The Science Delusion, a talk banned by TED

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The Science Delusion, a talk banned by TED

Post by FBM » Sun Jun 29, 2014 4:24 am

I've only watched it once, but I like the overall attitude of not taking anything for granted, leaving even the most widely accepted ideas open to question. Some of you may find it stimulating. Not sure.

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Re: The Science Delusion, a talk banned by TED

Post by Xamonas Chegwé » Sun Jun 29, 2014 4:35 am

If it was banned, how come there's a Youtube of it? :dunno:
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Re: The Science Delusion, a talk banned by TED

Post by FBM » Sun Jun 29, 2014 4:39 am

Someone other than TED re-uploaded it, I guess. There's a small handful of them.

"A philosopher is a blind man in a dark room looking for a black cat that isn't there. A theologian is the man who finds it." ~ H. L. Mencken

"We ain't a sharp species. We kill each other over arguments about what happens when you die, then fail to see the fucking irony in that."

"It is useless for the sheep to pass resolutions in favor of vegetarianism while the wolf remains of a different opinion."

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Re: The Science Delusion, a talk banned by TED

Post by pErvinalia » Sun Jun 29, 2014 5:18 am

There was a giant thread on this on Ratskep which I participated in part of with one (or maybe even two) of my socks. The thread is called "The Science Delusion" if you want to see where it all went pear shaped..
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Re: The Science Delusion, a talk banned by TED

Post by FBM » Sun Jun 29, 2014 5:24 am

Please don't make me. :worried:
"A philosopher is a blind man in a dark room looking for a black cat that isn't there. A theologian is the man who finds it." ~ H. L. Mencken

"We ain't a sharp species. We kill each other over arguments about what happens when you die, then fail to see the fucking irony in that."

"It is useless for the sheep to pass resolutions in favor of vegetarianism while the wolf remains of a different opinion."

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Re: The Science Delusion, a talk banned by TED

Post by cronus » Sun Jun 29, 2014 5:39 am

Science ain't nothing but poking real sticks into the vast gaps of ignorance in collective human knowledge. Religion uses imaginary sticks. :read:
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Re: The Science Delusion, a talk banned by TED

Post by FBM » Sun Jun 29, 2014 5:45 am

Scumple wrote:Science ain't nothing but poking real sticks into the vast gaps of ignorance in collective human knowledge. Religion uses imaginary sticks. :read:
Did you watch the video?
"A philosopher is a blind man in a dark room looking for a black cat that isn't there. A theologian is the man who finds it." ~ H. L. Mencken

"We ain't a sharp species. We kill each other over arguments about what happens when you die, then fail to see the fucking irony in that."

"It is useless for the sheep to pass resolutions in favor of vegetarianism while the wolf remains of a different opinion."

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Re: The Science Delusion, a talk banned by TED

Post by JimC » Sun Jun 29, 2014 6:06 am

Sheldrake, eh?

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Re: The Science Delusion, a talk banned by TED

Post by FBM » Sun Jun 29, 2014 6:13 am

JimC wrote:Sheldrake, eh?

The pixies at the bottom of his garden cleared off because he was stalking them all the time...
I've only just run across him. I gather that he has a reputation. Seems he would be easy to villify using guilt by association, no doubt.
"A philosopher is a blind man in a dark room looking for a black cat that isn't there. A theologian is the man who finds it." ~ H. L. Mencken

"We ain't a sharp species. We kill each other over arguments about what happens when you die, then fail to see the fucking irony in that."

"It is useless for the sheep to pass resolutions in favor of vegetarianism while the wolf remains of a different opinion."

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Re: The Science Delusion, a talk banned by TED

Post by JimC » Sun Jun 29, 2014 6:29 am

FBM wrote:
JimC wrote:Sheldrake, eh?

