Monthly Archives: June 2020

Pandora’s Box

Lawrence Alma-Tadema‘s water-color of an ambivalent Pandora, 1881

In Greek mythology, Pandora was the first human woman created by the gods. Zeus ordered her to be molded out of the earth as part of humanity’s punishment for Prometheus’ theft of the secret of fire. Continue reading Pandora’s Box

Is There A Future for Humanity?

Bill Joy at World Economic Forum (Davos), 2003-01 (cropped).jpg

Bill Joy (1954 – ) is an American computer scientist who co-founded Sun Microsystems in 1982 and served as chief scientist at the company until 2003. His now famous Wired magazine essay, “Why the future doesn’t need us,” (2000) sets forth his deep concerns over the development of modern technologies Continue reading Is There A Future for Humanity?

Vacation?

I’ve written over a thousand posts in the 61/2 years since I started my blog, so an average of about 3 a week. Continue reading Vacation?

“Freedom And Determinism: What We Can Learn From The Failures Of Two Pretty Good Arguments”

(This essay first appeared at 3 Quarks Daily. Reprinted with permission.)
by CHARLIE HUENEMANN

The “Consequence Argument” is a powerful argument for the conclusion that, if determinism is true, then we have no control over what we do or will do. The argument is straightforward and simple Continue reading “Freedom And Determinism: What We Can Learn From The Failures Of Two Pretty Good Arguments”

The Past Is Alive

“It is a mistake to think that the past is dead. Nothing that has ever happened is quite without influence at this moment. The present is merely the past rolled up and concentrated in this second of time.

Continue reading The Past Is Alive