Comments on: Ghosts in the machine http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/02/14/ghosts-in-the-machine/ I am an astronomer, writer, and skeptic. I likes reality the way it is, and I aims to keep it that way. My real name is Phil Plait, and I run the Bad Astronomy blog. Sun, 08 Nov 2009 23:36:25 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Barton Paul Levenson http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/02/14/ghosts-in-the-machine/comment-page-1/#comment-70456 Barton Paul Levenson Mon, 18 Feb 2008 15:08:31 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/02/14/ghosts-in-the-machine/#comment-70456 I know that. Wallace knew it. His point was that due to their less complex culture they didn't "need" all the brainpower they had. Wallace never agreed with the 19th century scientific racists who said blacks had smaller brains than whites. I know that. Wallace knew it. His point was that due to their less complex culture they didn’t “need” all the brainpower they had. Wallace never agreed with the 19th century scientific racists who said blacks had smaller brains than whites.

]]> By: Gary Ansorge http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/02/14/ghosts-in-the-machine/comment-page-1/#comment-70455 Gary Ansorge Fri, 15 Feb 2008 20:33:18 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/02/14/ghosts-in-the-machine/#comment-70455 Barton: Au contraire, low tech tribes appear to have just as complex brains as any other human tribe, regardless of our "need" for it. Perhaps the Gaia proposal has some credence,,, Gary 7 Barton: Au contraire, low tech tribes appear to have just as complex brains as any other human tribe, regardless of our “need” for it. Perhaps the Gaia proposal has some credence,,,

Gary 7

]]> By: Barton Paul Levenson http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/02/14/ghosts-in-the-machine/comment-page-1/#comment-70454 Barton Paul Levenson Fri, 15 Feb 2008 16:37:17 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/02/14/ghosts-in-the-machine/#comment-70454 Gary, you've revived Alfred Russel Wallace's 19th century argument that the lack of "need" for a complex brain among primitive peoples proves the human brain is the result of divine special creation and not natural selection. (Yes, folks, one of the co-discoverers of natural selection was an ID freak.) I think the fallacy there lies in the assumption that people in a leisured culture don't "need" all their brainpower. Or that a capability must be in continuous, feverish use or it has no evolutionary advantage. Does the lack of sexual reproduction among children mean humans don't need their reproductive capabilities? I think you may also be trying to revive the c. 1900 evolutionary theory of mutationism (Hugo de Vries and others), where random mutation drives evolution, rather than natural selection operating on random mutation. Gary, you’ve revived Alfred Russel Wallace’s 19th century argument that the lack of “need” for a complex brain among primitive peoples proves the human brain is the result of divine special creation and not natural selection. (Yes, folks, one of the co-discoverers of natural selection was an ID freak.) I think the fallacy there lies in the assumption that people in a leisured culture don’t “need” all their brainpower. Or that a capability must be in continuous, feverish use or it has no evolutionary advantage. Does the lack of sexual reproduction among children mean humans don’t need their reproductive capabilities?

I think you may also be trying to revive the c. 1900 evolutionary theory of mutationism (Hugo de Vries and others), where random mutation drives evolution, rather than natural selection operating on random mutation.

]]> By: Gary Ansorge http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/02/14/ghosts-in-the-machine/comment-page-1/#comment-70453 Gary Ansorge Fri, 15 Feb 2008 16:27:19 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/02/14/ghosts-in-the-machine/#comment-70453 Wes: My take on evolution is that DNA loves to propagate and whatever life form best accomplishes that is in DNAs best "interests". The qualities we perceive as "humane" are those which allow us to survive, be it a fine appreciation of love, compassion, humor, imagination and social connectedness or merely the stubborn desire to be,,, Spencer was a product of his time, playing to a fine human conceit, that some humans were superior in some way to all others. In the final analyses, it is those who have the most (viable)offspring who win the evolutionary race. If intelligence contributes to that viability, then it will be propagated. All we really know about the development of human intellect is that there are a few rapidly mutating genes responsible for the increase in size/complexity of the human brain. Why those genes are changing so rapidly we really don't know but it probably has little to do with the competition for food. Analyses of low-tech tribes, such as the Kalahari, show they spend only 10 to 12 hours a week obtaining the necessities of life. It would therefore seem somewhat redundant to further increase brain size, yet those genes seem dedicated to that end. Further research is required,,, Gary 7 Wes:
My take on evolution is that DNA loves to propagate and whatever life form best accomplishes that is in DNAs best “interests”. The qualities we perceive as “humane” are those which allow us to survive, be it a fine appreciation of love, compassion, humor, imagination and social connectedness or merely the stubborn desire to be,,,

Spencer was a product of his time, playing to a fine human conceit, that some humans were superior in some way to all others. In the final analyses, it is those who have the most (viable)offspring who win the evolutionary race.
If intelligence contributes to that viability, then it will be propagated. All we really know about the development of human intellect is that there are a few rapidly mutating genes responsible for the increase in size/complexity of the human brain. Why those genes are changing so rapidly we really don’t know but it probably has little to do with the competition for food. Analyses of low-tech tribes, such as the Kalahari, show they spend only 10 to 12 hours a week obtaining the necessities of life. It would therefore seem somewhat redundant to further increase brain size, yet those genes seem dedicated to that end. Further research is required,,,

Gary 7

]]> By: Bobolink http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/02/14/ghosts-in-the-machine/comment-page-1/#comment-70452 Bobolink Fri, 15 Feb 2008 15:20:29 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/02/14/ghosts-in-the-machine/#comment-70452 Then there is the story of the man who didn't pay his exorcist. He got repossessed. Then there is the story of the man who didn’t pay his exorcist. He got repossessed.

]]> By: Irishman http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/02/14/ghosts-in-the-machine/comment-page-1/#comment-70451 Irishman Thu, 14 Feb 2008 22:22:21 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/02/14/ghosts-in-the-machine/#comment-70451 <blockquote>Basically, the tenants of the haunted room together with the psychic extorted the government to pay for this, since it was cheaper than having the tenants evicted. </blockquote> Technically, the tenants wouldn't have been evicted, but would have chosen to leave the premises and gone to public housing, which would have been the expense to the government. In this case, either way the gov would have to pay for these superstitious people not wanting to live with a ghost. This way was cheaper.

Basically, the tenants of the haunted room together with the psychic extorted the government to pay for this, since it was cheaper than having the tenants evicted.

Technically, the tenants wouldn’t have been evicted, but would have chosen to leave the premises and gone to public housing, which would have been the expense to the government. In this case, either way the gov would have to pay for these superstitious people not wanting to live with a ghost. This way was cheaper.

]]> By: Yoshi_3up http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/02/14/ghosts-in-the-machine/comment-page-1/#comment-70450 Yoshi_3up Thu, 14 Feb 2008 20:57:22 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/badastronomy/2008/02/14/ghosts-in-the-machine/#comment-70450 Haha, I can't see how Rickroll'd and all the roll'd videos could be banned. Anyways, those are interesting news. Haha, I can’t see how Rickroll’d and all the roll’d videos could be banned.

Anyways, those are interesting news.

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