_Boston_Wikipedia_Meetup,_2009-08-18_.jpg/640px-Aaron_Swartz_2_at_Boston_Wikipedia_Meetup,_2009-08-18_.jpg" width="400" /><span style="font-size: small;"></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: small;">Aaron Swartz</span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;">Requiescat <span style="font-size: small;">I</span>n <span style="font-size: small;">P</span>ace</span></td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Limes Inferiorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16566802367512396467noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3667102307881687103.post-42230419279997923562012-12-16T13:24:00.000+00:002012-12-16T14:29:49.893+00:00Outsourcing responsibility for your own survival<div style="text-align: justify;">
I read about the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandy_Hook_Elementary_School_shooting" target="_blank">tragedy in Connecticut</a> yesterday. It happened the day before yesterday and was yet another case of an unarmed crowd falling prey to a shooter. Fewer might
have died if everyone was well prepared. And what is an overwhelming
response from the public petitioning the White House? Disarm the
victims (criminals and murderers will always get a gun irrespective of
whether its possession is legal or not so making guns illegal means just
that - disarming the victims). Among all the petitions demanding stripping citizens of their right to possess and carry weapons (with <b>over a hundred thousand signatures</b>) the only voice of reason was the one here: <a href="https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/gun-every-classroom-arm-every-teacher-and-principal-defend-themselves-and-their-students-during/BR1Wj8cc">https://petitions.whitehouse.gov/petition/gun-every-classroom-arm-every-teacher-and-principal-defend-themselves-and-their-students-during/BR1Wj8cc</a> - this one signed <b>by just three thousand people</b>.</div>
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That's a difference of two orders of magnitude in favour of irrational fears and wishful thinking. What world are we creating?<br />
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<a href="http://media.oregonlive.com/oregonian/photo/2012/06/11154746-standard.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="222" src="http://media.oregonlive.com/oregonian/photo/2012/06/11154746-standard.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Carrying weapons was commonplace for our ancestors and no one seemed to
have problems with that. It was normal. It was healthy. We survived. I also do not remember reading about children
being attacked and slaughtered by their armed parents or teachers... in fact some
of those armed adults needed their weapons to teach those children how
to fight and defend themselves.</div>
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The only sustainable solution
for this (vide Connecticut) and related problems is for the system to stop turning people
into helpless victims and start producing self-realized healthy human
beings. And part of being a self-realized human being is to be able to
take responsibility for your own life and safety (and lives and safety
of those around you). Being able to fight for survival is part of our
biological legacy. It is part of being complete and this part of human
development is as important as developing one's mind, body and spirit.</div>
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How
can we have a healthy and thriving society without that? How can one
help and care for others if one cannot even help and care for themselves
(and it is not only about weapons and fighting but also other skills
like first aid)? How much better the world could be if everyone around
you would be a self-realized, fully-developed and independent human
being not only capable of caring for themselves but also for those
around who are in need of help? Instead, we now live in a society,
where we are not those magnificent beings we could be. We are sheep.
