Tuesday, November 24, 2020

Philosophy Wire: Treading into unknown paths…

Researchers have used statistical techniques of automatic learning to analyze mobility patterns and technology of the hunter-gatherer groups that inhabited the Southern Cone of America, from the time they arrived about 12,000 years ago until the end of the 19th century. Big data from archaeological sites located in the extreme south of Patagonia have been used for this study. [1] Computers analyzing life. We have become so accustomed to using technology to view the cosmos that we have lost touch with life itself. And we believe that we can document and even understand that life via analyzing it from the comfort of our chair. Can you track the wandering of a man in search for new places? Can you map his heart while walking into unknown territories for the first time? Could we ever understand the anxiety of treading into unknown paths? Sure we can. But not without leaving our bedroom. (or lab) Knowing the details for mobility patterns is important. But more important is us to be mobile as well. Otherwise this new “knowledge” will just be a useless addition to an already useless set of dusty knowledge on the “What do we care about that?” shelf.

Watch that person walking outside.
No, you will never understand him.
Don’t think! Just get up!
And start following him.

No, knowledge for mobility patterns will not magically start flowing in your mind. But you will start actually walking into knowledge itself. Baby steps. One foot after the other. Until you are walking without even thinking about it. Until you have forgotten where you came from. Until you have become part of the forest…

Look at those footprints.
Whom are they from?

(c) Philosophy WIRES - Commenting world news from philosophy's perspective…

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