Combining Texts

All the ideas for 'works', 'reports' and 'New Scientist articles'

unexpand these ideas     |    start again     |     specify just one area for these texts


39 ideas

6. Mathematics / B. Foundations for Mathematics / 3. Axioms for Geometry
Archimedes defined a straight line as the shortest distance between two points [Archimedes, by Leibniz]
     Full Idea: Archimedes gave a sort of definition of 'straight line' when he said it is the shortest line between two points.
     From: report of Archimedes (fragments/reports [c.240 BCE]) by Gottfried Leibniz - New Essays on Human Understanding 4.13
     A reaction: Commentators observe that this reduces the purity of the original Euclidean axioms, because it involves distance and measurement, which are absent from the purest geometry.
7. Existence / A. Nature of Existence / 5. Reason for Existence
Current physics says matter and antimatter should have reduced to light at the big bang [New Sci.]
     Full Idea: Our best theories of physics imply we shouldn't be here. The big bang ought to have produced equal amounts of matter and antimatter particles, which would have almost immediately annihilated each other, leaving nothing but light.
     From: New Scientist writers (New Scientist articles [2013], 2015.05.23)
     A reaction: This is not, of course, a rejection of physics, but a puzzle about the current standard model of physics.
CP violation shows a decay imbalance in matter and antimatter, leading to matter's dominance [New Sci.]
     Full Idea: The phenomenon of charge-parity (CP) violation says that under certain circumstances antiparticles decay at different rates from their matter counterpart. ...This might explain matter's dominance in the universe, but the effect is too small.
     From: New Scientist writers (New Scientist articles [2013], 2015.05.23)
     A reaction: Physicists are currently studying CP violations, hoping to explain why there is any matter in the universe. This will not, I presume, explain why matter and antimatter arrived in the first place.
14. Science / A. Basis of Science / 4. Prediction
A system can infer the structure of the world by making predictions about it [New Sci.]
     Full Idea: If we can train a system for prediction, it can essentially infer the structure of the world it's looking at by doing this prediction.
     From: New Scientist writers (New Scientist articles [2013], 2015.12.12)
     A reaction: [AI expert] This seems to be powerful support for the centrality of mathematical laws of nature in achieving understanding of the world. We may downplay the 'mere' ability to predict, but this idea says that the rewards of prediction are very great.
15. Nature of Minds / C. Capacities of Minds / 3. Abstraction by mind
Neural networks can extract the car-ness of a car, or the chair-ness of a chair [New Sci.]
     Full Idea: Early neural nets were really good at recognising general categories, such as a car or a chair. Those networks are good at extracting the 'chair-ness' or the 'car-ness' of the object.
     From: New Scientist writers (New Scientist articles [2013], 2015.12.12)
     A reaction: [Interview with Yann LeCun, Facebook AI director] Fregean philosophers such as Geach think that extracting features is a ridiculous idea, but if even a machine can do it then I suspect that human beings can (and do) manage it too.
18. Thought / A. Modes of Thought / 5. Rationality / a. Rationality
No one has yet devised a rationality test [New Sci.]
     Full Idea: The financial sector has been clamouring for a rationality test for years.
     From: New Scientist writers (New Scientist articles [2013], 2013.10.29)
     A reaction: Many aspects of intelligence tests do actually pick out what I would call rationality (which includes 'rational intuition', a new favourite of mine). But they are mixed in with rather mechanical geeky sort of tests.
18. Thought / A. Modes of Thought / 7. Intelligence
About a third of variation in human intelligence is environmental [New Sci.]
     Full Idea: Possibly a third of the variation in our intelligence is down to the environment in which we grew up - nutrition and education, for example.
     From: New Scientist writers (New Scientist articles [2013], 2013.10.29)
     A reaction: This presumably leaves the other two-thirds to derive from genetics. I am a big believer in environment. Swapping babies between extremes of cultural environment would hugely affect intelligence, say I.
People can be highly intelligent, yet very stupid [New Sci.]
     Full Idea: You really can be highly intelligent, and at the same time very stupid.
     From: New Scientist writers (New Scientist articles [2013], 2013.10.29)
     A reaction: This is closely related to my observation (from a lifetime of study) that a talent for philosophy has a very limited correlation with standard notions of high intelligence. What matters is how conscious reasoning and intuition relate. Greek 'phronesis'.
18. Thought / B. Mechanics of Thought / 1. Psychology
Psychologists measure personality along five dimensions [New Sci.]
     Full Idea: Psychologists have long thought that measuring on a scale of just five personality dimensions - agreeableness, extroversion, neuroticism, conscientiousness and openness to new experiences - can capture all human variations in behaviour and attitude.
