When reality is different from our assumptions, beliefs, or expectations then we will get confused. A recent and excellent Aeon-Psyche article argues that Confusion is a symptom of learning. In my view, our confusion will either result in (internal) curiosity, a prerequisite for learning, or be ignored. In "2003, the psychologists Paul Rozin and Adam Cohen asked...
Boredom vs Curiosity
AI: artificial intelligence or artificial idiocy?
20 Apr, 2023
Recently, I have noticed many articles on Artificial Intelligence (AI), including this one: Artificial Idiocy. It was written by Slavoj Žižek, Professor of Philosophy at the European Graduate School, and International Director of the Birkbeck Institute for the Humanities at the University of London. I also noticed an excellent article by Wim Naudé (b.1968), an...
Unknown unknowns
13 Apr, 2023
Strictly speaking, unknown unknowns are (like) oxymorons because we cannot know the things that we do not know. Human inventions challenge the notion that unknown unknowns could or would even exist. As an individual, I have (very?) many unknown unknowns. Unknown unknowns may, however, not exist when we view (all) humans as a group rather than as aggregated...
The silo mentality in scientific articles
23 Feb, 2023
Last week, I noticed a Big Think article: Why are flood myths so common in stories from ancient cultures around the world? I've written about this in several blogs (eg, my 2016 blog). Actually, there is no flood myth; it's part of our geological history. Also see Wiki on the post-glacial sea level rise. The above might be viewed as yet another example of my recent...
Life’s too short for conventions
20 Feb, 2023
I heard the phrase above in Cold Feet, a long-running comedy series rated 8.2 in IMDb. A granny in a nursing home used it as an excuse to have flirted with other men while still being married. This phrase also applies to other daring activities, like bungee jumping, skydiving and even swinging. Apparently, I'm a conventional guy. Moreover, I doubt that life is (too)...
Boredom vs curiosity
27 Jan, 2023
Lately, I've been watching movies or series, either on streaming media or on TV, that are boring. However, boredom is a prerequisite for curiosity, either external (ie, through our senses) or internal (ie, inside your mind). See my blogs on boredom versus curiosity. I suppose I should make some kind of a change in my life. I'm clueless about what (kind of) change....
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