Philosophy Monkey: May 2009

Miles Burnyeat on Plato

Alfred Whitehead, one of the most important logicians and philosophers of mathematics of the twentieth century, once remarked that the history of western philosophy is nothing but a series of footnotes to Plato.

Originally inspired as a youth by the charismatic influence of Socrates, and armed with little more than the power of his intellect, his curiosity and his search for a unified theory of reality, Plato managed to explore with unprecedented profundity most of the questions that are still perplexing philosophers two millennia later.

His solutions to many of these problems may not convince many modern thinkers, but it is undeniable that it took a brilliant mind to explain the reality and the conceptual conflict between being and becoming the way Plato did.

In the following fascinating conversation, philosophers Brian Magee and Miles Burnyeat discuss the importance, the intellectual legacy and the lessons we can all still learn from one of the fathers of Western philosophy.

Check out an amazing animation of Plato’s Myth of the Cave, or check out other inspiring conversations about the Masters of philosophy.
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Who Is Mark Twain?

He is the quintessential American writer, and one of the most perceptive and humorous critic of the stupidity of social conventions. But how did he ever know whether his books would consign him to fame and popularity or to failure and oblivion?

In the following short animation, Mark Twain explains the secret behind his confidence to publish or burn his writings: it all has to do with choosing the right audience and their feedback. The excerpt is read by John Lithgow.

Who would you choose as your sounding board?
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Cosmos: Blues for a Red Planet

Perhaps nothing has inspired more fascination with the planet Mars and the possibility it might inhabit life forms than H.G. Wells' 1898 classic novel The War of the Worlds, probably because his Martians came to Earth and kicked some serious ass for a few days:)

The history of the fascination with our planetary neighbor spans the spectrum of hopeful thinking, scientific curiosity, childhood dreams and the indomitable human spirit that strives for knowledge and understanding, and Carl Sagan is here to tell us all about it with his usual charisma.

Of course, new developments have taken place in recent years, thanks particularly to the latest Mars rovers, Spirit and Opportunity, which you can see in this great animation.

Record Number of Americans Settling For Sex At Home

Things are spiraling out of control: not only do you now have to pay two handjobs for a pack of cigarettes, and move in with your girlfriend to afford rent, it also turns out that the price of hookers is too high and you'll have to limit your sexual escapades to sex with your wife and the occasional baby-sitter.

Next thing you know, we'll have to take matters into our own hands :)
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Nation's Girlfriends Unveil New Economic Plan: 'Let's Move In Together'

Desperate times call for desperate measures, and with the economic crisis still not over, the Association of Girlfriends of America have strategically placed boyfriends afraid of commitment in check mate: nothing makes more financial sense than to half one's rent and utility bills than by splitting them... by moving in with your significant other.

This should also decrease the electric bill, formerly monopolized by video game consoles and porn watching.

This is all a ploy to separate us from our X-Boxes, isn't it?
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10 Things You Didn't Know About Orgasm

I don't care how much of a sex machine you think you are; if you've never given an orgasm to a corpse, or if you haven't been masturbating since you were a fetus, you're way behind on your practice. And that's just the beginning; in this fascinating and hilarious presentation, Bonk author Mary Roach shares some of the fascinating findings about orgasm she came across while doing research for her must-read book.

And if you need a scientific excuse for that chronic case of masturbation, you've come to the right place :)

I respect and love scientists, especially daring geeky ones, but I have a different hypothesis to explain the seminal odor in women's breath after sex ;)

Forget CPR! Next time I have to resuscitate someone, I'm going to make them cum back to life! :)
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Ramachandran - Neurology and Art

Why does art produce the visceral sensations it does on our psyche? The tradition of aesthetic theories is long and fascinating, and most have tended to concentrate on the properties of the work of art itself. But what if you try to understand art from the point of view of the brain of the observer?

In the absolutely fascinating lecture below (and ignore the poor video quality), neurologist V.S. Ramachandran, the man who can use mirrors to amputate phantom limbs, deploys his unique understanding of neurological conditions like prosopagnosia, the capgras disorder and synaesthesia, in order to produce a universal theory of art that will simply blow your mind.

