The EADD Inspirational and Thought Provoking Stuff Thread

[rickolasnice]

What 2 situations can be truly identical?

I know DNA is not everything but it's the first thing that plays a part in the "self" you become.. The potential size, receptor ratios, predisposition to schizophrenia, whatever.. after that it's a sponge receiving and reacting to external stimuli. The reason you like those shoes, that song or that hair cut is because of cause of the cause of the cause (and so on) of the reason. Every effect has a cause.

 

[mydrugbuddy]

Nothing has effects if you don't recognise the cause
If the programme's not the one you want, get up, turn off the set
It's only you that can decide what life you're gonna get
If you don't like religion you can be the antichrist
If your tired of politics you can be an anarchist
But no one ever changed the church by pulling down a steeple
And you'll never change the system by bombing number ten
Systems just aren't made of bricks they're mostly made of people
You may send them into hiding, but they'll be back again
If you don't like the rules they make, refuse to play their game
If you don't want to be a number, don't give them your name
If you don't want to be caught out, refuse to hear their question
Silence is a virtue, use it for your own protection
They'll try to make you play their game, refuse to show your face
If you don't want to be beaten down, refuse to join their race
Be exactly who you want to be, do what you want to do
I am he and she is she but you're the only you

Crass Big A Little A.

 

[knock]

I agree with those lyrics but they've missed something out, they talk about singular pronouns I, he, she and you.

The actual solution is only to be found in the plurals. We. Us.

 

[mydrugbuddy]

yeah. true, i think the main point of this track is self empowerment.

Big A, little A, bouncing B
The system might have got you but it won't get me

Be exactly who you want to be, do what you want to do
I am he and she is she but you're the only you
No one else has got your eyes, can see the things you see
It's up to you to change your life and my life's up to me
The problems that you suffer from are problems that you make
The shit we have to climb through is the shit we choose to take
If you don't like the life you live, change it now it's yours

 

[knock]

Yes, just I think we should empower ourselves in the plural. Because lots of people empowering themselves as individuals is just a big fight, whereas pluralities empowering themselves as groups, is co-operation and organisation.

 

[Shambles]

Was gonna put this in the docs thread but probably fits this one better so giving it a wee bumpity-bump.

Imagining 10 Dimensions

Somewhat speculative (or certainly non-standard) in places but is an interesting thing all the same. Also surprisingly easy to follow and actually do (the imagining of the ten dimensions promise of the title). Have seen a few similar(ish) attempts to visualise but this one worked best for me. As for the 'non-standard' bits, depends how conservative you are on various sciencey matters but nothing that doesn't at least have some at least semi-reputable sciencey folk entertaining quite similar ideas out there too. The short video blog entries he does wander off into far more speculative areas (including use of psychedelics to reach similar conclusions - apparently so many swirlsome types pointed this out the fella had a bit of a rethink and concluded maybe such things can have as much use and relevance as any other approach to ponderings of this nature) but the main thing linkied above doesn't seem such a great stretch to me really in relation to the type of theories this fella's particular interpretation draws on.

It's maybe not exactly light-viewing but is also not half as difficult to get along with and get a grip on as this type of thing can often be. Well worth a go if interested in such things. I will warn that the fella himself is a tad eccentric and does burst into self-penned song now and then. That's mostly in the blogs but at least one incident in the main film above. I doubt I'll be buying the soundtrack album but the rest is good stuff I'd say.

 

[curious_24]

Was gonna put this in the docs thread but probably fits this one better so giving it a wee bumpity-bump.

Imagining 10 Dimensions

Somewhat speculative (or certainly non-standard) in places but is an interesting thing all the same. Also surprisingly easy to follow and actually do (the imagining of the ten dimensions promise of the title). Have seen a few similar(ish) attempts to visualise but this one worked best for me. As for the 'non-standard' bits, depends how conservative you are on various sciencey matters but nothing that doesn't at least have some at least semi-reputable sciencey folk entertaining quite similar ideas out there too. The short video blog entries he does wander off into far more speculative areas (including use of psychedelics to reach similar conclusions - apparently so many swirlsome types pointed this out the fella had a bit of a rethink and concluded maybe such things can have as much use and relevance as any other approach to ponderings of this nature) but the main thing linkied above doesn't seem such a great stretch to me really in relation to the type of theories this fella's particular interpretation draws on.

It's maybe not exactly light-viewing but is also not half as difficult to get along with and get a grip on as this type of thing can often be. Well worth a go if interested in such things. I will warn that the fella himself is a tad eccentric and does burst into self-penned song now and then. That's mostly in the blogs but at least one incident in the main film above. I doubt I'll be buying the soundtrack album but the rest is good stuff I'd say.

