Enlightenment Now: the Case for Reason, Science, Humanism, and Progress by Steven Pinker (2019)

In this book Enlightenment Now, cognitive scientist Steven Pinker assesses the human condition in the third millennium and urges us to step back from the gory headlines and prophecies of doom, which play to our psychological biases. Instead, follow the data: In seventy-five graphs, Pinker shows that life, health, prosperity, safety, peace, knowledge, and happiness … Continue reading Enlightenment Now: the Case for Reason, Science, Humanism, and Progress by Steven Pinker (2019)

The Greatest Scientific Discovery Was the Discovery of Ignorance Yuval Noah Harari

The greatest scientific discovery was the discovery of ignorance. Once humans realised how little they knew about the world, they suddenly had a very good reason to seek new knowledge, which opened up the scientific road to progress. Credit: Yuval Noah Harari   Source: Homo Deus: A Brief History of TomorrowPeople: Yuval Noah HarariYuval Noah … Continue reading The Greatest Scientific Discovery Was the Discovery of Ignorance Yuval Noah Harari

Treating Governance Like Scientific Experimentation Steven Pinker

Reason tells us that political deliberation would be most fruitful if it treated governance more like scientific experimentation and less like an extreme-sports competition. Credit: Steven Pinker Source: Enlightenment Now (Page 366 Penguin paperback edition)Posts where this quotation is embedded A Brief History of Knowledge 200,000 years of human history Artificial Intelligence ** The ability of machines … Continue reading Treating Governance Like Scientific Experimentation Steven Pinker

Steven Johnson Popular science author

Steven Johnson is an American popular science author and media theorist. 5 Minute Life Lessons with Steven Johnson WebsiteSteven JohnsonWikipediaSteven JohnsonTwitter@stevenbjohnsonYouTubeSteven JohnsonGoogleSteven Johnson Twitter Tweets by Steven Johnson Books: Steven JohnsonDid Coffee Fuel the Age of Enlightenment? Steven Johnson (2009)Steven Johnson Popular science authorWhere Good Ideas Come From Steven Johnson (2010)Videos: Steven JohnsonDid Coffee Fuel … Continue reading Steven Johnson Popular science author

Clouds Not Clocks Jonah Lehrer

Karl Popper, the great philosopher of science, once divided the world into two categories: clocks and clouds. Clocks are neat, orderly systems that can be solved through reduction; clouds are an epistemic mess, “highly irregular, disorderly, and more or less unpredictable.” The mistake of modern science is to pretend that everything is a clock, which … Continue reading Clouds Not Clocks Jonah Lehrer

Carl Sagan – Prophetic Last Interview Carl Sagan (1995)

Transcript My feeling, Charlie, is that pseudoscience, superstition, new-age so-called beliefs, and fundamentalist zealotry are not new. They’ve been with us as long as we’ve been human. However, we now live in an age driven by science and technology, with formidable technological powers. Science and technology are propelling us forward at accelerating rates. If we—the … Continue reading Carl Sagan – Prophetic Last Interview Carl Sagan (1995)

Science Curiosity Is a Desire to Seek Out and Consume Scientific Information Dan Kahan

Science curiosity is a desire to seek out and consume scientific information just for the pleasure of doing so. People who are science-curious do this because they take satisfaction in seeing what science does to resolve mysteries. That is different from somebody who would show interest in scientific information because they had a specific goal … Continue reading Science Curiosity Is a Desire to Seek Out and Consume Scientific Information Dan Kahan

Carl Sagan’s Foreboding on the Future of America in 1995 Science is more than a body of knowledge; it is a way of thinking

Gurteen Knowledge Blog   November 6, 2022, 15:07Carl Sagan was a fantastic scientist. This ominous prediction is taken from his 1995 book The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark. I have long felt that although we don’t all need to be scientists, we need to understand the philosophy of science and the scientific method … Continue reading Carl Sagan’s Foreboding on the Future of America in 1995 Science is more than a body of knowledge; it is a way of thinking

Evolutionaries: Unlocking the Spiritual and Cultural Potential of Science’s Greatest Idea Carter Phipps (2012)

  AustraliaAustriaBrazilCanadaChinaCzech RepublicEgyptFranceGermanyGlobalIndiaItalyJapanMexicoNetherlandsPolandSaudia ArabiaSingaporeSpainTurkeyUAEUnited KingdomUnited States   As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small commission when you purchase a book via this site. Posts where this book is embedded A Brief History of Knowledge 200,000 years of human history Artificial Intelligence ** The ability of machines to perform tasks usually associated with human intelligence Building 20 at … Continue reading Evolutionaries: Unlocking the Spiritual and Cultural Potential of Science’s Greatest Idea Carter Phipps (2012)

