David’s Comments (group member since Dec 13, 2009)

David’s comments from the Science and Inquiry group.

It's an excellent book, Kathy--you will enjoy it!

Interesting article, Kenny!

Kenny wrote: "I'll nominate my favorite book of science essays

The Immense Journey by Loren Eiseley. ..."

Wonderful book!

I just finished the book--very enjoyable!

Here is my review.

I was very interested when I read about the so-called "cleaner fish" that aid large fish by cleaning them. They avoid being eaten by the larger fish because they are striped and they do a "dance".

This reminded me of the TED Talk by Hamish Jolly. He developed a striped color scheme for surfers, to help deter sharks:

Gosh, Kenny--you really are an old-timer! :-)

I am about half-way through the book, and enjoying it. About a year ago I took an online course on the subject of game theory. Dawkins is evidently well-versed on game theory, and what he calls the "ESS" (Evolutionarily Stable Strategy) is, in general, called a Stable Equilibrium. (Same idea, just a different name.) In the course, I learned how to compute the various probabilities and fractions that Dawkins describes.

I enjoyed how Dawkins uses the idea of the ESS to explain many results of evolution. Why do animals/people exhibit such and such a behavior, when it seems sort of counter-productive? I think it's great!

Yes, L, I've sort of been following that story. Perhaps they just jumped the gun on publishing their modeling results.

You will enjoy the book, Kenny. Here is my review.

Nancy, I've been reading an excellent book titled The Future of the Mind: The Scientific Quest to Understand, Enhance, and Empower the Mind by Michio Kaku. Right up front, he gives an interesting definition of consciousness:

Consciousness is the process of creating a model of the world using multiple feedback loops in various parameters (e.g., in temperature, space, time, and in relation to others), in order to accomplish a goal (e.g., find mates, food, shelter).

Kaku uses his definition to quantify different levels of consciousness. As an extreme example, a thermostat is Level 0:1 because it has limited mobility and only has a single feedback loop. A flower has a Level 0:10 consciousness because it has about ten feedback loops. A Level I consciousness can measure its own location, for example, reptiles. Most reptiles have about 100 feedback loops. A Level II consciousness also creates a model of their position with respect to others--they are social and have emotions. A wolf is Level II:150 because it is social, and has emotions and about 150 feedback loops. A Level III consciousness can simulate the future and makes rough predictions.

Even if you don't agree with this hierarchy of levels of consciousness, it is an interesting idea!

Nancy, I agree--The Language Instinct is a wonderful book!

Elizabeth wrote: "I found this book very persuasive. The theory seems to have enormous explanatory power. I'd be curious to know the major arguments against it."

Elizabeth,
The major arguments against it are contained in the book Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty, by Daron Acemoglu and James A. Robinson. They argue that the major reason why some nations flourish, is due to their "inclusive" economic and political institutions. They pose some very good arguments why Diamond's thesis is incomplete. You can find some wonderful conversations between Diamond and Acemoglu here and here.

In a nutshell, Acemoglu accuses Diamond of offering some good reasons for the failure of nations, but of ignoring some other good reasons. Meanwhile, Diamond accuses Acemoglu of the exact same thing. Neither author seems to be comprehensive. I found Acemoglu's arguments to be more persuasive; there are so many examples where two nations share similar types of geography, but their institutions are much different, and one fails while the other thrives. However, a truly comprehensive theory would embrace all of their ideas.

Michele wrote: "I highly recommend watching the TV series of the same name. It is available on Netflix and it gives the reader a lot of great information that is not in the book.

It's on Netflix? Thanks for the tip, Michele!

Leonardo wrote: "I see people not vaccinating their kids all of the time in my clinic. It's really a shame, in a sense, that these diseases have become so rare in the US due to vaccination that people are now more ..."

This seems to be another example of "Let everyone else bear the burden (of a vaccination), and I can take a free ride." If everyone does this, then these diseases will eventually return to their previous epidemic levels, won't they?

I read your paper on the lunar orbit anomaly. Very interesting!

L, there is no entry in Goodreads for a book with the title "The Speed of Light is Changing".

I enjoyed reading The Demon-Haunted World very much. Sagan was a great popularizer of science issues. Many people have forgotten how influential he was while he was alive, in science and some political issues.

Here is my review.

This is a good book about the intersection of physics and art: Art and Physics: Parallel Visions in Space, Time, and Light. I had never realized there were so many parallels, before reading it. (Never quite finished it, though, unfortunately.)

I think quite a few of the people here, who read science books, are also interested in science fiction. I am one of them.

Steve wrote: "Am about to start reading Five Billion Years of Solitude: The Search for Life Among the Stars. Anybody else reading, or read, it?
"
Thanks for the suggestion, Steve--I had not heard of this book. It's on my "to read" list now!