Disappointed. It was writted for a broader audience and the author constantly feels like he has to explain standard scientific concepts. He doesn't shDisappointed. It was writted for a broader audience and the author constantly feels like he has to explain standard scientific concepts. He doesn't share the actual studies but writes a fair bit about anecdotal evidence. He also often assumes to individuals choose to pursue a career purely for the sake of prestige. I can agree with him on the importance of relationships for mental health but think that this insight needs to be balanced along with the need for meaning. Pursuing a career can entail many important work-related relationships for instance. ...more
3.5/5 stars. Interesting analysis of human sexuality based on peoples web searches. The key takeaway is that men and women have different sexual cues;3.5/5 stars. Interesting analysis of human sexuality based on peoples web searches. The key takeaway is that men and women have different sexual cues; men are visual whereas women require narrative stimuli to be sexually activated. My only beef with the text is that I found their analysis to focus only on sexual attraction rather than see that there can be more things which women take into account when choosing a partner. Sexual attraction is based on where you are in the dominance hierarchy. Although the authors do mention womens long-term thinking I think that women are attracted to more than just billionaires, doctors, sheriffs, pirates etc etc Porn as well as romance novels tend to exaggerate sexual features and therefore the mating preference in real life tends to differ a bit from ones fantasy preferences. Well worth reading though as it goes against much of conventional wisdom and instead opts for more of a evolutionary take on attraction. The authors also write in a very easygoing and entertaining manner, making this book much easier to read. I also found the section on gay attraction to be interesting....more
It is rare for factual books to give the reader the opportunity to completely reconsider their understanding of historical events. ThisTerrific read.
It is rare for factual books to give the reader the opportunity to completely reconsider their understanding of historical events. This is precisely what happens when physicist Carlo Rovelli writes about the birth of natural science in the Greek city of Miletus (located in present-day Turkey). It is a portrayal of a epoch in human history where one gains insight into how people thought before the Greeks (around 500 BCE) and the consequences their conceptual innovations had on our understanding of how nature works. Carlo Rovelli is an Italian quantum physicist with a profound understanding of both scientific theory and the history of science. This places him in a unique position to interpret the remaining fragments of Anaximander's writings. The reader is given a context and can therefore comprehend the conceptual revolution initiated by Anaximander. The book is written in an educational and accessible manner, with Rovelli successfully depicting complexity in a way that a layperson can understand.
The most significant shift during the 5th century BCE is from religious beliefs (such as thunder being caused by Zeus) to attempting to find deeper explanations for natural phenomena. No culture had done this before the greatness of Greek culture. It may seem somewhat unnatural to question previous dogmas, as they provide a sense of security and control. Earlier cultures had 'philosophical systems' created by thinkers that were not questioned by their followers. Thales (625 BCE - 545 BCE) from Miletus was the first natural philosopher, and Anaximander (610 BCE - 546 BCE) "stood on Thales' shoulders." The difference here is that Anaximander could question his teacher and thus falsify parts of Thales' theories that he deemed insufficient. This marked the beginning of the scientific revolution, which would later characterize the progress of the Western world. Anaximenes, Heraclitus, and all subsequent thinkers questioned their predecessors, leading to a deeper understanding of the laws of nature. Rovelli connects this critical attitude with the emergence of democracy and the political discussion made possible by this process. There was no centralized bureaucracy governing Greece; all cities (called poleis) were self-governing.
When Anaximander states, for example, that the earth is a stone floating in space, he goes from a closed universe (where the earth is flat) to a potentially infinite universe. This statement goes against our everyday understanding since, in our relative world, there is both a clear up and a clear down. "What precisely is the argument? It consists in overturning the question 'Why does the Earth fall?' into 'Why should the Earth fall?' The genius of Anaximander is then to question the extrapolation of our experiences to the Earth itself, of the observed universality of falling." This is truly a paradigm shift, leading Rovelli to often compare Anaximander to other great scientists such as Einstein, Newton, and Copernicus. All facts can now be questioned, but as Rovelli emphasizes, this should not lead to questioning objectivity. 카지노싸이트 seeks a balance between a healthy belief in objectivity and an awareness of human subjectivity; a subjectivity that can only be bypassed by continuously testing hypotheses against reality.
This makes the Greeks appear modern. If, for this reason, one is curious about the beginning of civilization, I have only one piece of advice: Read this book!
