24 DEC 2013 by ideonexus
The Mediocrity Principle
The reason this principle is so essential to science is that it’s the beginning of understanding how we came to be here and how everything works. We look for general principles that apply to the universe as a whole first, and those explain much of the story; and then we look for the quirks and exceptions that led to the details. It’s a strategy that succeeds and is useful in gaining a deeper knowledge. Starting with a presumption that a subject of interest represents a violation of the pr...P. Z. Myers' explanation for how this principle means we cannot look to supernatural explanations for our origins, because there is no reason to think we are an exception to the rules of the universe.
03 JAN 2012 by ideonexus
All Technology is Social Engineering
Stanford University researcher Jeremy Bailenson has demonstrated that changing the height of one’s avatar in immersive virtual reality transforms self-esteem and social self-perception. Technologies are extensions of ourselves, and, like the avatars in Jeremy’s lab, our identities can be shifted by the quirks of gadgets. It is impossible to work with information technology without also engaging in social engineering.
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When developers of digital technologies design a program that re...When a developer designs an interface for a user to interact with a computer, they imply you are a program. When they put up a wiki, they suggest humans ultimately have a single point of view.
20 SEP 2011 by ideonexus
Dogs are Evolved from Wolves Through Artificial Selection
Take the domestic dog (Canis lupus familiaris), a single species that
comes in all shapes, sizes, colors, and temperaments. Every single one, purebred or mutt, descends from a single ancestral species—most likely
the Eurasian gray wolf—that humans began to select about 10,000 years
ago. The American Kennel Club recognizes 150 different breeds, and
you’ve seen many of them: the tiny, nervous Chihuahua, perhaps bred
as a food animal by the Toltec of Mexico; the robust Saint Bernard,
thick...Breeders are able to sculpt dogs into whatever they desire. Experimental proof of evolution.