We are consumers. <b>We have outsourced most parts of our lives including
our safety, survival and independent thinking.</b> Someone is being
attacked? Stay away and let the police come and save them (no, really,
stay away and do not try to fight off the aggressor or you may get
arrested and go to prison... the system is jealous about its power and
control). Someone has been injured and is bleeding heavily? You don't
know how to help them so move along and let the health care system save
the victim. It is not a healthy situation. It is not a sustainable society.</div>
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Another thing which comes to mind is the fact that probably the first thing every totalitarian regime does is to
take weapons away from the people. The next thing is usually putting
heavy sanctions on the very right to fight / defend yourself and others
which makes people defenceless and unwilling to help each other (and
thus breaks bonds between human beings which further protects the system
as it is no longer "the people versus the system" - instead it is "a
lonely and thus helpless individual versus the system"). The same seems
to apply to fortified bureaucracies and police/corporate-controlled
states for which we are just inventory which needs to be policed. The system does not want self-realized citizens - they do not
live in fear and are capable of survival on their own which makes them
difficult to control. What the system wants is a herd of humble serfs
living in fear and co-dependence. Depending on the system not only for
your well-being but for your very survival. Of course protection the
system gives you in exchange for your compliance is largely an
illusion. The system cannot protect you and we just saw it again (for a
thousand time) in Connecticut - only you can protect yourself and,
ultimately, it is only you who is responsible for your own safety and
survival. <b>If only you haven't outsourced that responsibility long time
ago</b> and thus became incapable of surviving when the need comes. Well,
at least you will have some part of the system (e.g. the police) take
care of the scene and your earthly remains after you have failed the
survival test and, as in Connecticut, produce some explanation of what
happened so that the rest of the herd can feel that illusion of being
safe again. </div>
Limes Inferiorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16566802367512396467noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3667102307881687103.post-55080720636831607652012-10-12T14:52:00.001+01:002012-12-16T13:26:49.904+00:00Be a Good Sheep or Boycott Apple<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2012/8/25/1345851603286/iPhone-4S-and-Galaxy-S-II-010.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="192" src="http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/Pix/pictures/2012/8/25/1345851603286/iPhone-4S-and-Galaxy-S-II-010.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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Do you often confuse an iPhone with a Samsung when you go to a store and
want to buy one? Because Apple thinks "consumers" are just a herd of
stupid and easily confused sheep: 'Apple filed a suit in the US alleging
that a number of Samsung smartphones and tablets [...] mimicked its
"trade dress", the general cosmetic appearance of its iPhone and iPad,
in a way that could confuse potential customers.'<br />
<br />
It took only
two days for an American jury to invalidate all Samsung's patent claims
which they had tried to use in their defence against Apple's attack
(America's sweetheart Apple told the jury that the Korean company was
trying to be a monopoly by trying to stop others from using Samsung's
patented technology infringed upon by Apple) and to order Samsung to pay
over 1 billion US$ to Apple for infringing their patents. Apparently,
there was at least one Apple Fan Boy who owns multiple Apple devices
(plus some Samsung TV sets ;)) among the jury. Legal experts were
shocked as they expected the process of the jury arriving at a decision
to take at least few weeks since the case was very complex (109 pages
manual on how this particular decision should be made written by the
presiding judge; 20-page verdict with 700 options to decide about).
Well, apparently justice is swift when the right conditions are met ;).<br />
<br />
The
following sums up what just happend quite well (just substitute Global
for American): "Today's verdict should not be viewed as a win for Apple,
but as a loss for the American consumer. It will lead to fewer choices,
less innovation, and potentially higher prices. It is unfortunate that
patent law can be manipulated to give one company a monopoly over
rectangles with rounded corners, or technology that is being improved
every day by Samsung and other companies."<br />
<br />
It is sad when a
company focuses on using legal tricks to hamper their competitors'
progress instead of trying to be better by offering better products but
when a giant corporation like Apple does this then it is just a crime
against humanity. Slowing down technological progress and thus lowering
the quality of life of everyone on the planet should be punished. <b>Boycott Apple</b>.</div>
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<br /></div>
