Comments on: The world is not magic http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2005/10/10/the-world-is-not-magic/ Random samplings from a universe of ideas. Mon, 09 Nov 2009 00:09:16 -0600 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Another Reason Scientists Don’t Always Make Great Storytellers | Cosmic Variance | Discover Magazine http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2005/10/10/the-world-is-not-magic/comment-page-1/#comment-90780 Another Reason Scientists Don’t Always Make Great Storytellers | Cosmic Variance | Discover Magazine Sat, 15 Aug 2009 21:01:40 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2005/10/10/the-world-is-not-magic/#comment-90780 [...] The world is not magic. At least, that is, the actual real world around us. That’s the great insight we’ve achieved over the course of centuries of scientific investigation into the universe. It all follows rules; everything has an explanation (which is not the same as everything having a reason). [...] [...] The world is not magic. At least, that is, the actual real world around us. That’s the great insight we’ve achieved over the course of centuries of scientific investigation into the universe. It all follows rules; everything has an explanation (which is not the same as everything having a reason). [...]

]]> By: links for 2008-10-20 - Some thoughts on.... http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2005/10/10/the-world-is-not-magic/comment-page-1/#comment-4983 links for 2008-10-20 - Some thoughts on.... Tue, 21 Oct 2008 02:02:47 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2005/10/10/the-world-is-not-magic/#comment-4983 [...] The world is not magic | Cosmic Variance The world is not magic. The world follows patterns, obeys unbreakable rules. We never reach a point, in exploring our universe, where we reach an ineffable mystery and must give up on rational explanation; our world is comprehensible, it makes sense. I can’t imagine saying it better. There is no way of proving once and for all that the world is not magic; all we can do is point to an extraordinarily long and impressive list of formerly-mysterious things that we were ultimately able to make sense of. There’s every reason to believe that this streak of successes will continue, and no reason to believe it will end. If everyone understood this, the world would be a better place. (tags: story science religion physics philosophy magic fundamentalism atheism) [...] [...] The world is not magic | Cosmic Variance The world is not magic. The world follows patterns, obeys unbreakable rules. We never reach a point, in exploring our universe, where we reach an ineffable mystery and must give up on rational explanation; our world is comprehensible, it makes sense. I can’t imagine saying it better. There is no way of proving once and for all that the world is not magic; all we can do is point to an extraordinarily long and impressive list of formerly-mysterious things that we were ultimately able to make sense of. There’s every reason to believe that this streak of successes will continue, and no reason to believe it will end. If everyone understood this, the world would be a better place. (tags: story science religion physics philosophy magic fundamentalism atheism) [...]

]]> By: Marriage and Fundamental Physics | Cosmic Variance http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2005/10/10/the-world-is-not-magic/comment-page-1/#comment-4982 Marriage and Fundamental Physics | Cosmic Variance Sun, 19 Oct 2008 21:50:45 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2005/10/10/the-world-is-not-magic/#comment-4982 [...] Our ancestors lived in an enchanted world, where the boundary between the physical and the moral and the spiritual was not very clearly drawn. It made perfect sense, at the time, to attribute to the external world the same kinds of meanings and impulses that one found in the human world — purposes, consciousnesses, moral judgments. One of the great accomplishments of modernity was to construct a new way of understanding the world — one based on understandable, formal rules. These days we understand that the world is not magic. [...] [...] Our ancestors lived in an enchanted world, where the boundary between the physical and the moral and the spiritual was not very clearly drawn. It made perfect sense, at the time, to attribute to the external world the same kinds of meanings and impulses that one found in the human world — purposes, consciousnesses, moral judgments. One of the great accomplishments of modernity was to construct a new way of understanding the world — one based on understandable, formal rules. These days we understand that the world is not magic. [...]

]]> By: Gauge theory errors corrected by facts, giving tested predictions « Gauge theory mechanisms http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2005/10/10/the-world-is-not-magic/comment-page-1/#comment-4981 Gauge theory errors corrected by facts, giving tested predictions « Gauge theory mechanisms Wed, 23 Jul 2008 11:02:31 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2005/10/10/the-world-is-not-magic/#comment-4981 [...] ‘The world is not magic. The world follows patterns, obeys unbreakable rules. We never reach a point, in exploring our universe, where we reach an ineffable mystery and must give up on rational explanation; our world is comprehensible, it makes sense. I can’t imagine saying it better. There is no way of proving once and for all that the world is not magic; all we can do is point to an extraordinarily long and impressive list of formerly-mysterious things that we were ultimately able to make sense of. There’s every reason to believe that this streak of successes will continue, and no reason to believe it will end. If everyone understood this, the world would be a better place.’ – Prof. Sean Carroll, here [...] [...] ‘The world is not magic. The world follows patterns, obeys unbreakable rules. We never reach a point, in exploring our universe, where we reach an ineffable mystery and must give up on rational explanation; our world is comprehensible, it makes sense. I can’t imagine saying it better. There is no way of proving once and for all that the world is not magic; all we can do is point to an extraordinarily long and impressive list of formerly-mysterious things that we were ultimately able to make sense of. There’s every reason to believe that this streak of successes will continue, and no reason to believe it will end. If everyone understood this, the world would be a better place.’ – Prof. Sean Carroll, here [...]

