Interesting Stuff Thread

robindch · 28-09-2011 01:25PM

The story of the Dead Sea Scrolls, told from a hacker's perspective:

http://www.itworld.com/security/207109/suppression-dead-sea-scrolls-anti-hacker-mentality-have-more-common-you-think

smokingman · 30-09-2011 10:34AM

The Ig Noble awards are out....Harold Camping got one! :pac:
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-15117051

Dades · 30-09-2011 11:25AM

Sarky · 30-09-2011 11:29AM

Ig Nobel site wrote:

Peace Prize: Arturas Zuokas, the mayor of Vilnius, Lithuania, for demonstrating that the problem of illegally parked luxury cars can be solved by running them over with an armoured tank.

:pac: :pac: :pac:

liamw · 02-10-2011 12:54PM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kBdfcR-8hEY

recedite · 02-10-2011 03:32PM

Imagine if philosophy was taught in secondary schools instead of religious instruction.

MrPudding · 02-10-2011 04:24PM

recedite wrote: »

Imagine if philosophy was taught in secondary schools instead of religious instruction.

One thing, IMO, that the French have gotten right.

MrP

liamw · 02-10-2011 04:56PM

Check out 0:52 into the second video in the series :pac:
Exciting stuff!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0O2Rq4HJBxw

robindch · 02-10-2011 04:59PM

recedite wrote: »

Imagine if philosophy was taught in secondary schools instead of religious instruction.

We had a strange mixture in my own secondary school. We had monks who taught us plenty of RE, but never with as much enthusiasm as they showed when discussing philosophy.

And then in Greek, we did a fair bit of the New Testament in the original, and oodles and oodles of Plato. But even to a teenager, it was clear that Plato was a far better author and discussed deeper ideas, more cleverly and more humorously, than the NT's banal rubbish.

It's a crying shame that Plato's not read to any great extent in schools, nor anywhere else it seems.

dmw07 · 03-10-2011 12:44PM

robindch wrote: »

We had a strange mixture in my own secondary school. We had monks who taught us plenty of RE, but never with as much enthusiasm as they showed when discussing philosophy.

And then in Greek, we did a fair bit of the New Testament in the original, and oodles and oodles of Plato. But even to a teenager, it was clear that Plato was a far better author and discussed deeper ideas, more cleverly and more humorously, than the NT's banal rubbish.

It's a crying shame that Plato's not read to any great extent in schools, nor anywhere else it seems.

While i love philosophy, Plato in particular, surely the emergence of research and science has made the need to teach philosophy in schools redundant? Now Ethics, they should be thought in school in replace of any RE.

I know what Einstein said about philosophy, but he is not exactly right all the time

Turtwig · 03-10-2011 05:47PM

I think Philosophy of Science is by far the most important subject any student or person could learn. It's actually philosophy, but many seem to think William Lane Craig is a philosopher (my f**king arse!). If anyone here wants to learn philosophy and why science is performed the way it is, then I cannot recommend "Theory and Reality" by Peter Godfrey Smith highly enough. Truly excellent stuff. A must read for all interesting in understanding the process of science and why we do it the way we do it now. I might make a thread someday about it, because as that BBC article showed many people don't under what Science is, apart from philosophy that works of course!.:D

smokingman · 04-10-2011 07:56AM

Malty_T wrote: »

...I cannot recommend "Theory and Reality" by Peter Godfrey Smith highly enough. Truly excellent stuff.

In the same vein, if I had control of the education system here in Ireland, I'd make everyone read "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" by Robert Pirsig. It's my favourite book I've ever read and have done about 26 times now.
An examination of logic itself with proper use of philosophy, handy tips on keeping a motorcycle and a sad but amazing personal story.

robindch · 04-10-2011 09:23AM

Nothing to do with religion, but everything to do with the standards of journalism as the Daily Mail.

This concerned the story of the verdict in the Meredith case in Italy, it seems they prepared two versions - one in which Knox's appeal was rejected, and the other in which it was accepted. Unfortunately, the Daily Mail published the wrong one:

http://tabloid-watch.blogspot.com/2011/10/mailonline-makes-up-events-quotes-from.html

recedite · 04-10-2011 10:23AM

robindch wrote: »

http://tabloid-watch.blogspot.com/2011/10/mailonline-makes-up-events-quotes-from.html

Maybe they employed a clairvoyant.... in good faith :pac:
Or maybe they deliberately con people with their makey-uppy predictions.
Not altogether different to religion, then.

amacachi · 04-10-2011 11:11AM

It's not just the DM that does this, TV companies and all do it. Think of how unlikely it is to be stupid enough to publish the wrong article. Bear in mind it happens often enough. Now divide those two figures to see just how many of these back-up stories are hanging around, waiting to be published.

robindch · 04-10-2011 02:13PM

amacachi wrote: »

It's not just the DM that does this, TV companies and all do it.