<a href="http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2012/aug/25/apple-samsung-patent-infringement-trial?newsfeed=true" target="_blank">http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2012/aug/25/apple-samsung-patent-infringement-trial?newsfeed=true</a>Limes Inferiorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16566802367512396467noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3667102307881687103.post-42895815298649500732012-05-26T12:46:00.002+01:002012-05-26T13:11:17.451+01:00Can a True Buddhist Continue Teaching Buddhism<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<a href="http://res.heraldm.com/content/image/2010/03/31/20100331000480_0.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://res.heraldm.com/content/image/2010/03/31/20100331000480_0.jpg" width="245" /></a></div>
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I have just watched <a href="http://youtu.be/xgtz4RuH7II" target="_blank">Neuroscience and the Emerging Mind: A Conversation with the Dalai Lama</a> featuring, apart from the Dalai Lama, Larry Hinman of the University of San Diego, V.S. Ramachandran of UC San
Diego and Jennifer Thomas of San Diego State University. It was meant to be a scientific
and philosophical discussion of human consciousness. The introduction was quite promising (they started talking about neuroplasticity, memory, mirror neurons etc.) but, unfortunately, I feel that, ultimately, the potential of having these four speakers gathered in one place was wasted - mainly because of the language barrier. There was one thing, however, which made me think. The Dalai Lama mentioned a difference between what he calls the traditional Buddhism (created in India and preserved by the Dalai Lamas and their followers) and many variations of Buddhism which emerged later (and also Hinduism). The difference lies in the traditional Buddhist belief that there is no soul or self (as the Dalai Lama said, the Buddhist belief in "soulless"). This immediately raised the following question in my mind:</div>
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If there is no soul, if <i>the self</i> is just an illusion, why put so much effort into fighting the suffering?</div>
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Since it is just <i>the self</i> that experiences suffering and <i>the self</i> is just an illusion, there is no suffering at all as there is nothing real to experience it. If there is no suffering, there is no place for compassion and altruism - the two things Buddhism (and the current Dalai Lama) talk about and try to promote. Why would the Buddha decide to help people end their suffering by showing them the truth about the non-existence of <i>the self</i> when there is no suffering and no people? The act of a true Buddhist believing in what he/she teaches and yet continuing his/her teachings seems absurd when viewed from this (Buddhist?) perspective.</div>Limes Inferiorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16566802367512396467noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3667102307881687103.post-46356937844292253942012-04-10T21:21:00.001+01:002016-03-08T23:04:53.785+00:00"The Divide" Embodies Ideals of Atheistic Capitalism<br />
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<a href="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lxygudzoE71qc9xz1o1_400.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://25.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_lxygudzoE71qc9xz1o1_400.png" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
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I have just watched <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1535616/">The Divide</a> and it made me think about the new socially created reality the western world is preparing for humanity. It is a secular world without God where human beings are no more than animals fighting for resources, survival and pleasure. It is a world where the measure of success is survival and power over others no matter the cost as long as it is not "the successful" who has to pay it. It is a world ruled by fear where altruism, empathy, sense of justice, mercy and goodness of heart are nothing more than a sign of weakness and an object of ridicule. It is an ugly world with no room for ethics, no appreciation of aesthetics, a world deteriorating into a primordial goo of barbaric hedonism and savagery. Fallen creatures (or should I say beasts) inhabiting that world are no longer civilised... they have no manners, no style, no higher needs, no beauty in them. Do we really want to enter this brave new world? Do you want your children to live in a world depicted so thoroughly in The Divide? Do you want them to become such creatures themselves?</div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
The microcosm of The Divide shows what it means for an average human being to attain complete freedom promised by Atheism where there is no God serving as a mirror reflecting our deeds back unto us and showing us what we are and what we can become. Sure, there may be exceptions - there may be some people who, in spite of being atheists and materialists, would not turn into ruthless savages even when subjected to the most extreme conditions. But an average member of the subspecies Homo sapiens sapiens, when persuaded to believe that there is no God, no soul, no further existence after death, will be smart enough to understand that there is only one true value in life and that is his/her well-being. The only rational goal is to survive for as long as possible and to experience as much pleasure as possible and let others pay the cost. Watch the film and, irrespective of your current belief system (i.e. whether you are an atheist or a theist), ask yourself a very cynical question: <i>"Is our race ready to live in a world without God, in a world where faith is no longer a safety net for the law and social pressures?".