     From: New Scientist writers (New Scientist articles [2013], 2015.06.13)
     A reaction: Researchers are considering a sixth - called 'honesty-humility' - which is roughly how devious people are. The five mentioned here seem to be a well entrenched orthodoxy among professional psychologists. Is personality more superficial than character?
20. Action / C. Motives for Action / 3. Acting on Reason / b. Intellectualism
Jesus said learning was unnecessary, and only the spirit of the Law was needed [Jesus, by Johnson,P]
     Full Idea: Jesus was a learned Jew who said that learning was not necessary, who took the spirit and not the letter as the essence of the Law.
     From: report of Jesus (reports [c.32]) by Paul Johnson - The History of the Jews Pt II
     A reaction: This seems to me the perfect opposite of Socrates's intellectualism, offering the essence of morality as 'purity of heart', rather than careful thought about virtue or principles. On the whole I am with Socrates, but the idea is interesting.
22. Metaethics / B. Value / 2. Values / g. Love
Love thy neighbour as thyself [Jesus]
     Full Idea: Love thy neighbour as thyself.
     From: Jesus (reports [c.32]), quoted by St Matthew - 01: Gospel of St Matthew 19.19
     A reaction: It would be stronger and better to say 'Love your neighbour, even if you don't love yourself'. Self-loathing and vicious hatred often go together. For once Jesus does not attach an instant heavenly reward to obedience of the command.
Love your enemies [Jesus]
     Full Idea: Love your enemies.
     From: Jesus (reports [c.32]), quoted by St Matthew - 01: Gospel of St Matthew 05.44
     A reaction: The germ of this idea had been around for several hundred years, but this very forceful statement is perhaps Jesus' most distinctive contribution to moral thought. It has the same clarion call as the Stoic demand for pure virtue. What about deserving?
23. Ethics / B. Contract Ethics / 2. Golden Rule
Treat others as you would have them treat you [Jesus]
     Full Idea: All things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, so ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets.
     From: Jesus (reports [c.32]), quoted by St Matthew - 01: Gospel of St Matthew 07.12
     A reaction: A problem which probably didn't occur to Jesus and the prophets is that of masochists. Personally I like buying philosophy books, but most people have no such desire. The Rule needs restricting to the basics of pleasure and pain.
23. Ethics / B. Contract Ethics / 4. Value of Authority
Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy [Jesus]
     Full Idea: Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy.
     From: Jesus (reports [c.32]), quoted by St Matthew - 01: Gospel of St Matthew 05.07
     A reaction: This appears to be a straightforward application of social contract morality, with God playing the role of Hobbes' absolute monarch. It highlights the uncomfortable fact at the heart of Christian morality, that the motivation for altruism is selfish.
23. Ethics / C. Virtue Theory / 2. Elements of Virtue Theory / c. Motivation for virtue
Except ye become as little children, ye shall not enter heaven [Jesus]
     Full Idea: Except ye be converted, and become as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
     From: Jesus (reports [c.32]), quoted by St Matthew - 01: Gospel of St Matthew 18.03
     A reaction: The appeal of such purity of heart is undeniable, but essentially I dislike this remark. It is the opponent of education, reason, autonomy, responsibility, democracy and maturity. It confirms the view that religion is the opium of the people.
23. Ethics / C. Virtue Theory / 2. Elements of Virtue Theory / h. Right feelings
If you lust after a woman, you have committed adultery [Jesus]
     Full Idea: Whosoever look on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart.
     From: Jesus (reports [c.32]), quoted by St Matthew - 01: Gospel of St Matthew 05.28
     A reaction: Compare Democritus, Idea 503. Literally this idea seems absurd, but it is also at the heart of Greek virtue theory. Aristotle (Idea 34) defines virtue as an activity 'of the soul', not an action in the world. Excellence has become purity of soul.
23. Ethics / C. Virtue Theory / 3. Virtues / a. Virtues
Blessed are the meek; for they shall inherit the earth [Jesus]
     Full Idea: Blessed are the meek; for they shall inherit the earth.
     From: Jesus (reports [c.32]), quoted by St Matthew - 01: Gospel of St Matthew 05.05
     A reaction: If they are truly meek, why would they want to inherit the earth? This is the classic statement of Nietzsche's 'inversion of values', where the qualities of a good slave are elevated above those of the greatest human beings.
23. Ethics / C. Virtue Theory / 3. Virtues / c. Justice
Don't resist evil, but turn the other cheek [Jesus]
     Full Idea: Ye have heard it said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth; But I say unto you, That ye resist not evil, but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also.
     From: Jesus (reports [c.32]), quoted by St Matthew - 01: Gospel of St Matthew 05.38-9
     A reaction: Compare Socrates, Idea 346. The viciousness of many Hollywood movies is that they set up a character as thoroughly evil so that we can have the pleasure of watching him pulverised. On the whole, Jesus gives bad advice. 'Doormats' in game theory.
