Neopythonic: Thoughts after reading Neal Stephenson’s Anathem

I find it interesting that in Snow Crash the (near) future has gotten completely out of hand, while in Anathem a world is depicted that develops more or less cyclically for thousands of years: after the high point of technology (roughly, today’s age) things stay more or less the same, society and prosperity going down and up cyclically without much news being added. Stephenson’s explanation for this is that most people prefer to deal with technology they can understand and tinker with, like internal combustion engines, rather than the more advanced space-age stuff that most Sci-Fi authors (including Stephenson, see Snow Crash) love to make up. Although nobody seems to object to the ubiquity of cell phones connected to the Internet — they are apparently too useful (for society, or for the plot) to ban.

Source: Neopythonic: Thoughts after reading Neal Stephenson’s Anathem

Is Wisdom So Terrible When It Brings Profits That Are Invisible to the Eye? | Duane Sharrock | Pulse | LinkedIn

Source: Is Wisdom So Terrible When It Brings Profits That Are Invisible to the Eye? | Duane Sharrock | Pulse | LinkedIn

We Don’t Know What We Think We Know | Duane Sharrock | LinkedIn

We don’t want to get in our own way. It’s not a goal of ours. We strive for just the opposite: to achieve effective, optimal thinking for effective results. We want to make the “right” decision. And we want our decisions to “stand the tests of time.” If we are to be held accountable in a performance appraisal, we want our decisions to stand up, not fall down, under scrutiny. So we look for solutions to this problem of perspective. This is a driver behind our pursuits of various movements appearing in leadership, education, and knowledge worker advice sites: mindfulness and humility.

Source: We Don’t Know What We Think We Know | Duane Sharrock | LinkedIn

Why “philosophical consulting?” | Humberto Mariotti | LinkedIn

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/why-philosophical-consulting-humberto-mariotti

When we fall in love with fictional characters – Explainer Video Animation & Video Production | Norwich | London | Curveball Media

In an experiment by the psychologist Paul Rozin, he asked educated adults to eat chocolate fudge that was shaped like dog faeces. The other option was to eat soup from a pristine, brand new bedpan. People knew the fudge was real fudge and the bedpan was clean (it would be deeply unethical if wasn’t!) But many people refused. They believed the food was clean but they ‘alieved’ it wasn’t. This could be what happens when you watch a horror movie. You know you’re safe, you don’t really believe the monster will come out of the screen and harm you. But it still seems like it could. You just ‘alieve’ it will. The feeling experienced is still very real.

Source: When we fall in love with fictional characters – Explainer Video Animation & Video Production | Norwich | London | Curveball Media

Most Theories of Consciousness Are Worse Than Wrong – The Atlantic

”

When I talk to other scientists about the study of consciousness, very often the first thing I’m asked to explain is why the topic is worth scientific attention. I argue that it’s not just a topic for philosophers or poets, and it’s not just a matter of opinion or belief. We can actually build rational theories of consciousness, theories that have explanatory power and that can be tested experimentally. And it’s crucial knowledge. Consciousness has a specific, practical impact on brain function. If you want to understand how the brain works, you need to understand that part of the machine. No neuroscientist, and no expert in artificial intelligence, should scoff at consciousness.” (excerpt)

They play to our intuitions, but don’t actually explain anything.

Source: Most Theories of Consciousness Are Worse Than Wrong – The Atlantic

How To Be Creative: 6 Secrets Backed By Research

Here’s what we can learn from Scott about how to be creative: Be open to new experiences: It’s the most important thing to do. Just try new stuff. (What are you ordering for lunch today? Really? Don’t get that. You always get that.) Go for a walk: It can make you more creative and it’s exercise. Two birds, one stone, baby. Take a shower: If you’re not doing this one, I don’t want to hang out with you. Period.Take some “me” time: No, not me, you. So “you” time. Take “The Outsider’s Mindset”: Think like a kid. Stop taking your everyday work for granted. What about it would be odd to an outsider? There’s gold in thinking about that.Keep trying: Most of what the great geniuses produced was utter crap. Same is true for you. But nobody needs to know about your misses. Keep trying and just count the hits. So what happens when you spend more time being creative? When you spend more time daydreaming, taking photographs, talking passionately about personal goals or keeping a journal? You live a better life.

Here’s what we can learn from Scott about how to be creative:

• Be open to new experiences: It’s the most important thing to do. Just try new stuff. (What are you ordering for lunch today? Really? Don’t get that. You always get that.)
• Go for a walk: It can make you more creative and it’s exercise. Two birds, one stone, baby.
• Take a shower: If you’re not doing this one, I don’t want to hang out with you. Period.
• Take some “me” time: No, not me, you. So “you” time.
• Take “The Outsider’s Mindset”: Think like a kid. Stop taking your everyday work for granted. What about it would be odd to an outsider? There’s gold in thinking about that.
• Keep trying: Most of what the great geniuses produced was utter crap. Same is true for you. But nobody needs to know about your misses. Keep trying and just count the hits.

So what happens when you spend more time being creative? When you spend more time daydreaming, taking photographs, talking passionately about personal goals or keeping a journal? You live a better life.

Source: How To Be Creative: 6 Secrets Backed By Research

When fans go too far – GeekOut – CNN.com Blogs

In your mind, what’s the difference between a hobby, a passion, and an interest that’s gone too far? Is there any difference between being a devoted fan and being an obsessed fan?

Source: When fans go too far – GeekOut – CNN.com Blogs

Fear, uncertainty and doubt – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

Fear, uncertainty and doubt (FUD) is a tactic used in sales, marketing, public relations,^[1][2] politics and propaganda.

FUD is generally a strategic attempt to influence perception by disseminating negative and dubious or false information. An individual firm, for example, might use FUD to invite unfavorable opinions and speculation about a competitor’s product; to increase the general estimation of switching costs among current customers; or to maintain leverage over a current business partner who could potentially become a rival.

The term originated to describe disinformation tactics in the computer hardware industry^{[dubious ]} but has since been used more broadly.^[3] FUD is a manifestation of the appeal to fear.

Source: Fear, uncertainty and doubt – Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

QUT cite|write – Reflective writing

Good reflective writing usually involves four key elements:

reporting and responding to a critical issue or experience;

relating this issue or experience to your own knowledge in this field;

reasoning about causes and effects of this issue/experience according to relevant theories or literature and/or similarities or differences with other experiences you’ve had; and

reconstructing your thinking to plan new ways to approach the issue or engage in similar experiences in the future

via QUT cite|write – Reflective writing.