David Eagleman on possibilianism

David Eagleman on possibilianism
http://poptech.org/popcasts/david_ea...possibilianism


Neuroscientist and best-selling author David Eagleman introduces the concept of Possibilianism, a new philosophy that simultaneously embraces a scientific toolbox while exploring new, unconsidered uncertainties about the world around us.

On Aug 28, 5:11*pm, Sam Wormley wrote:
David Eagleman on possibilianism

When I saw the beginning of your post, I figured that he was
advocating, essentially, doing everything we can, because we can.

But when I went to the site, before playing the video, I saw:

Neuroscientist and best-selling author David Eagleman introduces
the concept of Possibilianism, a new philosophy that
simultaneously embraces a scientific toolbox while exploring new,
unconsidered uncertainties about the world around us.

and I feared that he was going to talk about a type of agnosticism
that included a dangerous amount of openness to the supernatural.

About 2 minutes into the video, my suspicions seem to be getting
confirmed... despite the fact that I agree, for example, that
consciousness is truly mysterious.

John Savard

"Quadibloc" wrote in message
...

On Aug 28, 5:11 pm, Sam Wormley wrote:
David Eagleman on possibilianism

When I saw the beginning of your post, I figured that he was
advocating, essentially, doing everything we can, because we can.

But when I went to the site, before playing the video, I saw:

Neuroscientist and best-selling author David Eagleman introduces
the concept of Possibilianism, a new philosophy that
simultaneously embraces a scientific toolbox while exploring new,
unconsidered uncertainties about the world around us.

and I feared that he was going to talk about a type of agnosticism
that included a dangerous amount of openness to the supernatural.

About 2 minutes into the video, my suspicions seem to be getting
confirmed... despite the fact that I agree, for example, that
consciousness is truly mysterious.

John Savard
================================================== ==========
The world is filled with great apes, and I am one of them. But why am
I not a cat, or bird, or fish, or whale or ant... what is this "self" that
makes me "me" and not "you" ? And what are you? I cannot distinguish
you from any other great ape and though I respect yours, the only
consciousness that can be important is my own, for I am me and I
know not what I am or how I came to be. My father's sperm met my
mother's ovum and produced a great ape, an animal. So what? Every
piglet is made the same way. But this particular great ape is...me,
and I exist in this epoch of a great ape landing on another world, and
is now no more, yet his footprints remain.
Last night I dreamt. It was a silly dream, I was an actor in a movie
I had scripted, and anything I wanted to happen, did. I marvelled
at my own creativity...then forced myself to wake, get up and drink
coffee, write to usenet and criticize fools, for in my dream I was
stabbing a hole in a medieval wall through a draped rotting cloth
hiding ... nothing. I was the fool, the dream was foolish and I could
not permit it to continue.
Consciousness is truly mysterious, and only through introspection
and humility can we ever hope to understand it. We lose it when we
sleep... why then should we fear death? Your last conscious thought
is yours and yours alone for all eternity.

-- Lord Androcles, Zeroth Earl of Medway

On 31 Aug., 00:24, Hansonorielcleeze III wrote:

I could not permit it to continue.

Now there's a breakthrough!

Consciousness is truly mysterious, and only through humility can we ever hope to understand it.

I am increasing your prescribed dose of Humility to qds.

giggle

-- Grinagog "Chris.B" wrote in message
...

Out of the mouths of babes! :-)
=========================================
Faster light arrives sooner, slower light arrives later, making
the true sinusoidal velocity curve look like this:
http://ts1.mm.bing.net/images/thumbn...d79cd3696b1291
with it's impossible acceleration.
But that's serious astrophysics in an astronomy newsgroup, something
a lowlife with the neuron of a slug like you is incapable of understanding.
Keep on cackling, ****witted arsehole, it's all you are good for.
-- Lord Androcles, Zeroth Earl of Medway.

On 31 Aug., 08:20, Hansorielcleeze III wrote:

Out of the mouths of babes! :-)

My wife has an allergy to nuts.

So she sends me out to the shops every day.

Humility is the new cool. :-)

-- Grinagog "Chris.B" wrote in message
...

Out of the mouths of babes! :-)
=========================================
Faster light arrives sooner, slower light arrives later, making
the true sinusoidal velocity curve look like this:
http://ts1.mm.bing.net/images/thumbn...d79cd3696b1291
with it's impossible acceleration.
But that's serious astrophysics in an astronomy newsgroup, something
a lowlife with the neuron of a slug like you is incapable of understanding.
Keep on cackling, ****witted arsehole, it's all you are good for.
-- Lord Androcles, Zeroth Earl of Medway.