Common Core Doesn’t Work
The Common Core works in theory, in that it should teach all kids key critical thinking skills, but the implementation has been under-supported leading to real issues.
Philosophy and Thinking
Thinking is a mental process which allows humans to model the world, philosophy is the attempt to understand the world using logic and reason. The world being both the external and the internal, and both the knowable and unknowable.
For an overview of philosophy see our branches of philosophy page, for an introduction to philosophy check out Reason at Work (Amazon). Philosophy includes everything from economic and political philosophies, to the philosophies of emotions and mind, to cosmological and other other metaphysical questions, to the nature of god and religion, to the very nature of what we can know. Given that every subject has a science and philosophy (with the two often merging, such is the case in theoretical physics or mathematics) we have to be careful not to undervalue the practical aspects of this non-science.
Conspiracy Theories Explained
Conspiracy theories are sets of one more speculative hypotheses, backed by fallacious reasoning, that suppose a conspiracy.
Hardwired Versus Softwired (Brain)
In pop-science, in reference to the brain, you’ll hear the terms “hardwired” and “softwired”, hardwired means genetically programed and softwired means learned.
Collective Intelligence is the Intelligence of a Group
Collective intelligence is the wisdom of crowds, or the intelligence of groups, the intelligence that arises from cooperation, competition, and other group dynamics.
A Person Can be a “Lone Genius”
A person can be a “lone genius”, but as an essay called “Deconstructing the Lone Genius Myth” points out, genius is in many ways a collective process.
Astrology is Based on Science
Aspects of astrology are rooted in the science of astronomy and the academic tradition, but today astrology is considered a pseudoscience.
432 Hz is Better than 440 Hz
It’s theorized that using a starting pitch of A=432 Hz and a “just intonation” tuning method (scientific tuning) is more natural and mathematically symmetric than using A=440 Hz and “equal temperament” tuning (concert tuning).
A System is a Set of Properties
A system is any “bound”, finite, set of physical and/or conceptual properties (elements) such as physical objects, rules, or space time coordinates.
A Small Part of a Curved Surface Will Look “Flat”
If you look at a curved surface from close up it will look “flat”, if you change your perspective and “zoom out” it will look “round”.
Conway’s Game of Life Models Evolution
Conway’s Game of Life is a simple rule-set that models the evolution of systems. It’s a “zero-player” computer program that demonstrates “cellular automata”.