Many people think about science in a fairly simplistic way: collect evidence, formulate a theory, test the theory. By this method, it is claimed, science can achieve objective, rational knowledge about the workings of reality. In this presentation I will question the validity of this understanding of science. I will consider some of the key…
Our brain’s simulation of the external world, our conscious experience, is often wrong. Optical illusions demonstrate how our perception of objects can be mistaken. Analogously, magic tricks are cognitive illusions that vividly illustrate how our perception and understanding of events can go awry. Thanks to recent work by neuroscientists and psychologists we know under what…
Science has a certain common core, especially a reliance on empirical methods of assessing hypotheses. Pseudosciences have little in common but their negation: they are not science. They reject meaningful empirical assessment in some way or another. Popper proposed a clear demarcation criterion for Science v Rubbish: Falsifiability. However, his criterion has not stood the…
It is often said that some or all of science and religion conflict with each other, and that one must choose between them. In this talk John Wilkins will look at how science and religion interact, and show that the issues are more complex and subtle than often claimed. What is the relationship between religion…
Science, Technology & the Future was held on Nov 30 – Dec 1 2013, Melbourne Australia What will the future be like? Right now, the technologies that we use to understand the world are in the process of a major transformation. Almost every field of knowledge is generating vast quantities of data, requiring unprecedented computing…
Few could predict just how fast and dramatic the social, economic and political impacts of computer technology have been in out lifetimes. This Summer, leading scientists, inventors and philosophers will gather in Melbourne to discuss philosophy of science & epistemology. Previous conferences 2010, 2011, 2012 & 2013 each drew over a hundred local, interstate and…
David Pearce will be speaking at – he is a British utilitarian philosopher who believes and promotes the idea that there exists a strong ethical imperative for humans to work towards the abolition of suffering in all sentient life. His book-length internet manifesto The Hedonistic Imperative outlines how technologies such as genetic engineering, nanotechnology, pharmacology,…
Into the Wild Blue Yonder – Tim van Gelder (Who is speaking at the conference this year) – originally posted at H+ Magazine. [dropcap]I[/dropcap] recently did a [highlight]series of interviews with Tim van Gelder[/highlight] on Intelligence Amplification, Artificial Intelligence, Argument Mapping and Douglas Engelbart’s contributions to computing and user interface design and collective wisdom. Below…
Yes, you may notice that the website looks quote different from the old site. It was just getting difficult to manage content, and the theme was a bit dark, and did not work all that well in portable devices… in any case, feel free to ping me to let me know if you like aspects…
If present trends are to continue, it is likely that computers will have more advanced and powerful ‘brains’ than humans within 25 years. “If you go back 500 years, not much happened in a century. Now a lot happens in 6 months.” says Ray Kurzweil. “Technology feeds on itself and it gets faster and faster,…