One key to understand art, Rama argues, is to understand metaphor, but to understand metaphor (sorry English majors), you have to understand how the brain processes perception, and a useful way to do this is to understand synaesthesia: the blending of the senses. Luckily, most of us are partial synaesthetes :)

You're in love with Rama now, aren't you? :)
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Time: Life Time

There are very few things we seem to know with certainty. Among them is the fact that one day we will die. But why do we all die? Are we genetically programmed for senescence and death? Or is it simply the inevitable result of the accumulation of microscopic cellular wear and tear? Although we all have one lifetime, do we all experience the passage of time at the same rate, or does our age and lifestyle influence that perception?

People have been searching for an elixir of life or a fountain of youth for milennia. The realization and dread of our mortality may be a significant part of the answer to why religious belief has evolved, and science may finally be close to discovering ways to prolong our existence. In this third episode of his documentary series on Time, theoretical physicist Michio Kaku explains and reveals some amazing scientific developments that were once only the stuff of dreams.

Darwin's Struggle - The Evolution of the Origin of Species

It took Darwin more than twenty years after the famous voyage of the Beagle to publish his theory of evolution by natural selection. If Alfred Russell Wallace hadn't sent him a copy of his own independent discovery of the theory, On The Origin of Species might have been published posthumously or perhaps never at all.

Why did it take Darwin so long to compile his thoughts and make them public? The answer is complex, and involves among many other reasons his relationship with his devoutly religious wife Emma, the death of his daughter Annie, his need for his scientific reputation to precede him, fear of social backlash, the erosion of his own religious faith, his drive to find evidence in support for his views, as well as other personal, philosophical and emotional reasons, which today's documentary investigates alongside captivating video footage of the plant and animal worlds that so inspired Darwin.

That mid-fly hunt was awesome!

Check out all things Darwin.
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How Tumors Grow

You probably never want to hear that you have a tumor, and much less that it has metastasized. Learning how tumors grow and manage to combat therapeutic approaches is interesting on its own right, but it can also have the added benefit of revealing ways to beat the hijacking little bastards and save countless lives. In today's beautiful animation, you can get a crash course on tumors for your oncology class :)

I take it cutting the blood vessels feeding the tumors is not very practical?
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Underwater Slow Motion Surfing

Slow motion cameras can help us see the world we think we know in all its magnificent detail, revealing hidden worlds of beauty and complexity beyond our natural capacity to see. Here are a few amazing examples: star gazing timelapse, shark attack, water balloons, evolution, and some combustion.

Today's short clip reveals the underwater vortices that large waves produce, as well as an amazing surfing money shot. You'll want to choose the high quality option once the video starts to play...

Learn all about The Invisible World in this mesmerizing documentary.
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Obama in the House!

Regardless of your political outlook, you probably admire president Obama's oratory skills, the content of his message, and the optimism of his demeanor.

Now that he's in office, however, a new side of him is starting to reveal, and it's hilarious:

This is change I can believe in :)

Laid-Off Zoologist Goes on Tranquilizing Rampage

This economic recession is hitting everyone hard...

Don't mess with those zoologists...
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Happy Mother's Day!

Admit it, you have been embarrassed by your mom at some point, whether it was by driving you and picking you up from prom and telling your date your shameful childhood stories, by cheering loudest on your track meet, even when you came in dead last place, by fixing your hair in the middle of an important public event with some saliva instead of gel, or by sending you to your first professional job interview with a Barney lunch box...

Don't feel bad. These are all signs of love. To be understood, they just have to be translated from motherese to normalese. But don't fret it, you're not alone...

Check out how to condense an average mom's daily routine into one hilarious song.
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Like, You Know...

I love teaching, you know? But, like, as an instructor, one of the things that makes me want to, like, pull my nails out of my fingers is when some students, like, magically manage to say nothing after yapping for, like, an eternity or whatever...

Apparently, I'm not the only one, and Taylor Mali has something important and amusing to say about it.

And if you think correct spelling is for losers, check out how bad spelling is for idiots.
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Foreskin's Lament

There are those, like Richard Dawkins, who consider the religious indoctrination of children as a form of child abuse. Extreme or not, there is something to be said for the charge that as a society we tend to instill all kinds of beliefs in our children, which they don't yet have the mental capacity to question and understand. If we can't consider children to be post-structuralists or neo-marxists because they don't understand these philosophies, what makes us think we can call them Christians or Muslims?