Fantastic suggestion. I watched this yesterday and my mind was blown. Gonna watch it again in a bit in the hope that the crazier parts will make a little more sense.

 

[Shambles]

Probably depends very much on which bits you deem 'crazier'. Much of it is fairly mainstream physics - if you don't keep up with such things those are probably the 'crazy' bits casuing consternation. For reference, the main clash between his synthesis of several quite legitimate physical theories and the more controversial aspect is his approach to the 4th dimension. Time is only theoretically a two-way street in mainstream physics - the 'going backwards in time' bits only apply to antimatter and mathematical handiness to make the forwardy in time bits fit properly usually whilst he takes it at face value and just says the theory says what it says and it says time can run either way just like another dimension (which is actually the definition of a dimension as he points out repeatedly) so deal with it. Similar situation with his plumping for the 'Many Worlds' interpretation of quantum mechanics. As noted in the vid itself, I agree with the fella that said: 'It makes no sense and I don't like it' who switched to the simpler 'I just don't like it'. I still don't but it does fit well in this particular interpretation and does make more sense than it usually does.

 

[Shambles]

Nice selection of public lectures on astronomy and cosmology from Gresham College.

They're not massively technical (they are public lectures after all) but with more to get your teeth into than many documentaries on these topics perhaps. Plenty of pretty pix to marvel at and the lecturer (Ian Morison) has a very accesible and amiable style of presentation which sneaks in a fair bit of science without ramming it down your throat. Have watched and enjoyed all in this playlist and I think there's a couple others floating around PooToob but nice to have a selection all together in one place as in the linky above. Far more entertatining and enjoyable than you might expect if you don't usually go in for these type of things so well worth a go if you happen to have any interest in astronomy and/or cosmology.

And whilst I'm at it, after Prof Morison left the college his position was filled by another fine talker (Carolin Crawford) with some excellent, entertaining and very informative (without being overly technical or hard to follow) lectures on related matters. If you watched and enjoyed any of the above you'll like these too I suspect.

Am a big fan of public lectures and got loads to post but will leave it there for today but recommend to anybody places like the Gresham College PooToob Channel (covers many areas of arts, humanities and science not just astronomy - these just happen to be my main interest at the moment and what I've most recently watched). Many other universities have excellent PooToob channels too - wealth of knowledge to be found with plenty to inspire and thought-provoke no matter what your area of interest is

Since the beginning of time (if there was one) things have been reacting to a cause, which was a reaction to a cause, which was the reaction to a cause, etc, etc. Everything that has happened happened because what happened before that happened - happened. Whatever happens in the future was always going to happen. If you could travel back in time but not alter it in any way (impossible but bare with me) then things would play out in EXACTLY the same way.. There's no reason it wouldn't.

Ignoring the subatomic particles for a second;

The architect for your brain; your DNA. It gave you your natural instincts (to cry, to suckle, etc), ability to learn, remember, feel, etc. Step off of the vessel of DNA coding only and we are immediately hammered by our environment. The brain is moulded by what you see, smell, taste, hear and feel. Moulded by the vision of red, the feeling of laying on your stomach, the sound of the traffic outside.. EVERYTHING. None of this is within your control. You are literally an empty vessel being moulded by external stimuli (using the DNA decided structure). We are literally a product of our environment making an impression on a complex network of cells of which started as a canvas designed by a strip of chemicals all lined up just right. You think the way you do, act the way you do, talk the way you do and do the things you do because you have been moulded to be this way. Do you cause your brain to do what it does or does you brain cause you to do what you do.. Where did the very first makings of a conscious thought come from. If you think to yourself "Let's see what's on the news" .. what consciously, immediately precedes the thought.

The greatest illusion in existence - free will.

http://books.google.co.uk/books?hl=...A#v=onepage&q=freewill is an illusion&f=false

You can ignore sub-atomic particles for as long as you like - they still carry on existing and not-existing and doing all kindsa freaky shit behind your back too. I have a fair bit of sympathy for the "free will is an illusion" idea. The evidence from brains scans (sorry for fuzzy wording - can't recall off the top of my head which particular form) showing that a decision is made subconsciously up to 30secs or so before it's made consciously (and will always be the same decision or it wouldn't be much of a "discovery" would it now) is a massive spanner in the works for free will existing as it is generally perceived. I tend to be of the opinion that the subconscious and conscious minds work together and just cos you're unaware you've made a decision for an absolute age (in subatomic terms) before you realise you've done so it's still "you" that made the decision. How your conscious mind then "explains" or "justifies" it to your conscious mind would be where the illusury nature of free will as it's generally thought of comes in. Free will exists it's just not necessarily always found in the "conscious decisions" we think we make when we think we make them.

 

[lurching]

 

[spudgun]

On reflection, Monday me doesn't deserve any bonus horror. Cartoons instead.