23. Ethics / C. Virtue Theory / 4. External Goods / c. Wealth
It is almost impossible for the rich to go to heaven [Jesus]
     Full Idea: It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.
     From: Jesus (reports [c.32]), quoted by St Matthew - 01: Gospel of St Matthew 19.24
     A reaction: Aristotle and others (Margaret Thatcher) have observed that you cannot practise charity if you are poor. Jesus implies that the human race should remain in poverty. No wonder autocratic medieval rulers taught Christianity to peasants. Cf. Matt 25.30.
27. Natural Reality / A. Classical Physics / 2. Thermodynamics / d. Entropy
Entropy is the only time-asymmetric law, so time may be linked to entropy [New Sci.]
     Full Idea: All our physical laws are time-symmetric, ...so things can run forwards or backwards. But entropy is an exception, saying that disorder increases over time. Many physicists therefore suspect that the flow of time is linked to entropy.
     From: New Scientist writers (New Scientist articles [2013], 2017.02.04)
27. Natural Reality / B. Modern Physics / 2. Electrodynamics / a. Electrodynamics
Light moves at a constant space-time speed, but its direction is in neither space nor time [New Sci.]
     Full Idea: A light ray always moves at one unit of space per unit of time - a constant diagonal on the graph. ...But the direction that light rays travel in is neither space nor time, and is called 'null'. It is on the edge between space and time.
     From: New Scientist writers (New Scientist articles [2013], 2013.06.15)
     A reaction: Don't understand this, but it sounds fun.
27. Natural Reality / B. Modern Physics / 2. Electrodynamics / d. Quantum mechanics
Quantum states are measured by external time, of unknown origin [New Sci.]
     Full Idea: When we measure the evolution of a quantum state, it is to the beat of an external timepiece of unknown provenance.
     From: New Scientist writers (New Scientist articles [2013], 2013.06.15)
     A reaction: It is best not to leap to philosophical conclusions when studying modern physics. Evidently time has a very different status in quantum mechanics and in relativity theory.
The Schrödinger equation describes the evolution of an object's wave function in Hilbert space [New Sci.]
     Full Idea: A quantum object's state is described by a wave function living in Hilbert space, encompassing all of its possible states. We see how the wave function evolves in time, moving from one state to another, using the Schrödinger equation.
     From: New Scientist writers (New Scientist articles [2013], 2013.06.15)
     A reaction: [These idea are basic explanations for non-scientific philosophers - please forgive anything that makes you wince]
27. Natural Reality / B. Modern Physics / 5. Unified Models / b. String theory
In string theory space-time has a grainy indivisible substructure [New Sci.]
     Full Idea: String theory suggests that space-time has a grainy substructure - you can't keep chopping it indefinitely into smaller and smaller pieces.
     From: New Scientist writers (New Scientist articles [2013], 2015.11.07)
     A reaction: Presumably the proposal is that strings are the true 'atoms'.
String theory needs at least 10 space-time dimensions [New Sci.]
     Full Idea: String theory needs at least 10 space-time dimensions to be mathematically consistent.
     From: New Scientist writers (New Scientist articles [2013], 2013.06.15)
     A reaction: Apparently because of 'Ads/CFT', it may be possible to swap this situation for a more tractable 4-dimensional version.
It is impossible for find a model of actuality among the innumerable models in string theory [New Sci.]
     Full Idea: String theory has more than 10-to-the-500th solutions, each describing a different sort of universe, so it is nigh-on impossible to find the one solution that corresponds to our geometrically flat, expanding space-time full of particles.
     From: New Scientist writers (New Scientist articles [2013], 2015.11.07)
27. Natural Reality / C. Space / 2. Space
Hilbert Space is an abstraction representing all possible states of a quantum system [New Sci.]
     Full Idea: The elements of the abstract mathematical entity called Hilbert Space represent all the possible states of a quantum system
     From: New Scientist writers (New Scientist articles [2013], 1017.02.04)
27. Natural Reality / C. Space / 6. Space-Time
Space-time may be a geometrical manifestation of quantum entanglement [New Sci.]
     Full Idea: A promising theory (based on the 'Maldacena duality' - that string equations for gravity are the same as quantum equations for surface area) is that space-time is really just geometrical manifestations of quantum entanglement.
     From: New Scientist writers (New Scientist articles [2013], 2015.11.07)
     A reaction: This is a speculation which might unite the incompatible quantum and general relativity theories.
Einstein's merging of time with space has left us confused about the nature of time [New Sci.]
     Full Idea: Our hunt for the most basic ingredients of reality has left us muddled about the status of time. One culprit for this was Einstein, whose theory of general relativity merged time with space.
