History is rejuvenation
A conversation about new youth from past events.
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03, 2022
30
10, 2016
From past stupidity to future intelligence (The Long+Short)
From past stupidity to future intelligence: Stephen Hawking speaks, not without irony, about AI at the new Centre for the Future of Intelligence at Cambridge. From his remarks: We spend a great deal of time studying history, which, let’s face it, is mostly the history of stupidity. So it is a welcome change that people [...]
27
10, 2016
Adding to life, in physics or metaphysics
Adding to life, in physics or metaphysics: does the number of years constitute our goal, or the vitality of the years? Physicist: ... without getting out my microscope, I judge that life is a finer thing than death, and I award the golden apple to life, seeing them both with their clothes on. Metaphysician: And I [...]
26
10, 2016
STEM requires the humanities to grow (Scientific American)
STEM requires the humanities to grow: why learning classics along with coding is the best way forward. From the editorial: Promoting science and technology education to the exclusion of the humanities may seem like a good idea, but it is deeply misguided. Scientific American has always been an ardent supporter of teaching STEM: science, technology, engineering and [...]
23
10, 2016
From Greece to China
From Greece to China, with kouros: the Terracotta Warriors in Xi'an may have found their footing through Greek artisans who migrated to China, a hypothesis supported by genetic research. From the article: A separate study shows European-specific mitochondrial DNA has been found at sites in China's western-most Xinjiang Province, suggesting that Westerners may have settled, lived [...]
21
10, 2016
No time for thinking
No time for thinking: does this observation, nearly two hundred years ago, still hold? On the restless impatience of American society, among both commentators and their public. Men who live in ages of equality have a great deal of curiosity and little leisure; their life is so practical, so confused, so excited, so active, that but [...]
18
10, 2016
Merging Human with Artificial Intelligence: The Reality of Sam Altman (Tad Friend, The New Yorker)
Merging Human with Artificial Intelligence: The Reality of Sam Altman. The co-founder of Y Combinator considers the consequences of technology. From the article: On a trip to New York, Altman dropped by my apartment one Saturday to discuss how tech was transforming our view of who we are. Curled up on the sofa, knees [...]
16
10, 2016
Military mindfulness: STEM soldiers should also cultivate the liberal arts (Joseph Zengerle, Washington Post)
Military mindfulness: STEM soldiers should also cultivate the liberal arts. The modern military needs the humanities to realize its mission. From the editorial: But even in an age of highly sophisticated warfare, our military leaders should not be too narrowly focused on STEM. If we want leaders who communicate clearly, solve problems creatively and appreciate cultural differences [...]
14
10, 2016
The Convergence of the Twain
The Convergence of the Twain (Lines on the loss of the "Titanic"): a poet meditates on the fateful meeting of science, ambition, and nature I In a solitude of the sea Deep from human vanity, And the Pride of Life that planned her, stilly couches she. II Steel chambers, late the pyres Of her [...]
11
10, 2016
On science and the humanities, of and in the world
On science and the humanities, of and in the world: how closely related are the investigations of the sciences and the humanities? They may begin at a common origin, but they diverge and specialize with different aims in mind where world making is concerned. Science attempts to make a world that remains invariant across human [...]