</i> When viewed from such perspective, the divide between atheist and theist beliefs becomes something else. It is no longer a question of <i>what is true</i> but a question of <i>what truth do we want everyone to believe in</i>.</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">--</span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: justify;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">As an aside, for a true atheist and materialist, the truth <b>is</b> what they believe in (metaphysical questions, like the one about the existence of God, are by definition unverifiable using the scientific method - the only verification would be possible post mortem and in their world view there is no post mortem) which means that if such a person chooses to believe in the existence of God then that belief becomes the truth for them. </span></div>
Limes Inferiorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16566802367512396467noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3667102307881687103.post-81062279429601583952012-04-10T06:44:00.000+01:002012-04-15T18:18:26.553+01:00Richard Dawkins Scared of Evidence<div style="text-align: justify;">
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<a href="http://www.clipartguide.com/_named_clipart_images/0511-1008-1201-0052_Bearded_Man_His_Eyes_Big_with_Fear_clipart_image.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="183" src="http://www.clipartguide.com/_named_clipart_images/0511-1008-1201-0052_Bearded_Man_His_Eyes_Big_with_Fear_clipart_image.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<br />
Another example showing dogmatic (not to say fanatical) attitude of an infamous militant atheist Richard Dawkins. This time Richard was not interested in fighting theists or religion but scientists whose research did not agree with Richard's worldview. Here are some interesting excerpts (the whole can be read here: <a href="http://www.sheldrake.org/D&C/controversies/Dawkins.html" target="_blank">http://www.sheldrake.org/D&C/controversies/Dawkins.html</a>):</div>
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</div>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
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<div style="color: #666666;">
We then agreed that controlled experiments were necessary. I said that
this was why I had actually been doing such experiments, including tests
to find out if people really could tell who was calling them on the
telephone when the caller was selected at random. The results were far
above the chance level. </div>
</blockquote>
<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #666666;">
The previous week I had <b style="color: orange;">sent Richard copies of some of my papers,
published in peer-reviewed journals</b>, so that he could look at the data.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="color: orange;">Richard seemed uneasy and said, “I’m don’t want to discuss evidence”</span>.</b>
“Why not?” I asked. “There isn’t time. <b style="color: orange;"> It’s too complicated. And
that’s not what this programme is about.</b><span style="color: orange;">”</span> The camera stopped.<br />
<br />
The Director, Russell Barnes, confirmed that he too was not interested
in evidence. <b style="color: orange;">The film he was making was another Dawkins polemic.</b></blockquote>
</div>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq" style="color: #666666;">
... </blockquote>
</div>
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<span style="color: #666666;">Richard Dawkins has long proclaimed his conviction that “The paranormal
is bunk. Those who try to sell it to us are fakes and charlatans”.
Enemies of Reason was intended to popularize this belief. But does his
crusade really promote “the public understanding of science,” of which
he is the professor at Oxford? </span><b style="color: orange;">Should science be a vehicle of
prejudice, a kind of fundamentalist belief-system?</b><span style="color: #666666;"> Or should it be a
method of enquiry into the unknown? </span></blockquote>
</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: justify;">
Like Rupert Sheldrake, I dream about science being a method of enquiry into the unknown - i.e. free from aggressive fundamentalists like Dawkins. Unfortunately, I fear that the majority of people nowadays calling themselves scientists do not behave like open-minded geniuses and would feel at home in the ranks of Spanish Inquisition.</div>
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<span style="font-size: x-small;">If you are interested in Rupert Sheldrake and his research there is an interesting video of his speaking at Google Tech Talks in 2008 entitled <i><a href="http://youtu.be/JnA8GUtXpXY" target="_blank">The Extended Mind: Recent Experimental Evidence</a>.</i> The part where he recounts his meeting with Dawkins starts here: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=JnA8GUtXpXY#t=5193s">http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=JnA8GUtXpXY#t=5193s</a>. </span></div>Limes Inferiorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16566802367512396467noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3667102307881687103.post-44332719185578177912012-02-22T23:02:00.000+00:002012-04-15T17:07:30.934+01:00How to achieve anything you want legally?<div style="text-align: justify;">
