Philosophy Wire: Models. Explanations. Cakes.

Fairy circles are one of nature's greatest enigmas and most visually stunning phenomena. Researchers have now collected detailed data to show that Alan Turing's model explains the striking vegetation patterns of the Australian fairy circles. In addition, the researchers showed that the grasses that make up these patterns act as ''eco-engineers'' to modify their hostile and arid environment, keeping the ecosystem functioning. [1] Explaining things with models. How can we do that? Models always come after reality. They come after experience. And nothing that comes after can truly explain anything. For what you needed to understand you already have. Come. (Functioning environment) Taste that cake. Do you want me to explain why it is delicious? (Could you live without the enigmas?)

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Philosophy Wire: Evolution of evolution. Scientific models’ dirty little secrets…

Photo by Spiros Kakos @ Pexels

Scientists try to determine the evolution of proteins by constructing many models which could represent the evolution and determine which are the common traits of most of these models. These common elements are then used to construct the most possible path of evolution. [1]

The models will always model something. But no matter how accurate the model is, it will never exactly replicate reality. Because the models take into account many factors which always make them in good alignment with the “average” picture. But the average picture is the only picture which does not ever exist anywhere!

Behold one of the dirty secrets of the science process of creating models.

That they will never show exactly what they want to explain!

Arrogant men. Looking in the distorted mirror. Convincing themselves that this is their image. And yet, feeling that it is not. Only because they are bored to break the mirror. And find a calm sea where they can look on their own reflection in peace.

Poor men…
Too occupied with seeing their own image that they don’t see that the sea is here…
If only they could look the other way…

Related article: Check the harmoniaPhilosophica.com portal!

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Philosophy Wire: Fossil record. Universal patterns.

Instead of the typical bell-shaped curve, the fossil record shows a fat-tailed distribution, with extreme, outlier, events occurring with higher-than-expected probability. Using the same mathematical tools that describe stock market crashes, scientists explain the evolutionary dynamics that give rise to universal patterns in the fossil record. [1] Patterns. Made out of extreme exceptions. Old dinosaurs roaming the Earth. Dying. Humans conquering. Sun burning. Galaxies dissolving Humans dying. We think there are extreme events. But life itself is an extreme event. Look at your models again. No! There are no outliers in your model. Except the model itself…

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Philosophy Wire: Brain as a model… Wrong mirrors… Dark ocean…

Two New Jersey Institute of Technology (NJIT) researchers, working with collaborators from the IBM Research Zurich Laboratory and the École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne, have demonstrated a novel synaptic architecture that could lead to a new class of information processing systems inspired by the brain. [1] Misled humans. Trailing their own footsteps. Lost in their own forest. All our life based on formulating theories. Trying to represent something with something else. Looking at our faces on the lake. But it is the dark ocean we should be heading to. The only valid representation is the one which hurts a bit. No, the mirror in front of you is not important. You are. All the sorrow of life. All the happiness of being. Depicted in those lonely eyes. A broken mirror. Blood dripping from a hand. A gaze that would blind you. Even without any mirror…

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Philosophy Wire: To be or not to… Facebook? Complicated answers… Irrelevant relevant correlations…

Philosophy Wire by Spiros Kakos [2017-07-03]: Is social media good for you, or bad? Well, it's complicated. A study of 12 million Facebook users suggests that using Facebook is associated with living longer - when it serves to maintain and enhance your real-world social ties. [1] Irrelevant correlations. Relevant correlations. Who can decide? Check your feelings. You know that question has no answer. You are just afraid to admit it… Because you want to have correlations. You somehow feel that this is the way it is supposed to be. But if you cannot distinguish the correct from the incorrect, then only one thing can be true: That they are all valid…

Eat ice cream.
Be careful of the sharks…

PS. Check here for this weird correlation.

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Philosophy Wire: Assumptions, simulations, light...

Philosophy Wire by Spiros Kakos [2014-08-27]:

Computer simulations of intergalactic hydrogen in a "dimly lit" universe (left) and a "brightly lit" universe (right) that has five times more of the energetic photons that destroy neutral hydrogen atoms. Hubble Space Telescope observations of hydrogen absorption match the picture on the right, but using only the known astronomical sources of ultraviolet light produces the much thicker structures on the left, and a severe mismatch with the observations. [1]
We are always haunted by the things that SHOULD be there.
We are always defined by the things that SHOULD happen.
Let go of your assumptions.
Do UNSCIENTIFIC science!
It is the only way to truly DO science!

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