Science Is a Profound Source of Spirituality Carl Sagan

Science is not only compatible with spirituality; it is a profound source of spirituality. Credit: Carl Sagan Posts where this quotation is embedded A Brief History of Knowledge 200,000 years of human history Artificial Intelligence ** The ability of machines to perform tasks usually associated with human intelligence Building 20 at MIT Innovation Story: A humble wartime lab … Continue reading Science Is a Profound Source of Spirituality Carl Sagan

Carl Sagan American astronomer, planetary scientist, cosmologist, astrophysicist, astrobiologist, author, and science communicator.

WikipediaCarl SaganYouTubeCarl SaganGoogleCarl SaganBooks: Carl SaganCarl Sagan American astronomer, planetary scientist, cosmologist, astrophysicist, astrobiologist, author, and science communicator.Carl Sagan – Prophetic Last Interview Carl Sagan (1995)Carl Sagan’s Dragon Carl SaganI Have a Foreboding Carl SaganScience Is a Profound Source of Spirituality Carl SaganSkeptical Interrogation Carl SaganThe Rise of Technical Civilizations Carl SaganQuotations: Carl SaganCarl Sagan’s … Continue reading Carl Sagan American astronomer, planetary scientist, cosmologist, astrophysicist, astrobiologist, author, and science communicator.

Science Order & Creativity by David Bohm, David Peat

  AustraliaAustriaBrazilCanadaChinaCzech RepublicEgyptFranceGermanyGlobalIndiaItalyJapanMexicoNetherlandsPolandSaudia ArabiaSingaporeSpainTurkeyUAEUnited KingdomUnited States   As an Amazon Associate, I earn a small commission when you purchase a book via this site. Posts where this book is embedded A Brief History of Knowledge 200,000 years of human history Artificial Intelligence ** The ability of machines to perform tasks usually associated with human intelligence Building 20 at … Continue reading Science Order & Creativity by David Bohm, David Peat

The Provisional Nature of Scientific Knowledge Understanding science as an ongoing process

The Scientific Method Understanding Scientific Terms Close Pop-up all posts in this chapter Scientific knowledge is always open to change and revision. This provisional nature of knowledge can be misunderstood as a flaw in the scientific method, leading to mistrust in scientific findings. Embracing this flexibility is essential, as it enables science to self-correct and … Continue reading The Provisional Nature of Scientific Knowledge Understanding science as an ongoing process

The Fallibility of Science Understanding the limits and strengths of science

Congruence, Coherence, and Contingent Truth The Roots of the Scientific Method Close Pop-up all posts in this chapter Science aims to uncover the truths of the natural world through careful observation and experimentation. However, it’s essential to acknowledge its limitations, as human biases and errors can influence results. Recognizing science’s fallibility leads to a more … Continue reading The Fallibility of Science Understanding the limits and strengths of science

Pseudoscience and Its Dangers Misinformation and its impact on society

The Scientific Method for Everyday Life Recognising New Age Mumbo Jumbo Close Pop-up all posts in this chapter Misinformation and disinformation are common on the web, often overshadowing crucial facts. Pseudoscience, in particular, masquerades as legitimate science without proper evidence or methods. It can lead to dangerous consequences, especially in health, undermining public trust in … Continue reading Pseudoscience and Its Dangers Misinformation and its impact on society

Recognising New Age Mumbo Jumbo Understanding and avoiding deceptive New Age ideas

Pseudoscience and Its Dangers The Socratic Method Close Pop-up all posts in this chapter Much like pseudoscience, New Age beliefs and practices are widespread and often presented in confusing or meaningless terms, which can mislead people into adopting unproven ideas or ignoring evidence-based solutions. Recognizing the difference between credible information and New Age mumbo jumbo … Continue reading Recognising New Age Mumbo Jumbo Understanding and avoiding deceptive New Age ideas

Science Curiosity A desire to seek out and consume scientific information for pleasure

Tribal Thinking Discrediting People ** Close Pop-up all posts in this chapter Motivated reasoning is where we look for arguments in favor of conclusions we want to believe, regardless of the evidence. This is a primary stumbling block in forming sound beliefs and making good decisions. However, if we are science-curious, we are more likely … Continue reading Science Curiosity A desire to seek out and consume scientific information for pleasure