How to do anything you want without breaking the law? One of the top media industry lobbyists inadvertently shares his secret with us in this (hilarious but only for those with at least average IQ - all the others will just swallow his rhetoric and become brainwashed so be advised in case you suspect you may belong to that less fortunate group) <a href="http://www.pcworld.com/article/110698/three_minutes_with_jack_valenti.html">three-minute interview</a> of which the most interesting parts can be read below. </div>
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When asked by PCWorld how it all started, Valenti says it was when the VCR appeared. Then he describes his and his colleagues' heroic efforts to fight off all the actual or potential thieves and reminisces that the best solution was, I quote, "to have the courts declare that VCR machines were
copyright infringing." and then go to the Congress. Unfortunately, they were not well prepared back then and the whole scheme failed even before reaching the Congress. Have you already got the answer to the question posed in the title of this post? I am sure you have but just for the entertainment value, here is another clue on how to legally make everyone do what <b>you</b> say:</div>
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"<b>PCW</b>: Why can't people who legally purchase DVDs make one
backup copy? How come the same fair use rights that let you make a backup copy
of other media do not extend to DVDs?</div>
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<b>Valenti</b>: That question has nothing to do with fair use
because a DVD is encrypted and the
<a href="http://www.pcworld.com/downloads/file_description/0,fid,22180,00.asp" target="_blank">Digital
Millennium Copyright Act</a> says to circumvent an encryption
violates that law."</div>
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So now you see. As Valenti explains, <b>the whole thing has nothing to do with fair</b>. Fair is not what the media corporations are interested in. Another thing worth noting in the above excerpt is that in order to make something illegal, you have to cook up a bill (something like the Digital Millennium Copyright Act mentioned before), go to the Congress (in case of the US of A at least), pay up and have it become the Law. To make it easier (i.e. cheaper) though, especially if you try to make illegal something which is legal, it is advisable to attack the problem from a different angle. You should approach the problem like this: "So what if making backup copies is fair and legal? We are not trying to make it illegal. You can make copies to your heart's content as long as you do not try to circumvent an encryption.". Of course the act does not mention one important detail: "... and from now on we, the media corporations, are going to encrypt everything with our toy encryption methods which can be easily decrypted by a 12 year old but we do not care because encryption is just a trick to turn something legal into a crime". And they did just that. Our friendly lobbyist even shares some of the details with us here:</div>
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"<b>Valenti</b>: Keep in mind how the DVD came into effect. The DVD was a result of
voluntary <b>agreements by the hardware people and by the copyright people</b>. And
<i> everybody </i>decided they were going to make machines that only took encrypted
DVDs and then they would be decrypted in the machine--all done."</div>
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Then he proudly adds:</div>
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"<b>Valenti</b>: And guess what?
It's proven to be a bonanza for the DVD machine manufacturers and for the
copyright owners. That was done the right way."</div>
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A bonanza for everyone involved in that intrigue? But what about culture? society? What about justice and fairness towards the <i>consumer</i>? Apparently, all those things do not matter. Are we sure that it is the people who "illegally" share content with others and not the media industry <b>who should be called pirates</b>? </div>
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To crush any possible opposition to his vision, Valenti continues by comparing DVDs to lawnmowers and stating that any failure of the former is<b> the customer's fault</b> and thus the customer should buy a new one at a full price, like Valenti's wife has to do with a lawnmower each time she runs over it in the driveway. What about the fact that, as the media industry has been trying to persuade us for years, it is all about buying a licence to use the content and not about the physical medium? Apparently their view on this changes when there is more money to be made. What about the fact that, sooner or later, all DVDs fail and their longevity is estimated to be somewhere between 2 to 15 years (depending on the manufacturing process)? Since it depends on the manufacturer and the manufacturers were, as we saw Valenti saying earlier, part of the club (i.e. the conspiracy orchestrated by, to quote Valenti, "the hardware and the copyright people"), how is it the consumer's fault? I am beginning to think that, contrary to what Valenti suggests, his wife may not be guilty of all those malfunctioned lawnmowers. </div>
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The surreal vision painted by Valenti continues. He argues that paying customers cannot be trusted and if "allowed" to make one copy, they turn into thieves and make two and give one of them to other potential thieves and soon there will be millions of thieves spreading billions of copies all over the net. I am rather surprised that he does not even once mention the good old big scary <b><span style="color: #990000;">COMMUNISM </span></b>while painting that gloomy and terrifying picture of the world not fully controlled by his club (i.e. the corporations and billionaires who own them). Valenti goes on mentioning that they (i.e. "the copyright people") are trying to buy the best brains to make it even more difficult for the customer and so on. Then, in a truly arrogant fashion we saw in everything he said, he reveals what is in the working: </div>
