http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOtlN4pNArk Brosnan and de Waal’s finding of fairness in the capuchin monkey has settled the long-standing question of whether animals have a sense of fairness and further blurred the line between humans and other animals in a new territory: the sphere of morality. *** The questions now are how fairness works and why it evolved. … Continue reading This View of Life: The Evolution of Fairness
Author: SelfAwarePatterns
A middle aged guy who loves discussing science, philosophy, history, science fiction, and many other nerdy topics.
Is our tech making the world too complex? – Samuel Arbesman – Aeon
For centuries, humans have been creating ever-more complicated systems, from the machines we live with to the informational systems and laws that keep our global civilisation stitched together. Technology continues its fantastic pace of accelerating complexity — offering efficiencies and benefits that previous generations could not have imagined — but with this increasing sophistication and … Continue reading Is our tech making the world too complex? – Samuel Arbesman – Aeon
Why a Larger Multiverse Shouldn’t Make You Feel Small | Max Tegmark
The Higgs Boson was predicted with the same tool as the planet Neptune and the radio wave: with mathematics. Why does our universe seem so mathematical, and what does it mean? In my new book, Our Mathematical Universe, which comes out today, I argue that it means that our universe isn't just described by math, … Continue reading Why a Larger Multiverse Shouldn’t Make You Feel Small | Max Tegmark
Here’s What These Record Low Temperatures Say About Global Warming
As the frigid polar vortex makes itself at home over a giant swath of the country, it's also serving as fodder for all those equally unwelcome climate change deniers. Despite the fact that 97 percent of scientists agree that man-made climate change is happening, the likes of Donald Trump say many of these record lows … Continue reading Here’s What These Record Low Temperatures Say About Global Warming
Should Scientists Debate Creationists?
The perpetually-bowtied science educator Bill Nye “The Science Guy” is slated to debate creationist Ken Ham, the founder of Kentucky’s Creation Museum, on Feb. 4. Many scientists are uneasy about the debate — not because they are concerned that Ken Ham will provide new creationist evidence or arguments that will leave Nye cowering and apologizing … Continue reading Should Scientists Debate Creationists?
A Lonely Quest for Facts on Genetically Modified Crops – NYTimes.com
But the groundswell against genetically modified food has rankled many scientists, who argue that opponents of G.M.O.s have distorted the risks associated with them and underplayed the risks of failing to try to use the technology to improve how food is grown. Wading into a debate that has more typically pitted activists against industry, some … Continue reading A Lonely Quest for Facts on Genetically Modified Crops – NYTimes.com
Self-Driving Cars Moving into the Industry’s Driver’s Seat | IHS Online Pressroom
Self-driving cars (SDC) that include driver control are expected to hit highways around the globe before 2025 and self-driving “only” cars are anticipated around 2030, according to an emerging technologies study on Autonomous Cars from IHS Automotive, driven by Polk. In the study, “Emerging Technologies: Autonomous Cars—Not If, But When,” IHS Automotive forecasts total worldwide … Continue reading Self-Driving Cars Moving into the Industry’s Driver’s Seat | IHS Online Pressroom
Is Consciousness Universal?: Scientific American
These century-old arguments bring me to the conceptual framework of the integrated information theory (IIT) of psychiatrist and neuroscientist Giulio Tononi of the University of Wisconsin–Madison. It postulates that conscious experience is a fundamental aspect of reality and is identical to a particular type of information—integrated information. Consciousness depends on a physical substrate but is … Continue reading Is Consciousness Universal?: Scientific American
Why evangelicals and Catholic leaders are against contraception | Machines Like Us
Why do the leaders of some religious groups like the Catholics and now even evangelicals oppose contraception, to the extent of even objecting to health insurance policies covering it? After all, access to safe, reliable, and easy contraception has to be one of the most beneficial advances that society has made. And the fact that … Continue reading Why evangelicals and Catholic leaders are against contraception | Machines Like Us
Studies of a skin color gene across global populations reveal shared origins | Penn State University
All instances of a gene mutation that contributes to light skin color in Europeans came from the same chromosome of one person who most likely lived at least 10,000 years ago, according to Penn State College of Medicine researchers. via Studies of a skin color gene across global populations reveal shared origins | Penn State … Continue reading Studies of a skin color gene across global populations reveal shared origins | Penn State University
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