]]> By: Quantum gravity mechanism and predictions « Quantum field theory http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2005/10/10/the-world-is-not-magic/comment-page-1/#comment-4980 Quantum gravity mechanism and predictions « Quantum field theory Thu, 31 May 2007 22:34:11 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2005/10/10/the-world-is-not-magic/#comment-4980 [...] 'The world is not magic. The world follows patterns, obeys unbreakable rules. We never reach a point, in exploring our universe, where we reach an ineffable mystery and must give up on rational explanation; our world is comprehensible, it makes sense. I can't imagine saying it better. There is no way of proving once and for all that the world is not magic; all we can do is point to an extraordinarily long and impressive list of formerly-mysterious things that we were ultimately able to make sense of. There's every reason to believe that this streak of successes will continue, and no reason to believe it will end. If everyone understood this, the world would be a better place.' â€" Prof. Sean Carroll, here [...] [...] ‘The world is not magic. The world follows patterns, obeys unbreakable rules. We never reach a point, in exploring our universe, where we reach an ineffable mystery and must give up on rational explanation; our world is comprehensible, it makes sense. I can’t imagine saying it better. There is no way of proving once and for all that the world is not magic; all we can do is point to an extraordinarily long and impressive list of formerly-mysterious things that we were ultimately able to make sense of. There’s every reason to believe that this streak of successes will continue, and no reason to believe it will end. If everyone understood this, the world would be a better place.’ — Prof. Sean Carroll, here [...]

]]> By: Because the world is not magic - 1st Paragraph .com http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2005/10/10/the-world-is-not-magic/comment-page-1/#comment-4978 Because the world is not magic - 1st Paragraph .com Mon, 21 May 2007 15:59:37 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2005/10/10/the-world-is-not-magic/#comment-4978 [...] The world is not magic. The world follows patterns, obeys unbreakable rules. We never reach a point, in exploring our universe, where we reach an ineffable mystery and must give up on rational explanation; our world is comprehensible, it makes sense… [More: Cosmic Variance] [...] [...] The world is not magic. The world follows patterns, obeys unbreakable rules. We never reach a point, in exploring our universe, where we reach an ineffable mystery and must give up on rational explanation; our world is comprehensible, it makes sense… [More: Cosmic Variance] [...]

]]> By: The world is not magic | Cosmic Variance « Thoughtsblog http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2005/10/10/the-world-is-not-magic/comment-page-1/#comment-4979 The world is not magic | Cosmic Variance « Thoughtsblog Sun, 20 May 2007 07:14:42 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2005/10/10/the-world-is-not-magic/#comment-4979 [...] Cosmic Variance Links: cosmicvariance.com [...] [...] Cosmic Variance Links: cosmicvariance.com [...]

]]> By: Do You Believe in Magic? | Cosmic Variance http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2005/10/10/the-world-is-not-magic/comment-page-1/#comment-4977 Do You Believe in Magic? | Cosmic Variance Wed, 28 Mar 2007 12:46:19 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2005/10/10/the-world-is-not-magic/#comment-4977 [...] As we’ve discussed here at Cosmic Variance before - The World is not Magic. [...] [...] As we’ve discussed here at Cosmic Variance before – The World is not Magic. [...]

]]> By: Cosmic Variance http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2005/10/10/the-world-is-not-magic/comment-page-1/#comment-4976 Cosmic Variance Tue, 23 Jan 2007 17:19:21 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2005/10/10/the-world-is-not-magic/#comment-4976 <strong>Do You Believe in Magic?</strong> I’m about to teach and then fly to D.C. to do some of that wonderfully fun government work that we are occasionally called upon for. But I couldn’t leave before pointing out an interesting story by Benedict Carey in today’s Science T... Do You Believe in Magic?

I’m about to teach and then fly to D.C. to do some of that wonderfully fun government work that we are occasionally called upon for. But I couldn’t leave before pointing out an interesting story by Benedict Carey in today’s Science T…

]]> By: Gidiron excitement | Cosmic Variance http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2005/10/10/the-world-is-not-magic/comment-page-1/#comment-4975 Gidiron excitement | Cosmic Variance Thu, 05 Jan 2006 16:48:22 +0000 http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/cosmicvariance/2005/10/10/the-world-is-not-magic/#comment-4975 [...] Congratulations also to the Penn State Nittany Lions, whose Orange Bowl win the previous night extended coach Joe Paterno’s record number of bowl wins to 21. It’s a world in which magic is where we find it. [...] [...] Congratulations also to the Penn State Nittany Lions, whose Orange Bowl win the previous night extended coach Joe Paterno’s record number of bowl wins to 21. It’s a world in which magic is where we find it. [...]

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