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"<b>Valenti</b>: Right now we are holding meetings to try to see
if the [information technology] and [consumer electronics] industries and the
MPAA can work together so everybody is playing by the same rules of the
game."</div>
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As you can see, like in case of DVDs and the Millennium Act described by Valenti earlier, there is no place for customers or consumer organisations in setting the rules for the world. Valenti and his pals are the ones who set the rules and we are just here to follow them. And what rules might those be? Maybe the industry will decide it is time to be even more aggressive like in the scenario referred to below:</div>
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<a href="http://www.techwench.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/What-Ubisoft-and-Other-Publishers-Dont-Get-About-DRM-600x399.png" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="212" src="http://www.techwench.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/What-Ubisoft-and-Other-Publishers-Dont-Get-About-DRM-600x399.png" width="320" /></a>"<b>PCW</b>: Does the MPAA plan to follow the RIAA's lead in<b>
financing the development and testing of software programs that would sabotage
the computers and Internet connections</b> of people who download pirated
music?</div>
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<b>Valenti</b>: We're not involved in anything that sabotages
anybody. We're working with some of the best brains in the high-tech industry
to do everything that we can legally to protect ourselves.</div>
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We're not going to do anything that's illegal, that's for damn sure."</div>
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The last sentence should be clear to us now. They are not going to do anything illegal. When you are rich and powerful and want to achieve something illegal legally go to the Congress and make it legal (possibly supplementing the law with the abuse of technology making changes to the legal system easier, faster and cheaper). And, as the title of this post suggests, you can achieve anything you want that way.</div>
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<img id="smallDivTip" src="chrome://dictionarytip/skin/dtipIconHover.png" style="border: 0px solid blue; left: 468px; position: absolute; top: 1234px; z-index: 90;" /></div>Limes Inferiorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16566802367512396467noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3667102307881687103.post-76301162395727754792012-02-20T06:16:00.001+00:002012-04-15T17:08:05.430+01:00Who will save the forgotten music<div style="text-align: justify;">
I was just listening to Janacek's sinfonietta when my thoughts drifted away from one of my top secret projects and, in my mind, I saw a vision of all the pieces of classical music ever created, one by one sliding into oblivion and dying. The process is slow but it is happening even now, as I am Swyping these words on my Android phone. The most well-known masterpieces are still with us, still far from being forgotten, but <b>most</b> of classical music is not being played anymore. It is all over again the vicious circle of marketing probing customers' demand, selecting musical pieces for which the measured demand is highest (i.e. the most popular (or, in other words, the least forgotten) music is being selected), and feeding this selection back to the customers. The music which has not been selected is effectively being slowly erased from our collective memory (and less and less is being selected with each iteration of this cycle as yesterday's less demanded becomes today's least demanded since the previous least demanded have been filtered out from the today's selection list). How many of you had ever listened to Janacek before Haruki Murakami's <i>1Q8</i><i>4</i> appeared?<br />
What could be done to save dying music (and bring all those forgotten pieces back to us)? I think I have found a solution which would be quite easy to implement (certainly easier than bringing down capitalism with its monetary system and switching humanity to the resource-based economy (which, I hope, will happen someday)). Hiring a good director and a full orchestra to prepare and then perform even just one piece is incredibly expensive but importing a score into a computer programme and charging a computer with the task of performing such music is very cheap and quick nowadays (I am sure most of us have used a midi player at least once in our life). Of course settling for just that is nothing new and would not be enough as computers are notorious for their mechanical and dull music performance. However, if we go one step further and throw machine learning methods into this then we should be able to teach our computers how to give unique and inspired musical performances. We have all the needed elements. Machine learning methods have become quite powerful and the data - I.e. recordings of the best and worst performances together with their complete musical