- Opinion
Has Modern Science Become Too Dogmatic?
Rupert Sheldrake’s “The Science Delusion” is one of those TED talks that will not be truly appreciated for another 50 years or so. Here Sheldrake argues that modern science has become dogmatic akin to a kind of belief system and makes assumptions about the nature of reality that is not supported by scientific evidence. This talk is quite controversial and has spawned many debates online about the merits of Sheldrake’s arguments. It should be noted that many of the TED talks we today consider to be credible and acceptable would have been roundly rejected by mainstream scientists 50 years ago. The fact is, we know more now than we did then so perhaps realizing this we can approach Sheldrake’s work with an open mind. Sheldrake in his words seeks to “set science free” and dispel the dogmas that hold us back from opening up new frontiers.
Read More:
The debate about Rupert Sheldrake’s talk
http://www.sheldrake.org/homepage.html
Open for discussion: Graham Hancock and Rupert Sheldrake from TEDxWhitechapel
http://blog.ted.com/2013/03/14/open-for-discussion-graham-hancock-and-rupert-sheldrake/
Freedom of Mind
Posted by MachineElf in Opinion, Science on April 21, 2013
In the western world we pride ourselves on the fact that we have achieved an unprecedented level of personal and civil freedoms. Freedom of speech, freedom of expression, freedom of the press, but how free are we really if we are not free to explore our own consciousness? What about freedom of mind? Consciousness expanding substances like DMT, psilocybin and lysergic acid diethylamide remain illegal despite their valuable and promising therapeutic use. In this banned TED talk “The War on Consciousness” Graham Hancock explores the links between the evolution of human consciousness and psychoactive substances.
Read More:
The debate about Graham Hancock’s talk
Open for discussion: Graham Hancock and Rupert Sheldrake from TEDxWhitechapel
http://blog.ted.com/2013/03/14/open-for-discussion-graham-hancock-and-rupert-sheldrake/
The War on Consciousness By Graham Hancock
http://www.grahamhancock.com/features/the-war-on-onsciousness.php
Johns Hopkins study of ingredient in “magic mushrooms” found participants exhibited more “openness”
Fed-funded research: magic mushrooms create ‘openness’ September 30, 2011 by Amara D. Angelica
An interview with researcher Peter Gasser, M.D.
Related Posts:
Can lysergic acid diethylamide cure alcoholism?
Study On Therapeutic Use of Psychoactive Substances Ends
DMT The Spirit Molecule Documentary parts 1-5
You Are Being Watched
Posted by MachineElf in Insolitus Politics, Opinion on September 18, 2012
In the 21st century it is nearly impossible to escape the watchful eyes of technology, the net and the world, a private dinner cannot be assumed to be truly private nor can a casual “off the cuff remark”. There are no more private places or private spaces. Those in political office and those that seek political power can no longer shape their messages to appeal to a particular audience in a world where nearly everything politicians say and do is on the record. Moments like this represent an important moment in history demonstrating both the power and influence of technology and the value of truth, honesty and transparency.
Perhaps the Worst TED Talk Ever “A Vision Of Crimes In The Future”
It’s pretty disappointing that TED allowed this talk to ever occur, it’s the classic “you better fear technology or else” hogwash that we have all heard before. Of course our technology is a doubled edged sword, it can be used for both good or ill but that has been the case since the first tools mankind ever used. The wooden club, chipped flint and fire can be used for defense against predators, hunting and cooking food or it can be used to pillage the camp down river. This presenters perspective on technology really exemplifies the problem with modern law enforcement in that it perceives any and every new technological innovation as a possible threat. From this perspective such threats can only be mitigated by limitations on technology, its development and proliferation throughout modern society. This talk comes off as a kind of propaganda, there is no original thinking going on here it is merely fear mongering. Here is a sample of some of the speakers more ridiculous quotes;
“We are at the dawn of a technological arms race, an arms race between people who are using technology for good and those who are using it for ill.”
This arms race started long ago with stone tools it’s not the “dawn” of anything. An axe and hammer can be used to build a shelter or kill a man so this is not news.
“A search engine can determine who shall live and who shall die.”
Really? and how precisely are we to remedy that? Monitor all searches, limit what people can search for? Limit who they can search for and when?
“If you’re expecting the people who built airport security to protect you from the coming robopocalypse, you may want to have a backup plan.”
One would think that any TED presenter worth his salt would stay away from “Bad Robot” insinuations but guess not. The assumption here is that the advent of a “robopocalypse” as he calls it is an inevitability. Either intelligent autonomous robots will turn on humans or some crafty human will turn robots on the rest of humanity. Perhaps this was the presenters attempt at humor.
It’s too bad the presenter did not use his opportunity to speak at TED to explore a problem much more relevant given his background and that is the militarization of local law enforcement agencies which also seeks to leverage modern high technology for their own purposes. Those of us interested in technology and innovation expect more from TED.
