Steven Pinker on Taboos, Political Correctness and Dissent

It's Steven Pinker... he's got things to say, and you already know that whether you agree with his views or not, he's always interesting to listen to, and he always manages to stimulate you to think about those interesting things yourself, so why not have a listen to a few things he has to say?

And if you want a longer (and hilarious) treatment of these and other related questions, don't forget you can find his lecture on cursing, veiled threats and other fascinating ways in which our use of language sometimes betrays certain aspects of how our minds work, in this fascinating lecture.

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60 Seconds Adventures in Economics - The Invisible Hand

If you thought the Open University's 60 Second Adventures in Thought were over, think again! Yes, they may be done with paradoxes and strange thought puzzles (for now), but there's plenty of other fascinating things to explore, and they have decided to devote some attention to the field of economics.

Of course, no introduction to economics would be complete without Adam Smith's concept of the "invisible hand," that self-directed mechanism through which markets regulate themselves for the collective benefit of both consumers and producers.

Oddly enough, at least here in America, many of those people who deny the self-directed and amoral process of evolution through natural selection are perfectly comfortable with the equally blind and amoral self-directed market, and some, such as objectivists, actually argue that a completely free, unregulated market is the ultimate expression of a moral society.  Oh yeah, we've got it all...

And if you need a refresher on modern economics, you might want to check out the Hayek vs. Keynes rap.

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How to (and Why) Prove a Mathematical Theory

When it comes to the world of our sensory experience, the idea of "proof" is somewhat misplaced, since there is always the possibility of new evidence contradicting something we previously had every good reason to believe, not to mention the fact it could all be a dream or a simulation in The Matrix!

But in the world of abstract ideas, especially numbers, the kind of reasoning used there does lend itself to proofs because you get to specify exactly what you mean by a certain concept, and then all you have to do is follow a few rules of inference to deduce the logical consequences of your idea.

And we owe a debt of gratitude for the whole idea of theory and proof to the ancient Greeks, people like Pythagoras, Plato and Archimedes. But today we get to learn a little bit about the man who is widely considered the father of geometry, a title appropriate to the scope and importance of his work: he formalized the rules of geometry that mathematicians have relied upon for over two thousand years. That man was Euclid.

QED

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Release the Clinton!

First it was the economy, stupid. But apparently not only did trickle-down Republicans not get it, they regressed and went backwards, so it's time for President Bill Clinton to come back and school everyone in what can only be described as a masterful rhetorical and substantive performance.

And because Republicans don't seem to get the economy stuff, Clinton identifies the source of their confusion: it's arithmetic, stupid! :)

Anyway, here's something that has been sorely missing from the Romney/Ryan campaign: honesty, education, wit, charisma, and an avalanche of specifics that no amount of empty soundbites can compete against.

Take them to school!

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Some Fun Analysis of the DNC

As you may have been able to tell a long time ago already, I have some major problems with Republicans, but to be fair, I also have some major problems with Democrats: mainly the fact that they are big pushovers who don't have the balls to stand up to greedy conservatives and do the right thing for the people they represent.

And I hope this is something that's going to stay, but at least in campaign mode they are finally standing up to the avalanche of conservative propaganda and wild accusations, and kicking some major rhetorical ass!

First let's start with the wonder twins:

And here's where things get more pugilistic and fun:

Ouch!

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Michelle Obama's Speech at the DNC

There are some things about President Obama's first term that we may find infuriating and disappointing, even though his record, though vilified by the opposition, actually shows some amazing improvements that aren't sufficiently touted in the mainstream media. So yeah, there are some disappointments, especially given the promise and the hope that he awoke in us when he first decided to run . That idealism, unfortunately, was on a head-on collision course with the harsh reality of "bipartisan cooperation" (a word that, thanks to Republicans' obsession with not letting a half black man have a second term in the White House, has become an oxymoron) and the reality of having to make difficult ethical, political, strategic and practical choices under pressure from multiple sides.

But as First Lady Michelle Obama reminds us in the following incredible speech, "being president doesn't change who you are, it reveals who you are." And although there are multiple areas for improvement, over the past few years Barack Obama has demonstrated his character, his authenticity, his willingness to work with others (even to the point of frustration for most of us), his compassion for the downtrodden, his undying belief that we should extend opportunities to those who need them, his sympathy for those whose medical bills or college loans would otherwise prevent them from fulfilling their dreams, etc.

What are the odds that for 2016, Barack Obama may become the very first First... what would you call it, First Gentleman? First man? First Sir? First male First Lady? Anyway, look out Hilary! :p

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Abusive Obsessive-Compulsive Has to Punch Wife Exactly 20 Times

You're probably already aware that having a mental disorder is a nightmare in its own right, but have you ever wondered what it would be like to have multiple mental disorders at once? The folks at The Onion have:

In that case, if she's not making mistakes in sets of 20 all at once, the beatings are kind of her fault, right? :)

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