February 11 2018

John sings his testimony song. On Alan Jacobs' book "How to Think: A Survival Guide for a World at Odds" and its mention of the Long Now Foundation's form of debate. Why shouldn't we endeavor to understand the perspective of those who differ? Shouldn't we want the best for ALL people, instead of seeing others merely as a threat to our way of life? Darwin's testimony on how his loss of ability to enjoy certain things after formulating his theory (from Stephen Greenblatt's book "The Rise and Fall of Adam and Eve"), and on Darwin's theory being the source of the key idea of postmodernism. Scientists can give lip service to the wonderment science brings, even though its aim has been to remove the thought of design (God). Reads from Corey S. Powell's article on how a scientists wonders whether a consciousness field might exist in the universe (ala Rupert Sheldrake). On quantum mechanical interpretations (Copenhagen, many worlds, Bohmian/pilot wave, etc.) of the wave collapse and the argument for mind over matter. On discoveries that argue for a designed universe and the dilemma of those dedicated to materialistic/naturalistic explanations. Might not our choice of observations impact not only the present, but also the past?