Philosophy
Are colors and numbers things? We use them as nouns, but are they really nouns or just adjectives that function like nouns? Things are red or a group of objects has the property of having four members, but we treat red and four as if they have independent existence. Do they?
With numbers, we attribute properties and relations among them. That seems to be good reason to think them things. But what kind of things?
Is the same true of colors? We do label some primary and other secondary or tertiary. Does this bring colors on par with numbers?
- Favorite Colors
A student asked last week why we have favorite colors. Psychologists disagree. Some, like Anya Hurlbert and Yazhu Ling argue that color preference is biological. This explains why there are differences, for example, across sexes. Independent of culture,...
- Team Building: Boggleball
Let's try this again. It's based on those obnoxious corporate team-building exercises where folks have to work together on a task. Last night after dinner, TheWife and the short people and I took the word "basketball" and found 101 words that...
- Auto Mechanics To Quantum Mechanics: Any Questions?
It's that time again. For those new to the Playground, I have a schtick I do at the beginning of each class where I let the students ask absolutely any question they have, any question at all, from auto mechanics to quantum mechanics. Some former...
- Philosopher Faces: What Non-philosophers See
Despite the caffeine I've consumed today, I have not been very clear-thinking (there was a brief window of thought-clarity this morning, but it was taken up by work at my real job), so I drew a graph of philosopher-faces for the post. This is an extremely...
- Euclid At Christmas
"All I want for Christmas are these badass Euclidian sculptures" by Robert T. Gonzalez December 3rd, 2013 io9 From London-based "paper engineer" (paper engineer!) Helen Friel comes this creative collection of colorful folding geometric designs. The name...
Philosophy
Colors and Numbers
Are colors and numbers things? We use them as nouns, but are they really nouns or just adjectives that function like nouns? Things are red or a group of objects has the property of having four members, but we treat red and four as if they have independent existence. Do they?
With numbers, we attribute properties and relations among them. That seems to be good reason to think them things. But what kind of things?
Is the same true of colors? We do label some primary and other secondary or tertiary. Does this bring colors on par with numbers?
- Favorite Colors
A student asked last week why we have favorite colors. Psychologists disagree. Some, like Anya Hurlbert and Yazhu Ling argue that color preference is biological. This explains why there are differences, for example, across sexes. Independent of culture,...
- Team Building: Boggleball
Let's try this again. It's based on those obnoxious corporate team-building exercises where folks have to work together on a task. Last night after dinner, TheWife and the short people and I took the word "basketball" and found 101 words that...
- Auto Mechanics To Quantum Mechanics: Any Questions?
It's that time again. For those new to the Playground, I have a schtick I do at the beginning of each class where I let the students ask absolutely any question they have, any question at all, from auto mechanics to quantum mechanics. Some former...
- Philosopher Faces: What Non-philosophers See
Despite the caffeine I've consumed today, I have not been very clear-thinking (there was a brief window of thought-clarity this morning, but it was taken up by work at my real job), so I drew a graph of philosopher-faces for the post. This is an extremely...
- Euclid At Christmas
"All I want for Christmas are these badass Euclidian sculptures" by Robert T. Gonzalez December 3rd, 2013 io9 From London-based "paper engineer" (paper engineer!) Helen Friel comes this creative collection of colorful folding geometric designs. The name...