     From: New Scientist writers (New Scientist articles [2013], 2017.02.04)
Relativity makes time and space jointly basic; quantum theory splits them, and prioritises time [New Sci.]
     Full Idea: Relativity says space and time are on the same footing - together they are the fabric of reality. Quantum mechanics, on the other hand, treats time and space differently, with time occasionally seeming more fundamental.
     From: New Scientist writers (New Scientist articles [2013], 2013.06.15)
     A reaction: Interesting. When talking about time, people glibly cite relativistic space-time to tell you that time is just another dimension. Now I can reply 'Aaah, but what about time in quantum mechanics? Eh? Eh?'. Excellent.
27. Natural Reality / D. Time / 1. Nature of Time / d. Time as measure
Quantum theory relies on a clock outside the system - but where is it located? [New Sci.]
     Full Idea: After general relativity, quantum mechanics reinstated our familiar notion of time. The buzzing of the quantum world plays out according to the authoritative tick of a clock outside the described system, ...but where is this clock doing its ticking?
     From: New Scientist writers (New Scientist articles [2013], 2017.02.04)
27. Natural Reality / D. Time / 2. Passage of Time / g. Time's arrow
Entropy is puzzling, so we may need to build new laws which include time directionality [New Sci.]
     Full Idea: Smolin observes that if entropy increases, the early universe must have been highly ordered, which we cannot explain. Maybe we need to build time directionality into the laws, instead of making time depend on entropy.
     From: New Scientist writers (New Scientist articles [2013], 2017.02.04)
     A reaction: [compressed]
27. Natural Reality / E. Cosmology / 7. Black Holes
General relativity predicts black holes, as former massive stars, and as galaxy centres [New Sci.]
     Full Idea: Black holes are predicted by general relativity, and are thought to exist where massive stars once lived, as well as at the heart of every galaxy.
     From: New Scientist writers (New Scientist articles [2013], 2013.06.15)
     A reaction: Since black holes now seem to be a certainty, that is one hell of an impressive prediction.
Black holes have entropy, but general relativity says they are unstructured, and lack entropy [New Sci.]
     Full Idea: Black holes have a temperature, and hence entropy. ...But if a black hole are just an extreme scrunching of smooth space-time, it should have no substructure, and thus no entropy. This is probably the most obvious incompleteness of general relativity.
     From: New Scientist writers (New Scientist articles [2013], 2015.11.07)
27. Natural Reality / E. Cosmology / 8. Dark Matter
84.5 percent of the universe is made of dark matter [New Sci.]
     Full Idea: Dark matter makes up 84.5 percent of the universe's matter.
     From: New Scientist writers (New Scientist articles [2013], 2013.10.29)
27. Natural Reality / F. Chemistry / 1. Chemistry
We are halfway to synthesising any molecule we want [New Sci.]
     Full Idea: Ei-ichi Negishi (Nobel chemist of 2010) says 'the ultimate goal is to be able to synthesise any molecule we want. We are probably about halfway there'.
     From: New Scientist writers (New Scientist articles [2013], 2010.10.16)
27. Natural Reality / F. Chemistry / 3. Periodic Table
Chemistry just needs the periodic table, and protons, electrons and neutrinos [New Sci.]
     Full Idea: Ei-ichi Negishi (Nobel chemist of 2010) says 'I work with the periodic table in front of me at all times, and approach all challenges in terms of three particles, positively charged protons, negatively charged electrons, and neutral neutrinos'.
     From: New Scientist writers (New Scientist articles [2013], 2010.10.16)
28. God / A. Divine Nature / 6. Divine Morality / c. God is the good
No one is good except God [Jesus]
     Full Idea: Why callest thou me good? There is none good but one, that is, God.
     From: Jesus (reports [c.32]), quoted by St Matthew - 01: Gospel of St Matthew 19.17
     A reaction: This remark raises the problem that if God is good, there must be some separate moral standard by which he can be judged good. What is that standard? It is related to the problem of whether Plato's Form of the Beautiful is itself beautiful.
29. Religion / B. Monotheistic Religion / 4. Christianity / a. Christianity
Jesus turned the ideas of Hillel into a theology reduced to its moral elements [Jesus, by Johnson,P]
     Full Idea: Jesus was a member of the school of Hillel the Elder, and may have sat under him. He repeated some of the sayings of Hillel, ...and turned his ideas into a moral theology, stripping the law of all but its moral and ethical elements.
     From: report of Jesus (reports [c.32]) by Paul Johnson - The History of the Jews Pt II
     A reaction: The crucial move, it seems to me, is to strip Judaism of its complexity, and reduce it to very simple moral maxims, which means that ordinary illiterate people no longer need priests to understand and follow it. Jesus was, above all, a great teacher.