Philosophy
When your poster calendar reaches December 31st, do you freak out about the end of the world because your calendar doesn't mark any future days? That's ridiculous, you say? Well, that's exactly what's happening as we reach the end of a cycle in the Mayan calendar, and people are freaking out!
If the Mayans had at least gotten the shape of the planet right (or actually thought the world, and not just their calendar, would come to an end), maybe we might have reason to be concerned, but still, a critical thinker should be thinking of lots of questions to scrutinize this pronouncement, first among which ought to be the most basic of all: how could the Mayans (or anyone else, really) possibly be justified in making such a prediction about the future in the first place?
As you may expect, this is one of those situations in which some vague and broad pronouncement by some mysterious source only gets its details filled in by those who subsequently believe it. In other words, massive cognitive biases. Being a believer is easy, but the line between belief and gullibility is thin. If you want to think critically, the way to do it is not to simply accept confirmatory evidence, however vague and dubious, but to look for some way to falsify the pronouncement, and then see what pans out.
And Neil deGrasse Tyson (maybe drunk?) has a few more lessons to dish out:
- Neil Degrasse Tyson - The God Of The Gaps
There are many reasons why lots of otherwise reasonable people don't 'believe' in the theory of evolution. Yes, some of it has to do with their religious background and with a lack of basic education concerning science generally and evolution...
- Easter And Astronomy
The date for Easter can be confusing and is historically controversial in that it pits Western and Eastern Christian theology. Easter is what is known as a moveable feast calculated to be the first Sunday after the first full moon [Paschal] after the...
- 2012
If you have nothing else to worry about or just want a chuckle, check out the new doomsday fear. Someone is making bucks from this. "Doomsday redux: Y2K came and went; now they say 2012 will really be it" by Todd Kinkelmeyer January 21st, 2010 The Capital...
- 2012...end Of The World--maybe
If is isn't Eric van Daniken it's Art Bell and others who wish to make a profit from conspiracy theories. Now it is the year 2012 and the Mayan calendar. "Mayan Calendar Spurs End-Of-The-World Debate" by Barbara Bradley Hagerty July 29th, 2009...
- Pluto, Tyson, Cnn Lecture
From CNN: "The Pluto Files: The Rise and Fall of America's Favorite Planet" Neil deGrasse Tyson talks about the controversy over re-classifying Pluto as a comet. New York's American Museum of Natural History, where this talk was held, was the...
Philosophy
12-21-2012 - Just Another Day
If the Mayans had at least gotten the shape of the planet right (or actually thought the world, and not just their calendar, would come to an end), maybe we might have reason to be concerned, but still, a critical thinker should be thinking of lots of questions to scrutinize this pronouncement, first among which ought to be the most basic of all: how could the Mayans (or anyone else, really) possibly be justified in making such a prediction about the future in the first place?
As you may expect, this is one of those situations in which some vague and broad pronouncement by some mysterious source only gets its details filled in by those who subsequently believe it. In other words, massive cognitive biases. Being a believer is easy, but the line between belief and gullibility is thin. If you want to think critically, the way to do it is not to simply accept confirmatory evidence, however vague and dubious, but to look for some way to falsify the pronouncement, and then see what pans out.
And Neil deGrasse Tyson (maybe drunk?) has a few more lessons to dish out:
- Neil Degrasse Tyson - The God Of The Gaps
There are many reasons why lots of otherwise reasonable people don't 'believe' in the theory of evolution. Yes, some of it has to do with their religious background and with a lack of basic education concerning science generally and evolution...
- Easter And Astronomy
The date for Easter can be confusing and is historically controversial in that it pits Western and Eastern Christian theology. Easter is what is known as a moveable feast calculated to be the first Sunday after the first full moon [Paschal] after the...
- 2012
If you have nothing else to worry about or just want a chuckle, check out the new doomsday fear. Someone is making bucks from this. "Doomsday redux: Y2K came and went; now they say 2012 will really be it" by Todd Kinkelmeyer January 21st, 2010 The Capital...
- 2012...end Of The World--maybe
If is isn't Eric van Daniken it's Art Bell and others who wish to make a profit from conspiracy theories. Now it is the year 2012 and the Mayan calendar. "Mayan Calendar Spurs End-Of-The-World Debate" by Barbara Bradley Hagerty July 29th, 2009...
- Pluto, Tyson, Cnn Lecture
From CNN: "The Pluto Files: The Rise and Fall of America's Favorite Planet" Neil deGrasse Tyson talks about the controversy over re-classifying Pluto as a comet. New York's American Museum of Natural History, where this talk was held, was the...