Surprisingly good. The author focuses more on the culture around Gödel rather than on the man himself which makes the book all the more interesting. WSurprisingly good. The author focuses more on the culture around Gödel rather than on the man himself which makes the book all the more interesting. Will write a longer review later. ...more
This is a deeply researched work with a lot of statistics about how 5 generation of Americans are faring. The author is a professor of psychology whosThis is a deeply researched work with a lot of statistics about how 5 generation of Americans are faring. The author is a professor of psychology whose thesis is that technology is the driving force between different generations which is especially clear for gen z and polars. Advances in technology allows for individuals to live alone and therefore focus om themselves rather than on the community at large.
The author's definition of individualism differs quite a bit from my definition of the word as she uses the term without any connection to the concept of responsibility. This is the key reason for why generations get more egocentric and therefore gradually lose their connection to the community at large. Individualism in this respect has a much more negative connotation and also leads to more people getting depressed. Their sense of their position in the world is inflated and depression follows once these people make contact with the demands of reality.
I often found myself thinking about the Unabomber manifesto and how technology has the possibility to really alter our society for ever. I am sure there are other arguments for the positive impact technology has on society. I am also critical of questionaires asking people how happy they are... I mean isn't it difficult to objectively rate your own happiness? How can we therefore rely on these first hand accounts for scientific research?
Overall an interesting read and summary of current research on generations. I would recommend it to anyone interested in the future of US....more
Ulf Danielsson is a Professor of Physics at Uppsala University and he has written this thought provoking book in opposition to Max Tegmark's more famoUlf Danielsson is a Professor of Physics at Uppsala University and he has written this thought provoking book in opposition to Max Tegmark's more famous book "Our mathematical universe". Danielsson writes in a lucid style and often manages to succintly summarize different philosophical points in an easy-going way. His main points are that models are not reality, our body is an essential part of our "ego" or "I", and that artificial intelligence will never be conscious. I am inclined to agree with him but I do not know enough to really have a firm opinion on the subject. Perhaps I will read Tegmarks book next in order to get the platonic response to Danielssons physicalism. ...more
I really enjoyed this book. Although I have been against centralized education for most of my life, this book gave me more an emperical basis for beliI really enjoyed this book. Although I have been against centralized education for most of my life, this book gave me more an emperical basis for believing that. The most important takeaway was that employers look for three things when hiring: conformity (i.e. how well you are able to cooperate or work with other people), intelligence and conscientiousness. When you earn a degree you signal to a future employer that you have these three qualities (although the degree might be completely useless for what you actually are hired to do).
Caplan essentially makes a case against mass education. The top 20% of his class in economics understand the subject while the rest are merely regurgitating what they've read. This is in line with my experience of higher education. He provides much data to support this claim and tries to view his claim from different perspectives. Is there any value in what the Germans call Bildung? Caplan doesn't believe so. He sees no value in receiving a classical education although he himself values literature and art. I think a case can be made for the value of studying history from the vantage point of political science (Athens distastrous expedition to Sicily as a turning point in the Peloponnesian war has often been debated in parlaments around the world ever since). I believe that the key value from literature comes from broadening our understanding of other people (as Scruton emphasizes) as well as deepening our understanding of ourselves. Christof Koch, a scientist doing key research in consciousness, has written that literature (or art in general) is one of the few methods whereby we can explore another persons consciousness. We know so little about this fundamental aspect of life that it is hard not to emphasize the importance of art. This will not, however, help you get ahead in business (although it might help you get some head).
If you are interested in having a libertarian take on education then this book is for you....more
Fascinating. I hadn't thought about the possibility before of nature actually selecting for survival over truth. Hoffman makes a case for how our anceFascinating. I hadn't thought about the possibility before of nature actually selecting for survival over truth. Hoffman makes a case for how our ancestors survival was not based on who had the truest picture of reality but who could survive. This has in turn informed the way our mind views reality. Our mind creates the world we live in by making predictions and correcting for error. If you are interested in science, this is the book for you!...more
This is a dry read and I therefore found it a bit too boring at times. I decided to read the most important parts which was ethics, poetics and his geThis is a dry read and I therefore found it a bit too boring at times. I decided to read the most important parts which was ethics, poetics and his general view of science. I definitely want to read more about Aristotle as I find his view quite original and a good contrast to more modern ethical thinkers. ...more
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