Indeedy, but it takes a special kind of stupid to (a) invent quotes (b) invent situations and (c) publish them.

Reminds me of a news report -- rather shocked to see it's 18 years ago -- that went wrong in Australia:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/reports-of-queen-mothers-death-exaggerated-1504013.html

amacachi · 04-10-2011 04:06PM

robindch wrote: »

Indeedy, but it takes a special kind of stupid to (a) invent quotes (b) invent situations and (c) publish them.

Reminds me of a news report -- rather shocked to see it's 18 years ago -- that went wrong in Australia:

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/reports-of-queen-mothers-death-exaggerated-1504013.html

There's been a couple of the bigger news companies caught with reaction quotes and articles before what thet were reacting to had happened recently enough. Have had a search around but can't find them alas. Have a feeling one was a biggish UK one that wouldn't be the right-leaning type that people expect. :pac:

fontanalis · 04-10-2011 05:33PM

When galaxies collide!
http://freethoughtblogs.com/zingularity/2011/10/03/when-galaxies-collide/

suspectdevice · 04-10-2011 10:13PM

i like this thread

robindch · 08-10-2011 05:52PM

Absolutely nothing to do with evolution, religion or anything that usually shows up here.

Instead, a first class book on materials science and engineering structures, while still being full of dry wit and anecdote.

http://www.amazon.com/Structures-Things-Dont-Fall-Down/dp/0306801515

goingpostal · 08-10-2011 06:58PM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgNFJEx3XGc

Latest Dawkins vs Bill O'Reilly segment on Fox "News".

CerebralCortex · 09-10-2011 09:46AM

http://naturalism.org/Weight_Loss_Naturalism.htm

Turtwig · 12-10-2011 02:38AM

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tjDEX2Q6f0o

HUNK · 13-10-2011 12:09AM

goingpostal wrote: »

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NgNFJEx3XGc
Latest Dawkins vs Bill O'Reilly segment on Fox "News".

"AH HA!" :pac:

mikhail · 13-10-2011 03:52PM

Bertrand Russell on his lack of belief. Spectacular in his honesty, bluntness and reason.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2aPOMUTr1qw

EDIT: Wiki on Russell, who I thought of as a great mathematician, but seems to have been influential in many other fields.

dmw07 · 13-10-2011 06:36PM

This off the cuff analogy touches on a huge subject and just spectacular if you take a moment to really realize what this man is talking about.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=5Jf-uQQnEyw

It made me think of watching this over and over and over
http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=cRmbwczTC6E

Enjoy.

Turtwig · 13-10-2011 06:42PM

dmw07 wrote: »

This off the cuff analogy touches on a huge subject and just spectacular if you take a moment to really realize what this man is talking about.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Jf-uQQnEyw

It made me think of watching this over and over and over

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRmbwczTC6E

Enjoy.

To embed a youtube vid just copy the letter string after v= and paste it into the youtube tags.:)

Love Krauss.

strobe · 17-10-2011 12:43AM

mikhail wrote: »

Bertrand Russell on his lack of belief. Spectacular in his honesty, bluntness and reason.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2aPOMUTr1qw

EDIT: Wiki on Russell, who I thought of as a great mathematician, but seems to have been influential in many other fields.

Wtvr...that's just 'new atheism', let's be honest, it's in vogue. Total fad, he is just trying to sell his book, don't be so naive.

robindch · 17-10-2011 10:42PM

The Daily Telegraph reports on a school in the UK which tore down a chapel to make way for ... wait for it... new science classrooms:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/8829140/Bishop-of-London-attacks-top-public-school-after-it-demolishes-its-chapel.html

Kivaro · 18-10-2011 12:39AM

robindch wrote: »

The Daily Telegraph reports on a school in the UK which tore down a chapel to make way for ... wait for it... new science classrooms:

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/8829140/Bishop-of-London-attacks-top-public-school-after-it-demolishes-its-chapel.html

WooHoo!

Do you think it will start a trend?

Interesting Stuff Thread

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