scores - is there. Each performance is different which means not 100% faithful to the score. It is these fluctuations what makes one performance unforgettable and another just dull. Finding patterns in these fluctuations and being able to generalise these patterns and apply them to any score is, from my perspective, just another exercise in supervised learning. Seems like an interesting machine learning project with possible commercial applications (think about economical impact on production of classical music considering the huge savings on live performers and production time). Too bad there are only 24 hours in a day and I cannot realise all those ideas which appear in my mind every day. Maybe I should start publishing them in hope that someone will be inspired and see them through ;). Let us hope the music will be saved. It would be so nice to be able to browse through and listen to all those now forgotten masterpieces (most of them never recorded) somewhere on the Web.<br />
Apropos inspiration. I just realised that the chain of events which led to my reading the novel which resulted in my listening to the sinfonietta which in turn made my thoughts wandering and ended up in my writing this blog post, all that started with my dear friend Yoshi who I should probably thank for this moment of contemplation. It is good to have friends who can inspire us, without them our life would not be full.<br />
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<img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjvQCB4N3QLzmwNnW7uS9nT6DLapkqKhCkXTWB97xazVMKj4iCsAGoFXSqSMgzxxcwYsNARHvhyJidi-opOnrG-cEEmoz8j12KWL7a0vjXkcn95qRQWtLmJU_syKx3Su2KaS1WH3sW9Cg9T/" /></div>Limes Inferiorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16566802367512396467noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3667102307881687103.post-26578558348540137892012-01-29T18:23:00.003+00:002012-04-15T17:08:41.214+01:00UnloadTab - a really useful add-on for Mozilla Firefox<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="http://users.otenet.gr/%7Efiotakis/Final60_1600.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="150" src="http://users.otenet.gr/%7Efiotakis/Final60_1600.jpg" width="200" /></a>It is not the first time UnloadTab seems to have disappeared from the web. Fortunately, I had it installed on one of my computers. Here is a direct link in case you need it: <a href="http://dl.dropbox.com/u/59010825/unloadtab%40firefox.ext.xpi">http://dl.dropbox.com/u/59010825/unloadtab%40firefox.ext.xpi</a>.</div>
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<br /></div>Limes Inferiorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16566802367512396467noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3667102307881687103.post-41256755204380436412012-01-26T01:48:00.001+00:002012-04-15T17:08:53.326+01:00Megavideo/Megaupload Killed by New Global Police: Masters Happy, Slaves to Pay<div style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="http://www.batr.org/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/fascism_ObamaImage4.jpg"><img alt="" border="0" src="http://www.batr.org/sitebuildercontent/sitebuilderpictures/fascism_ObamaImage4.jpg" style="cursor: hand; cursor: pointer; float: right; height: 326px; margin: 0 0 10px 10px; width: 400px;" /></a>The oligarchs (some (not me, I am too nice for that ;) ) would say: capitalist/corporate pigs) ruling the US of A do very well even without any <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Protests_against_SOPA_and_PIPA#Legislative_and_protest_timeline">SOPA</a>. <span style="font-weight: bold;">Without a trial</span>, a US judge just killed a <span style="font-weight: bold;">Hong Kong-based </span>company last week and "deported" (some would say: kidnapped) <span style="font-weight: bold;">non-American citizens living outside his country</span> from (supposedly) sovereign countries <span style="font-weight: bold;">to the US so that they can stand trial</span> there and pay for their terrible <span style="font-weight: bold;">crimes against American media corporations</span> (apparently <span style="font-weight: bold;">some</span> of their <span style="font-weight: bold;">customers/users</span> (i.e. not the arrested people) were sharing content without authorization from the copyright holders (youtube anyone?)). Are you feeling like you are a character in a dystopian novel right now? I know I am. Now let us wait for SOPA to be enacted (I am sure it will... under this or different name... in a few months or after a decade... they will not give up).</div>
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Follow this link in case you are curious and want to see for yourself the results of work of <a href="http://www.fbi.gov/about-us/investigate/what_we_investigate"><span style="font-weight: bold;">the new Global Police</span></a> (formerly known as <span style="font-weight: bold;">FBI</span>): <a href="http://www.megaupload.com/">http://www.megaupload.com</a></div>
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Below some interesting excerpts. The last one shows that many <span style="font-weight: bold;">legitimate</span> (even according to the US law) users and companies were hit by this action. I would argue, that the combined loses of those (unimportant, powerless and poor - at least when compared to the oligarchs) people are much higher than the alleged loses of the American media industry whose interest was represented by the US judicial system and the US politicians. Who is going to fight for justice for those slaves? Certainly not the system built to police them.</div>
