20 MAR 2018 by ideonexus
The Bible of Civilization
But to begin with perhaps I may meet an objection that is likely to arise. I have called this hypothetical book of ours the Bible of Civilization, and it may be that someone will say: Yes, but you have a sufficient book of that sort already; you have the Bible itself and that is all you need. Well, I am taking the Bible as my model. I am taking it because twice in history—first as the Old Testament and then again as the Old and New Testament together—it has formed a culture, and unified a...Folksonomies: civilization idealism
Folksonomies: civilization idealism
1 
notes
notesAn example of Wells idealism. He envisions a single, unifying book, but his bible is the sum of human literature, and the true story is constantly under revision, but written authoritatively in nature for us to read. He sees a book describing ethical conduct, but again our laws are such a book and we are constantly debating them in the courts and revising them in our legislatures.
29 DEC 2016 by ideonexus
Gaming for Globalization
In today’s global society, we need games that introduce young people to their international peers and their peers’ lives all around the world. We should have games that fully represent the current scope of humanity around the globe. Let inter-ed games help liven up the history or sociology lesson and motivate players to go out and learn more by traveling and experiencing other cultures in reality. Looking to the future, I would be remiss to neglect mention of the vast potential of virtual... 1 notes
notes25 FEB 2015 by ideonexus
RPGs are Without Limitations
The greatest beauty of roleplaying is its complete lack of limitations. If you can imagine it—or if any of your friends can—you can do it, and magic, strange worlds, supernatural monsters, and legendary heroics are its stock in trade. In the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game, all of these elements combine to weave a tapestry of fantasy gaming that is at once classic and new.
Yet this lack of limitations also means that no single book can serve every possible variation. At 576 pages, the Pathfi...Folksonomies: rpg role-playing game
Folksonomies: rpg role-playing game
1 20 FEB 2014 by ideonexus
Defining "Uncertainty"
‘Uncertainty’ is a complex and multifaceted property, sometimes originating
in a lack of information, and at other times from quite fundamental
disagreements about what is known or even knowable (Moss
and Schneider, 2000). Furthermore, scientists often disagree about the
best or most appropriate way to characterize these uncertainties: some
can be quantified easily while others cannot. Moreover, appropriate
characterization is dependent on the intended use of the information
and the parti...Folksonomies: uncertainty definitions
Folksonomies: uncertainty definitions
1 notes
notesFrom the IPCC report. Interesting for including different definitions of terms in its description.
04 JUN 2012 by ideonexus
Fact Can Bewilder in Their Numbers
Now, in the development of our knowledge of the workings of Nature out of the tremendously complex assemblage of phenomena presented to the scientific inquirer, mathematics plays in some respects a very limited, in others a very important part. As regards the limitations, it is merely necessary to refer to the sciences connected with living matter, and to the ologies generally, to see that the facts and their connections are too indistinctly known to render mathematical analysis practicable, ... 1 notes
notesScience needs theories to keep from being overwhelmed.
18 MAR 2012 by ideonexus
Dunning–Kruger effect
People tend to hold overly favorable views of their abilities in many social and intellectual domains. The
authors suggest that this overestimation occurs, in part, because people who are unskilled in these
domains suffer a dual burden: Not only do these people reach erroneous conclusions and make
unfortunate choices, but their incompetence robs them of the metacognitive ability to realize it. Across 4
studies, the authors found that participants scoring in the bottom quartile on tests of hum...
2 People who are unskilled in domains grossly overestimate their abilities compared to those who are skilled.
05 JAN 2012 by ideonexus
Mathematical Proof that an Arm's Length of DNA is in Ever...
We know from X-ray diffraction studies that a strand of DNA is 1.5 nanometers (1.5 x 10 to the -9 meters) in radius. Assume a cylinder 1 meter long (the arm's length) with a radius of 1.5 nanometers and work out the volume (length x pi r-squared). A typical animal cell is about 8 micrometers (8 x 10 to the -6 meters) in radius. Assume a spherical cell and calculate the volume (4/3 pi r-cubed). Do it yourself. You will see that the DNA fits easily inside the cell, with plenty of room for all o...Folksonomies: mathematics dna
Folksonomies: mathematics dna
Chet Raymo does the math to demonstrate this seemingly impossible scientific facts.
28 JUL 2011 by ideonexus
Imaginative Play with Rules
Vygotsky was one of the few researchers of his era to study dramatic play in children. He predicted that the ability of the under-5 crowd to engage in imaginative activities was going to be a better gauge of academic success than any other activity—including quantitative and verbal competencies. The reason, Vygotsky believed, was that such engagement allowed children to learn how to regulate their social behaviors.
Hardly the carefree activity we think of in the United States, Vygotsky sa... 1 notes
notesAdding rules to imaginative play gives children better self-control.
02 JUN 2011 by ideonexus
Nurse's Pledge
With full knowledge of the responsibilities I am undertaking, I pledge
to care for my patients with all of the knowledge, skills, and
understanding that I possess, without regard to race, color, creed,
politics, or social status. I will spare no effort to conserve meaningful
life, to alleviate suffering, and to promote health.
I will refrain from any action, which might be harmful to the quality of
life or health of those I care for. I will respect, at all times, the
dignity and religious be...Focuses on treating patients equally, respecting dignity, keeping knowledge current, and refraining from doing harm.
18 MAY 2011 by ideonexus
How Science is Different from Any Other Human Enterprise
Science is different from many another human enterprise - not, of course, in its practitioners' being influenced by the culture they grew up in, nor in sometimes being right and sometimes wrong (which are common to every human activity), but in its passion for framing testable hypotheses, in its search for definitive experiments that confirm or deny ideas, in the vigour of its substantive debate, and in its willingness to abandon ideas that have been found wanting. If we were not aware of our...Folksonomies: science scientific method
Folksonomies: science scientific method
For its need to form testable hypotheses.