“The Last Of Us” Looks Quite Simply Amazing
Posted by MachineElf in Gaming, Opinion on June 5, 2012
The soon to be released “The Last Of Us” from Naughty Dog looks quite simply amazing. Judging from the trailer that was shown at E3 2012 we don’t know if it was a pandemic plague, a zombie apocalypse, an alien invasion, or the fulfillment of Mayan prophesy but something happened to transform this world into a post apocalyptic wasteland fit only for the cleaver, crafty and strong willed to survive. In our post nine eleven reality it seems (in US at least) we are absolutely obsessed with the idea of the collapse of American civilization, which is often what makes games in this genre so popular. On one level the fall of civilization is greatly feared and there is a great anxiety built up around the notion that if we don’t “change course” somehow a post apocalyptic future awaits us. We seem to be unable or unwilling to actually do the necessary thing (whatever it is) to avoid it. Strangely apocalyptic fantasy continues to occupy a kind of dark fantasy someplace deep within the psyche of the western mind. Perhaps games like this serve as a kind of psychological release valve for the ever increasing anxiety many feel when they try to think on what the future may hold.
Visit the official The Last of Us website at: http://www.thelastofus.com/
Visit http://www.naughtydog.com/
You can also follow TLOU on…
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/naughtydog
Twitter: http://twitter.com/naughty_dog
Check out all the latest E3 2012 Coverage
The Day The Net Went Dark
Ebongeek stands with the global internet community in the fight against SOPA and Protect IP. We support internet freedom, free expression and the freedom to connect.
Learn More
How PIPA and SOPA Violate White House Principles Supporting Free Speech and Innovation
“the freedoms to assemble and associate also apply in cyberspace; in our time, people are as likely to come together to pursue common interests online as in a church or union hall. Together, the freedoms of expression, assembly and association online comprise what I have called the freedom to connect. The United States supports this freedom for people everywhere, and we have called on other nations to do the same.” Hillary Clinton
A Look Back At Our Top 10 Predictions
It’s 2012 time to take a look back at our top ten 2011 predictions to see how well we did in our attempt to predict last year’s technology trends. Were we “On the Money”, “Close But No Cigar” or “Flat Out Wrong”? let’s take a look…
Prediction 1. “Apple will sell $99 iPads in the lead up to iPad2″
Result: Flat Out Wrong
Perhaps the result of some wishful thinking on our part, the iPad2 emerged in March of 2011 and since has gone on to glory. Unfortunately there was no 1st generation iPad price drop but we really, really, really wanted one.
Prediction 2. “RIP “Desktop Computer” If you are not a hardcore gamer or a content creator you won’t need one.”
Result: Close But No Cigar
Tech pundits have been trying to put the Desktop six feet under for many years but it just won’t die, seems Kyle Reese was right “it can’t be reasoned with. It doesn’t feel pity, or remorse, or fear and it absolutely will not stop, ever…” Desktops may not be mobile, multi-touch or sexy but clearly they are here to stay. Bravo Desktop bravo!!!
Prediction 3. “The death of Blu-Ray. Digital download and “the cloud” will eliminate the need to fill the living room with Blu-Ray disks.”
Result: Close But No Cigar
The broad adoption of home network appliances like the Apple TV and Rokou box has not impacted BluRay sales as intensely as we expected. According to Home Media Magazine BluRay sales increased 35% in 2011 an impressive result considering the now numerous ways of obtaining HD content online; According to HMM “Sales of Blu-ray Disc movies in the last four months of the year have skyrocketed, eclipsing what had been a sluggish year for the high-definition packaged media format, an analyst said…disc sales in the United States will reach about 115 million units in 2011, compared with 85 million units in 2010.” (HMM) It should be noted that; “Futuresource projects that by 2015, 30% of video consumption will occur online, followed by Blu-ray Disc (29%), transactional VOD (21%) and DVD (20%).”(Futuresource)
Prediction 5. “Arise from the ashes magazine and newspapers! Tablet devices like the iPad will revive newspapers and magazines. Companies that create mobile apps to present their content and advertising will succeed but only if they broadly adopt open ID using Facebook or Twitter”
Result: On the Money
There are about seven apps to read newspapers and magazines on the iPad, our editors choice comes down to a tie between Flipboard and Editions both are outstanding apps and each is truly a pleasure to use. Flipboard and Editions stand as examples of app developers that understand the importance of user experience. They take full advantage of the iPads multi-touch interface and both are so esthetically beautiful that one would want to leave the iPad on your coffee table for others to see and enjoy. If you haven’t experienced content on either of these apps EBG strongly encourages you to do so. Newspapers and magazines have been given new life thanks to the iPad and other tablet devices.
Prediction 6. “Tissue engineering will come into broader mainstream awareness as the GenX population ages.”
Result: Flat out Wrong
Despite tremendous advances in recent years Tissue engineering treatments are still relegated to animal and limited human trials, the technology remains far from being mainstream.
Prediction 7. “Firefox and Opera will die out while Chrome and new entrants like Rockmelt will dominate the browser market.”
