tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3740407660228243477.post7415757792598706039..comments2008-05-01T11:11:05.134-05:00Comments on Literature and Mathematics: Illusion of ControlJohn Joneshttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08778994524246166730noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3740407660228243477.post-6074163414184247102008-03-01T20:50:00.000-06:002008-03-01T20:50:00.000-06:00I have read just about everything that I could by ...I have read just about everything that I could by Daniel Quinn after reading Ishmael. It has been a while though. I think the idea of a society of takers being a natural phenomenon is pretty well backed up by economics. I am a true believer of modern micro-economic thought. Last night I bought Tim Harford's new book "The Logic of Life" and in the first chapter he discusses an experiment done by some economic researcher where they showed that if you could set up a situation where a lab mouse had to make economic decisions, guess what, the mouse made rational economic decisions! I may discus this further in a future blog but it truly is an interesting experimental outcome.Ian Bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15756467547889216780noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3740407660228243477.post-17106849805261306952008-03-01T16:38:00.000-06:002008-03-01T16:38:00.000-06:00I think a society of "takers" is fully natural, th...I think a society of "takers" is fully natural, though it may not be adaptive to humanity as a species and certainly undermines the sustainability of other species.<BR/><BR/>My "futurist" comment was meant to reflect a desire to not believe or place value on an idea of a "natural order". Darwinian evolution requires generational change to accomplish specialization, but as Square points out we can speak, communicate, and together manipulate both our environment and ourselves, so why not do so? <BR/><BR/>There's this Aristotle quote that has been haunting me since I read it for class:<BR/><BR/>"nothing that exists by nature can form a habit contrary to its nature"<BR/><BR/>or a quote from the book:<BR/><BR/>"When asked why the discovery channel he worked for was trying to clone a woolly mammoth" project paleontologist, Larry Agenbroad answered <BR/><BR/>"Why not?"<BR/><BR/>In an extreme case: AI machines created by man evolve and reproduce , competing with man for space and resources and eventually winning.<BR/>Is this unnatural? or does it just suck for man?Alyssahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17651726560825787571noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3740407660228243477.post-91546243800386207222008-02-25T16:58:00.000-06:002008-02-25T16:58:00.000-06:00Ishmael is one of my favorite books. I hadn't even...Ishmael is one of my favorite books. I hadn't even thought to connect it to VAS, but your blog is really interesting. Thanks! It is true that we seem to think that we are the final stage in the evolutionary process, and Quinn points out that we may just be another step. Does your comment about being a "futurist" suggest that you feel that a society full of "takers" is a part of the natural evolution?Luciahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15687407320813631333noreply@blogger.com