TOKTalk.net

A paradox is a self-contradictory or self-referential statement. In this episode we're going to have a look at several examples.

To what extent does math reflect the real world? Some mathematical equations deliver results that have no connection to reality. This episode applies the correspondence and coherence theory of truth to the area of mathematics.

How do you balance an egg on its pointed side without any extra help? Many problems appear easy, once you know how to solve them. Often hidden assumptions prevent us from solving a particular problem, however.

Enlightenment is the courage to use your own brain. Sapre Aude! Dare to Know!

I'll be exploring the relationship between arts and ethics. Is it necessary for art to go against moral and ethical conventions in order to be considered "good" art? Where are the limits to the freedom of expression of art? In this episode I'll be asking questions, and not give answers!

In this edition I want to give a little warning. Sometimes the words "science" or "scientific" are used to increase the value of certain claims, even if the use of these terms is not justified.

There are several problems with conspiracy theories, which are outlined in this episode.

This post addresses several Questions in relation to the TOK Essay.

Viktor Frankl (1905-1997) and the purpose of life.

In this episode I'm going to explain the differences between the philosophical concepts of relativism and constructivism.

Here is a collection of six (hopefully intelligent) jokes that count to my favorites. I don't know if you consider them funny or not, in any case they should give you something to think as well.

Here is a short checklist of points to watch out for when writing the TOK Essay.

Are history books telling us the full story of the past? Can they tell us the full story at all? Why is it that so many history books focus on the "big players", the kings and rulers, the big events, big politics? What about the "normal" people?

Ghost traps are very useful devices - they can be used to catch evil spirits. You say ghosts do not exist? You say that they are a product of our imagination? Well... do you believe in time? Could it not be that time is a product of our imagination as well?

Here I will explain the differences between the Correspondence Theory of truth, the Coherence Theory and the Pragmatic Theory.

What are the differences between declarative and procedural knowledge? Declarative knowledge is the knowledge of facts, procedural knowledge is the knowledge on "how to" do something. For example: I know that 5+5=10 (declarative) and I know how to calculate (procedural).

Some prescribed TOK essay titles may require you to find a knowledge issue or a problem of knowledge which relates to the title. Sometimes there are several hidden issues. How can you find them? This edition should motivate you to play with ideas to find a possible hidden knowledge issue.

Plato defined knowledge as "Justified true belief". For a person to know something he/she has to believe it, has to be able to justify it and it has to be true. This is explained here.

The TOK Essay is marked against 4 criteria (A-D). I will explain these criteria to sensitize you on what to look out for when you write the essay.

According to Psychologist Friedmann Schulz von Thun, when a person talks to another person he/she is passing on four different messages. This communication model is called the "4 Ears Model" and is useful in understanding why people misunderstand each other.

There are some common, recurring problems with the TOK Essay. The prescribed title question is not answered explicitly, the examples are not explained, the essay is not organized, the..... Here is an overview of the most common problems.

Introduced here: the MIU puzzle as an example of a formal system. A formal system is composed of axioms, to which rules of inference are applied to produce theorems to which the rules can be applied again. Confused? Try to MIU puzzle yourself - it's fun!

The terms facts, theories and opinions are often confused. The objective of this edition is to clarify these terms. Facts are observations or measurements from an experiment, theories are the explanation of these facts, while opinions are assessments or evaluations.

Determinism refers to the idea that the future is not up to chance, the future can be predicted. Determinists claim that if you had sufficient knowledge of the current situation, then you could in theory predict the behavior of a system into the future. Certain systems are indeed deterministic, many others are not.

It is not always necessary to conduct real-life experiments to reach a valid scientific conclusion. Thought experiments may in some cases also suffice. In this edition I will illustrate you a thought experiment from physics. In a vacuum, all objects accelerate the same way and they both have the same velocity. Heavy objects will not fall faster. But how can we test this? We do not have a large vacuum chamber to test this. A thought experiment can be useful in this case.

According to Wiliam of Ockham (c. 1288 - c. 1347), if there are competing explanations for a phenomenon, the simpler explanation is to be preferred. The simpler explanation is often the correct one. It can be summarized as "With all other things being equal the simpler solution is the better one." Simpler explanations rely on fewer assumptions which can not be proven or disproven.

If we want to reach an objective description of our world, then we need to reduce these subjective influences. We need standardized procedures in gaining further knowledge of our world. The scientific method is such a standardized procedure in gaining further knowledge in the natural sciences.

In this edition of TOK-TALK we will talk about Karl Poppers contributions to the philosophy of science. Sir Reimund Karl Popper is considered to be one of the most influential philosophers of the 20th century, and of course it is difficult, if not impossible to summarize his contributions in a few minutes (or a few lines). Where should you draw the line between the sciences and the pseudosciences? What characterizes scientific theories? In this edition we will have a look at the falsification principle which offers an answer to these questions.

Every measurement changes the object that we want to measure. This is called the Observer Effect. When we stick a thermometer into a glass of water to measure its temperature, then the thermometer will change the temperature of the water as well. Similar effects can be observed when measuring voltage or current in electrical circuits. Also in the social sciences we have a similar problem: people will not behave naturally when they feel that they are observed.

In this edition we will have a look at ethical dilemmas. What are they? What are some different opinions in making an ethical choice? There are several schools of thought in finding a solution to an ethical dilemma. The consequentialist school maintains that actions are either moral or immoral depending on the outcome (the consequence) of the action. An action is morally right, if it results in an increase in the overall happiness for the people.

In this edition I would like to explain why hot water freezes faster than cold water, when put into the freezer. It is a very counter-intuitive observation, it's a paradox. This is called the Mpemba Effect.