4 ms·

>The whole thing feels like encroachment of some kind of bizarre secular theology into physics. Grandiose and mostly non-falsifiable claims that can't be used t

by cc-d 8y ago

>The whole thing feels like encroachment of some kind of bizarre secular theology into physics. Grandiose and mostly non-falsifiable claims that can't be used to make any specific predictions. Even though we have disproved many of the fundamental axioms which serve as basis for many religions, the human tendency towards religious thought remains. It's just currently in vogue to portray such tendencies as '(unfalsifiable) science' instead of 'divine word'.

nsxwolf 8y ago
What are the many fundamental axioms we have disproved? We have proved that some creation myths cannot be literally true. What else?
neuronic 8y ago
I don't think it's quite that simple. The human brain is constantly building stories to explain context. A lot of studies have shown numerous ways in which the brain diverts from objective reality to make it fit whatever subjective reality fits its story best. Such studies range from simple recall exercise to analyses of witness reliability. Juicy bits like: "Bias creeps into memory without our knowledge, without our awareness. While confidence and accuracy are generally correlated, when misleading information is given, witness confidence is often higher for the incorrect information than for the correct information. This leads many to question the competence of the average person to determine credibility issues." [1] "R.T. first heard about the Challenger explosion as she and her roommate sat watching television in their Emory University dorm room. A news flash came across the screen, shocking them both. R. T., visibly upset, raced upstairs to tell another friend the news. Then she called her parents. Two and a half years after the event, she remembered it as if it were yesterday: the TV, the terrible news, the call home. She could say with absolute certainty that that’s precisely how it happened. Except, it turns out, none of what she remembered was accurate." [2] Also, this is a thing: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confabulation https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confabulation Now imagine that story-telling reality-justifying part of the brain as intersubjective phenomenon in a large network of humans. What do you get? Concepts like "the nation", corporations and the kingdom of God. [1] https://agora.stanford.edu/sjls/Issue%20One/fisher&tversky.htm https://agora.stanford.edu/sjls/Issue%20One/fisher&tversky.h... [2] https://www.newyorker.com/science/maria-konnikova/idea-happened-memory-recollection https://www.newyorker.com/science/maria-konnikova/idea-happe...
lurquer 8y ago
Disproved? You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.

by cc-d 8y ago

nsxwolf 8y ago

What are the many fundamental axioms we have disproved? We have proved that some creation myths cannot be literally true. What else?

neuronic 8y ago

I don't think it's quite that simple. The human brain is constantly building stories to explain context. A lot of studies have shown numerous ways in which the brain diverts from objective reality to make it fit whatever subjective reality fits its story best. Such studies range from simple recall exercise to analyses of witness reliability. Juicy bits like: "Bias creeps into memory without our knowledge, without our awareness. While confidence and accuracy are generally correlated, when misleading information is given, witness confidence is often higher for the incorrect information than for the correct information. This leads many to question the competence of the average person to determine credibility issues." [1] "R.T. first heard about the Challenger explosion as she and her roommate sat watching television in their Emory University dorm room. A news flash came across the screen, shocking them both. R. T., visibly upset, raced upstairs to tell another friend the news. Then she called her parents. Two and a half years after the event, she remembered it as if it were yesterday: the TV, the terrible news, the call home. She could say with absolute certainty that that’s precisely how it happened. Except, it turns out, none of what she remembered was accurate." [2] Also, this is a thing: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confabulation https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Confabulation Now imagine that story-telling reality-justifying part of the brain as intersubjective phenomenon in a large network of humans. What do you get? Concepts like "the nation", corporations and the kingdom of God. [1] https://agora.stanford.edu/sjls/Issue%20One/fisher&tversky.htm https://agora.stanford.edu/sjls/Issue%20One/fisher&tversky.h... [2] https://www.newyorker.com/science/maria-konnikova/idea-happened-memory-recollection https://www.newyorker.com/science/maria-konnikova/idea-happe...

lurquer 8y ago

Disproved? You keep using that word. I do not think it means what you think it means.