Though some of this indoctrination may be innocent and well-intentioned, it can also produce serious physical and psychological damage. In the following clips taken from his recent memoir Foreskin's Lament, Shalom Auslander shares some of his religious experiences with the kind of funny and refreshing style that only he can dish out.

And who do you think will win in the battle between porn and God?

Oh yeah, baby... double or nothing :)

And if you're curious to learn what Barbie can tell us about the Jewish tradition, you should check out the short documentary film The Tribe.

Amazing Star Gazing Timelapse!

There is almost nothing like being outside on a cold night watching the stars to feel the paradoxical combination of our amazing connection to the cosmos and our unimaginable insignificance in comparison to it. We all know intellectually that the sun and the stars don't revolve around our planet. We all know that the Earth rotates on its own axis and travels across the sky, but have you ever felt that motion?

The ancients would envy the transformative power of our technology. Thanks to it, the world of the invisible can now reveal its detail and beauty in all its splendor. As the following video shows, the apparent motion of the stars can be experienced on the most visceral of levels. Oh yeah, and listening to Pink Floyd won't hurt :)

Hungry for some amazing super fast and slow motion footage and great music? Go here, here, here and here.
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Playing for Change - Stand By Me

Take a virtually unknown street performer and ask him to play Ben King's Stand by Me. His sublime and thunderous voice will shake you to the core, but we're just getting started...

Record his rendition and then play it for another street artist through a set of headphones. Then, ask him to add his two cents to the original recording. Lather, rinse and repeat the process until you've managed to get about forty streeet performers from around the world to collaborate on one of the most powerful performances you'll ever see...

Orgasmic, isn't it? Check out more amazing Web 2.0 love
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Microraptor - The Four Winged Dinosaur

Ever since the discovery of archaeopteryx in 1861, two years after Darwin's publication of On the Origin of Species, scientists have been able to make the case that modern birds are the only surviving descendants of dinosaurs (yes, T. Rex probably had feathers!). Watch Sir David Attenborough dazzle you with the story in this astonishingly beautiful documentary.

The discovery of a new set of fossils, however, is baffling scientists. The fossils are of something that resembles reptiles and birds, except that it has four wings instead of just two. The name of this curious animal is Microraptor.

Watch in today's documentary as scientists do what scientists do best, even when they are stubborn: think up hypotheses to explain their findings, gradually modify those hypotheses to be consistent with the constraints imposed by the evidence, and think of ingenious and creative ways to test their hypotheses.

That flying squirrel was awesome!!!
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John Oliver Visits the Large Hadron Collider

The LHC ain't no joke. It is the single greatest and most expensive piece of scientific equipment ever constructed (click here to find out all about it), and it is designed to recreate, on a microscopic scale, the conditions present just after the Big Bang, and which gave rise to the known universe.

Because of its capacity to create black holes, albeit tiny and ephemeral ones, and because the media's bread and butter is based on hype and sensationalism, some quacks have argued that the project should be stopped because creating a black hole could potentially swallow the earth.

As John Oliver reports, their arguments rely on a peculiarly interesting notion of how probability theory works. See if you can keep up and wrap your head around it...

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart

M - Th 11p / 10c

Large Hadron Collider

thedailyshow.com

Daily Show
Full Episodes

Economic Crisis

First 100 Days

Yes, that idiot is teaching someone's kids all about 'science'...
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Why We Believe in Gods

Religious belief is virtually ubiquitous. This is obviously very annoying to nonbelievers, but it does raise an important question: why do so many people believe in the existence of some transcendent personal god they've never experienced directly? Some have gone as far as to argue that we are created to believe, that it is a fundamental characteristic of what it means to be a human being, and that this ability distinguishes us from brute animals.

In this fascinating lecture, and drawing insights from state-of-the-art neuroscience, cognitive psychology and evolutionary psychology, Andy Thomson argues quite convincingly that spiritual/religious belief is the result of a brain whose evolutionary roots have been hijacked and whose cognitive weaknesses have been exploited. Just like your mind can be tricked by optical illusions because of the way your brain is wired, he argues, your mind can be easily tricked to believe in spooks and invisible agencies. Atheism, on this view, represents the brain's ability to overcome its natural ability to deceive itself.

Wait, so what about the monster hiding in my closet at night, smart guy?

Philosophy Monkey