Philosophy Wire by Spiros Kakos [2013-03-30]: Termites, not fairies, cause plant circles in African deserts after all. [source: Science News] But what is the difference? If we think again, we will see that in any case a small creature with more than 4 limbs and the ability to breath in the Earth's atmosphere was indeed the cause of the weird formations. How much do we need to call a theory "false" and a new one "correct"?
Philosophy Wire by Spiros Kakos [2012-12-27]: Quantum mechanics (QM) experiments (related to Bell’s inequality) have shown that reality does NOT exist when we are not observing it. [1] This is amazing. Although at this point some objections still arise concerning this conclusion, it is really important to know that science has began thinking about concepts that have for a long time been a matter of ridicule in mainstream science communities.
Close your eyes…
Imagine…
A video showing a golden eagle catching a small child at a park and tried to drag it into the air to eat it, went viral on the Internet in a few hours after its release.[1] Even though the video was absolutely realistic, many people rushed to doubt its trueness. Their doubts were not objective, since they were based not on technical flaws of the video but on the "reaction" of the father of the child which some people found "mild". [2]
But that is not a valid objection to decide if something is "fake" if you ask me. Anyone could be caught off guard from such a strange once-in-a-lifetime event and possibly not react immediatelly. The parent in the video did run towards the child. Was it that he was not screaming weird? Possibly others could find him screaming as an indication of "fake over-reaction". The possibilities are endless.
Finally it was revealed that the video was indeed fake, created by a team of college students studying cinematography. [3] But the lesson to be learned is this: If someone does not want to believe something, then not even a video will make him believe. Not even a photo. Not even a recorded sound. Because in ANY CASE you can find excuses for not believing. After all, isn't that what magicians like Copperfield do? They trick us into believing something that is not real.
But wait a minute...
What are we going to believe then? And based on what "evidence" if all evidence can be tampered with?As a new version of the Unbelieving Thomas, we would not be satisfied by touching the nail marks on Jesus resurrected body. We would examine him over and over again until we found out the "trick". Because if someone does not want to believe something, not even live evidence will convince him.
Maybe finally it is all a matter of choice. What exists is what we CHOOSE to Be. Yes, Quantum Mechanics has showed the way towards such a radical view of the cosmos. We are part of it and as conscious observers we formulate reality at Will.
Maybe that is why imagination develops first and logic second in a child’s life. Maybe Nature tries to tell us something here.
Imagine being. Imagine living. Imagine seeing...
Philosophy Wire by Spiros Kakos [2011-11-01]: Scientists at NASA are experimenting with tractor beams (something well known to anyone who has seen Star Wars) [source: BBC News]. The foundations of scientific progress seem to be based more on fantasy than cold logical analysis…
Philosophy Wire by Spiros Kakos [2011-10-29]: Google StreetView is entering the stores [source: BBC News]. It will not take long for the same service to enter houses and – why not? – our own brain. Life exceeds the most vivid imagination. And it does so in such a frequency that makes one wander: is fantasy something that exaggerates reality is it merely a more mild version of reality? Maybe this is a way to know what will happen: what do you think is “crazy” or “improbable” today?
