Hard science and anicca (impermanence)

January 5, 2017 1:40 AM

For its annual survey, the nonprofit Edge Foundation recently asked, "What scientific term or concept ought to be more widely known" in 2017? (previously on the Blue - shoutout to BrentFranklin) Among 206 responses, the psychologist Steven Pinker chose the Second Law of Thermodynamics. An under-appreciation of it, he argues, "lures people into seeing every unsolved social problem as a sign that their country is being driven off a cliff."
posted by JiffyQ (13 comments total)

double
posted by ryanrs at 1:50 AM on January 5, 2017 [1 favorite]

I would like to draw Mefites to the last link, knowing that the original source is a double (as noted above).
posted by JiffyQ at 1:54 AM on January 5, 2017

I like Daniel Dennett's answer on object affordances
posted by horopter at 2:33 AM on January 5, 2017 [2 favorites]

*hand-waving intensifies*
posted by thelonius at 3:49 AM on January 5, 2017

Some men just want to watch the world burn. And right they should, why reject the reality before us?
posted by Meatbomb at 3:55 AM on January 5, 2017

It's like mini TED talks without the $10,000 entry fee!

I feel so much smarter now.
posted by Yowser at 4:06 AM on January 5, 2017 [1 favorite]

Edge Foundation sounds great in theory - "seek out the most complex and sophisticated minds, put them in a room together, and have them ask each other the questions they are asking themselves" - but it frustrates me that it very rarely actually does what it purports to be doing. Mostly it just presents monologues from thinkers, which is OK, but there's so much more to be gained from actual dialogue and debate. I don't see much dialogue and debate on Edge. Perhaps that's because such thinkers are reluctant to actually enter into debate too often (it is hard work after all). Or perhaps its because Edge is run by a literary agent specializing in science books, and the whole point of the enterprise is to sell books, which are, after all, monologues.
posted by memebake at 4:28 AM on January 5, 2017 [4 favorites]

I would like to draw Mefites to the last link

OK:

Poverty, too, needs no explanation. In a world governed by entropy and evolution, it is the default state of humankind. Matter does not just arrange itself into shelter or clothing, and living things do everything they can not to become our food. What needs to be explained is wealth. Yet most discussions of poverty consist of arguments about whom to blame for it.

What glib and obtuse shit that is. People wanting an "explanation" for poverty aren't wondering why Christmas hams don't fall from the sky, they are talking about the dysfunctions and injustice of a wealthy society ruled by greed vampires.
posted by thelonius at 4:30 AM on January 5, 2017 [11 favorites]

I see you're unfamiliar with Steven Pinker!

(Dude is a eugenisist)
posted by Yowser at 4:54 AM on January 5, 2017 [2 favorites]

(Also evolutionary psychology isn't a real thing)
posted by Yowser at 4:56 AM on January 5, 2017 [3 favorites]

In general it pays to be very suspicious of formally defined scientific or mathematical things (heat, work, "closed systems", entropy, or, in math, formal systems strong enough to do Peano arithmetic having undecidable propositions, etc) being used as universal metaphysical solvents, able to explain "everything" .
posted by thelonius at 5:17 AM on January 5, 2017 [5 favorites]

I'm surprised Trump hasn't picked Pinker for a cabinet post.
posted by spitbull at 5:23 AM on January 5, 2017

I enjoyed this response to Pinker. It continues to baffle me that he gets airtime.
posted by Captaintripps at 5:45 AM on January 5, 2017 [4 favorites]