February 2010
There's not another Clint Edwards in the world →
The Thing from Another World (1951): A Study of...
Given the political climes of the 1950’s – Cold War paranoia, the McCarthy witch-hunts, birth of the hydrogen bomb, and a list of other post-WWII economic upheavals – there should be little surprise why our deepest fears concerning technophilia and philosophical foreigners materialized in the cinema. In Howard Hawks’ 1951sci-fi/horror classic, “The Thing from Another World,” we get a poetic...
“Never accept and be content with unanalyzed assumptions, assumptions about the...”
– Catholic missionary and Spiritan priest Fr. Vincent Donovan (via azspot) (via vruz)
“My songs are my kids. Some of them stay with me, some others I have to send out,...”
– Thom Yorke (via morganasdel)
The Holy Moment
Relatively few people – myself included – are awake enough to dispel the monotonies of the everyday and respond to that curious, and somewhat ineffable, inner-tapping which invades even the most stubborn of scientists. This inner-tapping I refer to is not one of intellectual sophistication, which is to say it cannot be surmounted by any amount of rationalism, tradition, or Freudian analysis, but...
Radiohead's Thom Yorke Names New Band Atoms For... →
vruz:
—via shaneguiter:
Radiohead front man Thom Yorke on Thursday revealed the name of his new band — Atoms for Peace — and announced a series of U.S. tour dates.
The British alternative rock singer first introduced the band late last year. It features Flea of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, drummer Joey Waronker of R.E.M. Mauro Refosco of Forro in the Dark, and Radiohead producer Nigel...
Religious Freedom & Hybrid Rights: Confusion &...
Religious liberty lies at the core of American democracy. Historically, our commitment to preserve this liberty is evident in the First Amendment of the United States Constitution: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof.” Although state governments are obligated to uphold and protect the integrity of our religious convictions,...
click this link! →
miianwilson:
(via bringtheruckuss)
Cinematic Transcendence
I view cinematic transcendence as a vehicle that transports me into an odd and unfamiliar world – a world full of ancient, forgotten wisdom. That world is not a physical location, nor is it bound by the rules of logic or lucidity, but is deeply cerebral, contradictory, and oftentimes irrational. True, my body remains intact as I sit and watch the images flash across the screen, but my manner of...
“Most scientists accept basic value judgments on trust, they do not examine them,...”
– Paul Feyerabend (Against Method, 203)
“Scientific laws were once thought to be well established and irrevocable…today...”
– Paul Feyerabend (Against Method, 188)
Taxi Driver Remake? →
The Martin Scorsese-Robert De Niro-Lars Von Trier collaboration is allegedly remaking this timely picture. I hope it’s just a rumor.
“No scientist can directly confirm more than a small fraction of the experimental...”
– Lee Smolin (The Trouble with Physics, 287)
Conversation with Ben about "Faith and Doubt @...
Dear Ben,
I’ve been thinking more about our discussion earlier and here are my thoughts.
I don’t believe Whitney is necessarily against religious institutions per se, although a case could be made that she is forewarning against the dangers of how religious belief can be used. Vonnegut once said, “Where is evil? The part of every man that wants to hate without limit, that wants to hate with God...
God's so-called "Unconditional Love"
The suggestion that God’s love is entirely unconditional and without restrictions of any kind is not only misleading but also, to borrow Frege’s language, “gives rise to challenging questions which are not altogether easy to answer” (36). If God’s love is unconditional, will he love me regardless of what I do? Can God’s unconditional love save and exalt the unrepentant sinner? Is God’s love...
You know who I hate? Particle physicists.
squashed:
Seriously. What’s with them and their “Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle”? If they’re so uncertain about it, why do they call it a principle? Heisenberg was friends with a bunch of Nazis, which should tell you something about what particle physics is really about. Maybe it was important back in the 40s when they were working on the A-bomb—but do we really still need particle physics?...
care to guess?
optimisto:
What the scientific materialists haven’t been able to explain is exactly how this sentience and subjectivity can emerge from the wholly insentient and objective dead matter of the brain.
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Excellent point! For I believe one of...
The Quest to Read the Human Mind →
azspot:
If successful, it could influence the way we do just about everything. Mind-reading machines could help doctors understand the inner worlds of people with hallucinations, cognitive disabilities, post-traumatic stress disorder and other impairments. Judges could use them to sneak a look into suspects’ brains by having them reenact the experience and reading their visions. Such machines...
The Paradox of Logic and Love
When I allow myself to be moved by logic or by love, I do so in a manner that liberates and enhances my quality of being. When I respond to the the things which I perceive as rational or beloved, I do so in a manner that is selfless. How so? My attention is not merely concentrated upon the object of my affection; it is somehow seized or transfixed by it. The object captivates me. I am guided by...
Modern Science: A Multicultural Event
Modern science is very much a multicultural achievement; perhaps the greatest multiculturalism in record history. Ancient Greece, Islam, and Western Europe – the collective efforts of these three civilizations, despite their significant linguistic, religious, and cultural differences, prepared the way for what would later be coined “modern science.” Were it not for the advent of scientific inquiry...
Prison Pen-Pal →
miianwilson:
I think this is a great idea. I just wrote a letter.
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Mike, this is one of the most charitable posts I’ve seen on tumblr. I love it! I’m gonna get myself into the habit of writing one per week.
Thanks for increasing my vision:)
...
Original Thought
The search for original thought in academic writing is perhaps the most challenging task a writer faces; especially for one who wishes to avoid the appearance of intellectual fraud or carelessness. But original thought is somewhat of a paradox. We might, for instance, ask ourselves whether it’s possible to ever be completely isolated from the ideas of those around us. The obvious answer is no –...
