“Much of the forbidden, obscure, and esoteric knowledge that once made Buddhism and other religions difficult to study has now become accessible – with potentially dangerous results. … This is the spiritual equivalent of giving every teen driver a Formula 1 racing car: It’ll go fast, but many young innocents will end up splattered on the road.”
Category: ideas
Neuroscientists Wonder: Can Our Brains Retain A Child’s Capacity To Learn?
“The possibility of reawakening our youthful, receptive brains has piqued a lot of interest among educators, therapists, and those in search of expanded experience or thought. I might be able to immerse myself in music lessons and absorb them more effectively. Others might disable the plasticity brakes before a trip abroad, quickly learning a new language.”
An Atheist’s Search For A Useful Morning Prayer
Heather Havrilesky: “Unfortunately, I don’t like saying bold and glorious words out loud. So I need a prayer that’s not too prayer-like. I need a belief system that doesn’t require me to suspend my disbelief. My prayer shouldn’t conjure pews and crosses and a vengeful God, but also it shouldn’t conjure wind chimes and scented candles and middle-aged men in linen pants. I need to honour my soul, of course. Who doesn’t? But I want to do it in a way that doesn’t make me feel like I’m living in a douche commercial.”
When The Bots Take Over
It’s understood now that, beside what we call the “real world,” we inhabit a variety of virtual worlds. Take Twitter. Or the Twitterverse. Twittersphere. You may think it’s a stretch to call this a “world,” but in many ways it has become a toy universe, populated by millions, most of whom resemble humans and may even, in their day jobs, be humans. But increasing numbers of Twitterers don’t even pretend to be human. Or worse, do pretend, when they are actually bots.
Study: At What Age Are We Mentally At Our Peak?
“At what age do we really peak? Is there ever a point where, intellectually, we’re as good as we’re going to get?”
TED As Evangelical Performance
“A great TED talk is reminiscent of a tent revival sermon. There’s the gathering of the curious and the hungry. Then a persistent human problem is introduced, one that, as the speaker gently explains, has deeper roots and wider implications than most listeners are prepared to admit. Once everyone has been confronted with this evidence of entropy, contemplated life’s fragility and the elusiveness of inner peace, a decision is called for.”
A Rabbi And An Atheist Talk Good And Evil
And they didn’t walk into a bar, they walked into the 92nd St. Y. They’re Michael Shermer, publisher of Skeptic magazine, and Rabbi Geoffrey Mitelman, founder of Sinai and Synapses, “an organization that aims to bridge the gap between scientifically grounded views and spiritual belief.”
Science, And Even Science Fiction, Can Make Us Better People [PODCAST]
“Before the rise of science, says Shermer, many people participated in grotesque evils like witch burning simply because they lacked a reliable method for identifying false beliefs.”
Are Artists And Writers Condemned To Loneliness?
“Visual artists and the authors of literary fictions are engaged in a profoundly social endeavor. In writing or creating, they partake in an artistic or literary tradition, elaborating on the works that preceded them.”
Can Architects Stop Skyscrapers From Blocking Out Sunlight?
“The new design involves twin towers curved and angled to minimise any shadow. Using an algorithm, the architects took into account the angles at which the sun shines each day over a year, and translated the information into the buildings’ design.”