Result: Close But No Cigar
It would not be fair to say that Firefox and Opera are dead however according to Statcounter.com Google’s Chrome Browser came out on top last year taking 23.6% of the global market. Back in November Chrome super passed Firefox for the first time. Hopefully Chrome will continue to improve in both performance and popularity.
Prediction 8. “RIP Yahoo.com, Digg.com. Other social media sites have make most of their offerings moot. These companies will be sold off for parts.”
Result: Close But No Cigar
Yahoo once dominated all things search but with the ascension of Google and social media superpower Facebook, Yahoo seems to have lost its way and the interest of consumers for that matter. When a company starts recruiting activities in preparation of possible departures of board members you know that either great change or great calamity is in store for Yahoo. Digg .com on the other hand is still around but has many months of regaining the confidence of its user base and apologizing for past transgressions if it ever hopes to regain its former glory. Digg remains an amazing site and we continue to hope it can find its soul again.
Prediction 9. ”Good bye “The Button” and “The Switch”. Touch screens, Multi Touch, Gesture and Thought Based interfaces will be incorporated into everything.”
Result: Flat out Wrong
Seems buttons are here to stay, not only are there currently no MultiTouch shirts on the market we still can’t turn the of the lights with our mind!!!! Seriously we were way off on this one, there are however several Gesture control technologies out there that we find intriguing.
Prediction 10. “A major mobile virus will strike cell phones and tablets worldwide highlighting the need for greater security and protection on mobile devices.”
Result: On the Money
There have been several events that have given those in the security sector pause. Most notably events in the Android Market place. Back in March of 2011 ITP reported that; ” Over 50 applications available on the Android Marketplace have been discovered to contain a virus, according to the BBC. The malicious apps, copies of existing applications repackaged to contain virus code, may have been downloaded up to 200,000 times by unsuspecting users.” (ITP) As more and more global internet users rely on mobile devices for their day to day needs mobile security will become increasingly important.
How Far We Have Come
The year was 1963 the presenter was Ivan Southerland of MIT’s Lincoln Labs demonstrating the first Graphical Communication System paving the way for the GUI. By 1968 Doug Engelbart brought us the first of what we would call modern input device combinations utilizing both a mouse and keyboard. This simple and elegant design idea remains with us today. By 1982 the Xerox Star 8010 came along with its unique Graphical User Interface an innovation which set the standard for desktop computers for decades to come. By 1993 the internet emerged and changed everything. We have come a long way in the last 40 plus years we can only wonder how far we will go.
Microsoft Envisions A Future But Are They Truly Capable Of Creating It
We have seen this before, it’s a concept video designed to show off what one company envisions for the future. Some companies are able to turn their visions into reality while others struggle to achieve their vision. Others seem to lose their way entirely, in time forgetting the great vision they once had. Microsoft had all the ingredients they needed to dominate the tablet market segment, the smart phone segment and internet search yet missed the mark allowing other companies to surge ahead of them. So it is no surprise that we here at Ebongeek are quite skeptical about the likelyhood that Microsoft can deliver on this beautiful vision they have created. To its credit these videos are well produced, awe inspiring and futuristic. Its a world where technology is everywhere, seemingly embedded and integrated into everything from the tables to the walls, the tools and applications depicted appear not only useful but truly beautiful. Oddly that’s the problem, Microsoft’s future vision is not truly as radical and revolutionary as one would expect or hope for. This future is just like now but better, with wider, thinner, brighter and faster versions of devices and applications that exist today. If one is to strive for a vision of the future it must be more than a better version of the present it must be truly transformative and revolutionary. So come on Microsoft surprise us, astound us, show us something we have never seen before. Are you up to the challenge?
Purity First
Posted by ebongeek in Gaming, Opinion, Singularity News on August 3, 2011
Ebongeek has covered game trailers before but this one titled “Purity First” is one of the finest we have ever seen. It was created as part of an advertising campaign for the video game Deus Ex: Human Revolution. It is a brilliant piece of viral marketing that blends technological fear mongering, rabid ludditeism and faux propaganda into a kind of nightmare gumbo for the eyes. At the same time, it serves as an interesting cautionary tale about runaway technology, ruthless corporate greed and societal collapse. It is quite creepy and comes off less as science fiction as it does a peek into some strange parallel alternative reality. The fascination we have with these dystopian visions of the future seem to be part of some strange process our society uses or in some way needs to cope with the emergence of new transformative technologies. Nevertheless the trailer is very entertaining and it will likely drive traffic to the game manufacturers site, but why is the underlying message so incredibly negative? Aaron Saenz of Singularity Hub put it best; “The effort put into this game is phenomenal, but the pessimism is a little much for me to let pass unchallenged. Human augmentation is just a new form of enslavement? Come on. Last time I checked, the real world scientists and companies creating artificial eyes and limbs were much more concerned with helping people than turning them into drug-addicted minions.” Source: Singularity Hub
Past Predictions Of The Future Present
Imagining what the future will be like is fairly easy, predicting how the future will actually be is nearly impossible. Despite the fact that even the best predictions and predictors are almost always a bit off, we still like to imagine, predict and create the future.
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