Categories
Sideblog
The Hole Argument at the SEP. Arguably one of the most important more philosophical arguments made in physics. At least as important as Bell's Inequalities yet surprisingly far less known.
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Philosophical interpretations of E = mc^2 at the SEP. I don't think most people realize it's a deeper question than it appears.
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Interesting review of Connor Boyack's Latter-day Liberty, an attempt to argue for libertarianism from a Mormon perspective. (Part 2 is here)
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Levi has a nice post on thinking the absolute. "...religion is symptomatic of the speculative project of metaphysics. Religion is what comes forth to supplement metaphysics when metaphysics sets existence to the side."
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A nice aggregator of blogs dealing with OOO. It's only problem might be that a few blogs are pretty prolific and don't only deal with philosophy.
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Sherlock Holmes and mathematics. The recent movie, not the books.
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Do you really learn from lectures? (I never did – I have much preferred the professors just hand out their lectures)
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What can neuroscience teach us about evil? My favorite bit, Will Wilkinson says that the recent Slate article “confirms my impression that neuroscientists think the ability to fabricate colorful and misleading technicolor pictures of brains license them to philosophize with impunity.”
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Heidegger, realism, and OOO Very nice post. I'm still working through Harman. I favor the "hyper-realist" readings of Derrida and Heidegger regardless of whether they are the thinkers own. The too speculative nature of OOO makes me pretty uncomfortable though.
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Chris H. has a blog up on theory, culture and Mormonism. We're ideologically pretty separated (he's a liberal, I'm conservative, he's a neo-Kantian of sorts ethically whereas probably Levinas and Derrida come closest to my ethical views to the degree I have any) Still I always enjoy my discussions with him.
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More Entries

Cognitive Enhancers

Cognitive enhancers don’t necessarily improve cognitiion (HT: Siris) They intensify one function which may make you perform worse.

Essentials for Time Travel

Essentials for Time Travel (HT: LDS Science Review) Hang it up in your time machine.

Brain: Two Sides

The oddest thing about the brain: it has two sides An other fantastic Zimmer article.

More Phages as Antibiotics

More on phages to attack superbugs Sounds like the phage approach is generating a lot of interest. Here’s hoping we see actual on the shelf antibiotics sooner rather than later.

Better Stem Cells

New technique to create stem cells Avoids some of the cancer issues.

Behaviorial Genetics

What is “non-shared environment” in behavior genetics? I often heard it presented as the influence on personality by peer-group but maybe it’s broader and more ambiguous than that.

Realism and Naive Realism

Realism and naive realism. Pretty interesting discussion. Makes me want to read Graham Harman too. Although I’ll be working through Badiou for a while.

Metaphysics of Thermodynamics

The metaphysics of thermodynamics I remain convinced that thermodynamics in its various guises has led me to most of my philosophical questioning. It probably the most underrated and mysterious of all physics. And thank heaven for statistical mechanics without which it’d be almost impossible to figure out (at least for me).

Vallicella on Consciousness

Can consciousness be explained? Bill Vallicella considers the problem.

Defining Wisdom

Defining Wisdom Interesting site for U of Chicago. Science, philosophy, and the like.

Rightness & Intentions

“People are more inclined to judge a means to an end as performed intentionally if they consider it as morally wrong than if they consider it as morally right.” I thought I’d post that one before but I can’t find it. It’s very intriguing.