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--- <a href="http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2399174,00.asp">http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2399174,00.asp</a></div>
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This proves that offshore operations can still be reached by the long arm of the U.S. law. Also, none of these folks were Americans as far as I can tell. Dotcom is German and Finnish. The lot of them will be extradited to the U.S. to be tried for what are essentially crimes against the state. Citizens of the world, beware!This, to me, is the most interesting situation since the days when the leader of Panama, Manuel Noriega, was dragged out of his bed and thrown in a Florida prison for trafficking drugs.</div>
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--- <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megavideo">http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Megavideo</a></div>
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Web organisations have raised concerns about possible effects of the Megaupload case on the future of file sharing, cloud storage, and Internet commerce.[60][61][62] Various commentators including John C. Dvorak, Glenn Greenwald, and Julian Sanchez have written on the topic as well, particularly as it relates US government powers to take down a web site without a trial, even without new laws like SOPA.[63][64][65][66] In fact, the U.S. Dept of Justice was able to rely on PRO-IP, a law passed back in 2008, in order to shut down Megaupload.[67]</div>
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People who used Megaupload for personal and business storage, such as large audio and video files for family and work, have also voiced their complaints about the fact that they no longer had access to their files on the service.[68][69] Examples cited in the media included staff at public interest group Public Knowledge who used it for large files, and Android cellphone software writers who described it as "one of the best ways to distribute [software] ... There are a number of similar sites for this use, but Megaupload was always the fastest".[68]</div>
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---</div>Limes Inferiorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16566802367512396467noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3667102307881687103.post-8634998288298635512012-01-20T21:31:00.000+00:002012-04-15T17:12:08.851+01:00Biologists on Biology and Computer Games<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/a/a6/Cover_art_for_Assassin%27s_Creed_III,_Mar_2012.jpg/260px-Cover_art_for_Assassin%27s_Creed_III,_Mar_2012.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/a/a6/Cover_art_for_Assassin%27s_Creed_III,_Mar_2012.jpg/260px-Cover_art_for_Assassin%27s_Creed_III,_Mar_2012.jpg" width="226" /></a></div>
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Today, I had an amusing discussion with two of my friends - both of them having background in life sciences (biochemistry, molecular biology, computational biology) and one of them being an avid player of computer games. The argument started when I laughed at the idea by the creators of Assassin's Creed (a computer game) that all memories of our ancestors are stored in our DNA and can be accessed by future generations. My friend started arguing that it was not impossible and recalled the fact that our DNA does change. When I pointed out that the rate of such changes is incomparably slower than the rate of acquiring new memories, the second friend came to rescue my first friend by mentioning epigenetics. Too bad my friends had to leave early as there is nothing more entertaining than a good argument when adrenaline starts to flow and both sides want to prove to the other that they are right no matter what ;). That argument is over now but there is no reason why more people could not join in and present their views here ;). What do you think guys? Is it possible that not only all your memories but also all memories of your ancestors can be stored in just one gamete (this is what my friends argued for)? In other words, is our use of the brain for storing memories (with estimated 0.15 trillion synapses in the cortex alone - now, since our DNA (including epigenetic information) supposedly stores memories of all our ancestors, do not forget to multiply this by 10 000 to 15 000 to take into account all past generations since homo sapiens sapiens appeared... and I will not mention here all future generations as we would potentially end up with a theory claiming that each individual gamete has an infinite memory storage capacity ;) ) a huge waste of energy and space? Could most of our central nervous system be replaced with just one egg or sperm cell? Think about the huge saving on hats alone! And by what means would the memories be passed onto someone's descendants after that someone had already produced their offspring? What evolutionary pressures would contribute to developing such a memory storage? And what about huge epigenetic changes caused by environmental factors other than memories ;)? Maintaining memories whilst still fulfilling the commonly recognized goal of epigenetic changes would require existence of a kind of epigenetic steganography ;). I still think the idea is ridiculous but please, do share your thoughts, I promise I will try not to laugh even if you decide to join my two friends' camp.</div>Limes Inferiorhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16566802367512396467noreply@blogger.com0