Steve Conner looks at a new book by Peter Witzel that argues that the world's myths have common origins: How did our legends really begin? - Features - Books - The Independent. The similarity of the narratives could be just coincidence. Each culture might just have devised its own folklore independently of the other, coming to surprisingly … Continue reading How did our legends really begin?
Category: Zeitgeist
12 Years a Slave
This week, I saw the movie 12 Years a Slave. Most of the reviewers have stated that the move is a hard one to watch, but that they were glad they did. That pretty much sums up my reaction to it. The violence in the movie is limited, but what is shown is brutal and … Continue reading 12 Years a Slave
How to find an exoplanet
I suspect many, if not most, of my readers are already familiar with the techniques listed in this video. But if you're not, and wondering how astronomers find planets orbiting other stars, you might find this interesting. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AnX7ExBjrHw
Does the Higgs boson actually exist?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=azTMPl0Qb6o I have to admit to wondering the same thing Nick talks about here. Do any of these subatomic particles actually exist? At least in the way we conventionally define "exist"? We're talking about entities that are sometimes a wave, sometimes a point particle and, as far as we can observe, behave randomly within certain … Continue reading Does the Higgs boson actually exist?
Voyager spacecraft might not have reached interstellar space
I have to say that I had no idea this was still being debated: Voyager spacecraft might not have reached interstellar space. In 2012, the Voyager mission team announced that the Voyager 1 spacecraft had passed into interstellar space, traveling further from Earth than any other manmade object. But, in the nearly two years since that … Continue reading Voyager spacecraft might not have reached interstellar space
Traveling
Hi fellow patterns. I'm going to be traveling for the next week or so, with unpredictable access to wifi, so blogging may be limited or nonexistent. I do expect to be able to at least periodically check the comment threads from my phone, so feel free to comment on any of the recent posts. In the meantime, also … Continue reading Traveling
How to divide up the wealth
Click through to see the full sized version, and a popup bubble comment from the author. via Buried Treasure - Existential Comics. If you don't know much about these guys, Marx wants to divide up in the communist manner, Rawls wants you to evaluate societal rules as if you don't know what your role in society … Continue reading How to divide up the wealth
The natural, the supernatural, and the nature of science
I think Braterman makes an important point here. Acting like naturalism is a principle of science, instead of just a result of it, is both wrong and dangerous since it gives science the appearance of being just as dogmatic as any ideology.
The Lowest Difficulty Setting in Action
Are you alone? (In the universe)
This a cool video on what we are and where we came from. We are, each of us, a temporary intersection of matter and energy that is part of the overall whole of the universe, patterns of elementary particles that have, at least for a while, achieved self awareness. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PKMQzkIiB0Y via Are You Alone? In The … Continue reading Are you alone? (In the universe)