The pixies at the bottom of his garden cleared off because he was stalking them all the time...
I've only just run across him. I gather that he has a reputation. Seems he would be easy to villify using guilt by association, no doubt.
Here is his Wiki article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rupert_Sheldrake

At the risk of being a science bigot, he is somewhat a fruit loop... ;)
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Re: The Science Delusion, a talk banned by TED

Post by Hermit » Sun Jun 29, 2014 6:30 am

He makes some good criticism of scientific practice. Pity he mixes so much paranormal stuff into it. Sorry, insofar as he does that, he does not sound a lot more coherent than Deepak Chopra.
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Re: The Science Delusion, a talk banned by TED

Post by FBM » Sun Jun 29, 2014 7:03 am

Hermit wrote:He makes some good criticism of scientific practice. Pity he mixes so much paranormal stuff into it. Sorry, insofar as he does that, he does not sound a lot more coherent than Deepak Chopra.
Yup. I can follow him so far as maintaining a vigilance against scientific dogmatism, but when he starts hypothesizing...ugg. That said, I haven't read the research he alludes to that is supposedly peer reviewed.
"A philosopher is a blind man in a dark room looking for a black cat that isn't there. A theologian is the man who finds it." ~ H. L. Mencken

"We ain't a sharp species. We kill each other over arguments about what happens when you die, then fail to see the fucking irony in that."

"It is useless for the sheep to pass resolutions in favor of vegetarianism while the wolf remains of a different opinion."

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Re: The Science Delusion, a talk banned by TED

Post by FBM » Sun Jun 29, 2014 7:05 am

JimC wrote:
FBM wrote:
JimC wrote:Sheldrake, eh?

The pixies at the bottom of his garden cleared off because he was stalking them all the time...
I've only just run across him. I gather that he has a reputation. Seems he would be easy to villify using guilt by association, no doubt.
Here is his Wiki article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rupert_Sheldrake

At the risk of being a science bigot, he is somewhat a fruit loop... ;)
Reminds me somewhat of Linus Pauling...
"A philosopher is a blind man in a dark room looking for a black cat that isn't there. A theologian is the man who finds it." ~ H. L. Mencken

"We ain't a sharp species. We kill each other over arguments about what happens when you die, then fail to see the fucking irony in that."

"It is useless for the sheep to pass resolutions in favor of vegetarianism while the wolf remains of a different opinion."

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Re: The Science Delusion, a talk banned by TED

Post by Xamonas Chegwé » Sun Jun 29, 2014 7:12 am

FBM wrote:
JimC wrote:
FBM wrote:
JimC wrote:Sheldrake, eh?

The pixies at the bottom of his garden cleared off because he was stalking them all the time...
I've only just run across him. I gather that he has a reputation. Seems he would be easy to villify using guilt by association, no doubt.
Here is his Wiki article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rupert_Sheldrake

At the risk of being a science bigot, he is somewhat a fruit loop... ;)
Reminds me somewhat of Linus Pauling...
You say that almost like being reminded of Linus Pauling is a good thing. :nono:
A book is a version of the world. If you do not like it, ignore it; or offer your own version in return.
Salman Rushdie
You talk to God, you're religious. God talks to you, you're psychotic.
House MD
Who needs a meaning anyway, I'd settle anyday for a very fine view.
Sandy Denny
This is the wrong forum for bluffing :nono:
Paco
Yes, yes. But first I need to show you this venomous fish!
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I think we should do whatever Pawiz wants.
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Re: The Science Delusion, a talk banned by TED

Post by Hermit » Sun Jun 29, 2014 7:48 am

FBM wrote:
Hermit wrote:He makes some good criticism of scientific practice. Pity he mixes so much paranormal stuff into it. Sorry, insofar as he does that, he does not sound a lot more coherent than Deepak Chopra.
Yup. I can follow him so far as maintaining a vigilance against scientific dogmatism, but when he starts hypothesizing...ugg. That said, I haven't read the research he alludes to that is supposedly peer reviewed.
I think his talk was binned, and rightfully so, because he maintained that telepathy is real and the mind stretches out from the body to the extent that kind of touches the stars, and backed those claims up with no more than typical new age hand waving. His comments on the constancy of the speed of light and the force of gravity were humorously delivered and thought provoking, though. Had Skeldrake expanded on that sort of instead of taking off into fairy land, the TED board would either have decided to not bin the talk or finished up with tremendous amounts of egg on face. By going off the deep end he has also provided a convenient pretext for the people he criticised not to reply on those matters.
I am, somehow, less interested in the weight and convolutions of Einstein’s brain than in the near certainty that people of equal talent have lived and died in cotton fields and sweatshops. - Stephen J. Gould

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