1. Growing Up in the Universe: 2-Disc DVD Set

Comment #29178 by Mrs Trellis on April 2, 2007 at 2:02 am

Oh my god I'm so excited, I haven't seen these lectures for 15 years, since I was 12!

"Growing up in the Universe" was the best thing that ever happened to me, and I mean that quite seriously. Worth the price of a television, you might say.

I simply could not believe that nobody - not my parents, nor my teachers - had thought to tell me about ToE before, it was immediately obvious that there was nothing more important to understand, and nothing that I have learned since has so affected my perspective on so many different subjects. I think it was at the end of the first episode that I decided to become a biologist.

Life-changing stuff, it should be compulsory viewing for keystage 3.

2. A History of Violence

Comment #28990 by Mrs Trellis on April 1, 2007 at 5:08 am

The Human Security Report makes interesting reading:
http://www.humansecurityreport.info/content/view/28/63/

"The first Human Security Report documents a dramatic, but largely unknown, decline in the number of wars, genocides and human rights abuse over the past decade. Published by Oxford University Press, the Report argues that the single most compelling explanation for these changes is found in the unprecedented upsurge of international activism, spearheaded by the UN, which took place in the wake of the Cold War."

I wonder whether the history of civilization could be explained by the long-term invasion of populations of Hawk strategists by Dove strategies. Obviously with fluctuations, but with an overall significant long-term trend. The eye-for-an-eye-ers were, after all, invaded by turn-the-other-cheek-ists. Memetic population dynamics!

Or did I miss something obvious?

3. Ancient boy's skeleton sparks evolution debate

Comment #21773 by Mrs Trellis on February 11, 2007 at 4:01 am

DavidJMH
"The aboriginal peoples of this planet are an evolutionary anachronism [blah blah blah blah blah blah blah] If that offends you then go and see for yourself."

Hi, David. I'm here, in West Africa, right now. What I see when I look around me are firstly a lot of very poor un-educated black people who are trying to make ends meet, and secondly a lot of stupid white people who don't understand how to help them. People think that throwing money at Africa is the solution; it's part of the solution, but it has to be money spent intelligently. Missionaries and medicine aren't enough, as you point out.

Development work in third world countries is basically memetic engineering. Since the memetic background (meme pool) in Africa is so different to that in Europe or America, what works in developed countries is not guaranteed to work here.

Blinkered people who persistently try techniques which work in developed countries find that they persistently fail in developing countries, and the lesson they take home is that it is the Africans' fault for being congenitally stupid. People with a little more insight appreciate that they first have to have an understanding of the cultural milieu they are trying to influence before understanding how they can educate a population into healthier habits.

Oh, and I think you need to brush up on your understanding of the word 'evolution'. I do not think it means what you think it means.

Nuclearman:
"I'm not the least bit convinced that the cash isn't there. The reality is, us "luckies" in the 1st world nations are sloth to use it to lift the lot of our brethren."

Hear hear. Further qualification: I actually meant that no one in Africa who's willing to spend lots of cash on education has the cash.

4. Ancient boy's skeleton sparks evolution debate

Comment #21221 by Mrs Trellis on February 8, 2007 at 4:45 am

Scooternyc:
"Actually, perhaps this is evolution's way of natural selection. If these idiots believe as they do and they continue to die off as a result of AIDS and other health problems that are not being addressed because of god and faith, then it really does look like natural selection to me.

Even ignorance is nature's way of eliminating those unfit for society."


Some sort of Final Solution to get rid of the stupid black people? Knowledge and ignorance and religious affiliation are not passed on genetically, and are therefore COMPLETELY and utterly untouched by natural selection. Go read a book or two.

5. Ancient boy's skeleton sparks evolution debate

Comment #21193 by Mrs Trellis on February 8, 2007 at 1:02 am

Quote Mind Rebel:
'Religion has almost completely destroyed Africa. So many of their problems would be reversed if they'd just listen to reason.'

Yeah, I guess they must just be stupid, eh? Nothing to do with the pitiful state of public education throughout the continent, of course, they just ought to listen to reason, dammit! (<- sarcasm)


Quote RoyH:
'"These sorts of silly views are killing our faith."
I wish it was! The worst thing we ever did to Africa was take our religion with our flags.'

Indigenous African beliefs are no more reasonable than Islam or Christianity, unfortunately. They offer mostly the same prejudices (homosexuality is wrong, women are immoral and unreasonable and are there to serve their husbands, our ethnic group is inherently superior to yours etc), a spectacular dose of superstition and magical thinking, and a belief in witchcraft which enforces unilateral social obligations, undermines free enterprise, and serves to limit development throughout the continent.

The cure is education education education. Only no one has the cash.

6. God and gorillas

Comment #20364 by Mrs Trellis on February 2, 2007 at 2:16 am

"If you can avoid being a biblical literalist, and if you can avoid being an arrogant scientist who tells everyone else what to think, you can think on multiple levels at once."

Now wait a minute, I'm sure someone once coined a word for that... now what was it? Oh yes: Doublethink. The ability to hold that two mutually incompatible views are both correct at the same time. It's interesting that she seems to think this is some sort of progress.

7. Radical cleric sparks fury in Australia

Comment #18310 by Mrs Trellis on January 19, 2007 at 2:00 pm

::sigh:: Why do these devout apotheoses of piety never lead by example?