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Where science meets art. The only necessary and sufficient book store in Melbourne.
Hope our friends enjoy the new look and feel – now optimised for mobile devices for access on the go.
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Coordinator: Peter Ellerton
Web guy: Jason Etheridge RESOURCE COLLECTIONS
NEW RESOURCES
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- A nice Philosophy of Mind summary
- The power of categorical logic
- What exactly is the scientific method and why do so many people get it wrong?
- Paralympic athletes faster than olympic athletes — what does this tell us about difference?
- Logic: if + then = why? How can we understand the power of logic?
- How do we ensure we are exposed to new ideas? A parody with bite.
- A Life of Meaning (Reason Not Required) – What is the nature of our relationship with reason?
- Can you name this cognitive bias?
- By what measures can we value human life?
- Teaching philosophy improves standardised scores
- Are we in control of our own decisions?
- Neuroscience and education: myths and messages
- Free will is not as free as we think – and that’s ok.
- Where’s the Proof in Pseudoscience?
- Science in the lead?
RANDOM POSTS
USEFUL RSS FEEDS
Philosopher’s Zone
NYTimes – The Stone
Philosophy Now
RSA Animate
- The Green Corridors Initiative
- Governance governing government
- Why print money when we can print wealth?
- Building a resilient health and care system
- We'll always have Paris?
- Experimentation and equity in global cities
- Technology-enabled deliberative democracy
- Healthier placemaking
- Creating a sovereign wealth fund in Wolverhampton
- Economic recovery and climate action
Scientific American – Mind and Brain
- Kindness Can Have Unexpectedly Positive Consequences
- It's the Bass That Makes Us Boogie
- Subliminal Cues, Precisely Timed, Might Help People Forget Bad Experiences
- Severe COVID May Cause Brain Changes Similar to Aging
- Autism Treatment Shifts Away from 'Fixing' the Condition
- Fatherhood Changes Men's Brain, according to Before-and-After MRI Scans
- Many People with Bipolar Disorder Use Cannabis. It May Sometimes Help
- Why Social Media Makes People Unhappy--And Simple Ways to Fix It
- People Shopping for 'Meaning' Buy Cheaper Goods
- Pregnancy Changes the Brain, Possibly Promoting Bonding with a Baby
TED talks
- Can the metaverse bring us closer to wildlife? | Gautam Shah
- The billion-dollar pollution solution humanity needs right now | Stacy Kauk
- Are video calls the best we can do in the age of the metaverse? | Josephine Eyre
- How great leaders take on uncertainty | Anjali Sud and Stephanie Mehta
- How Indigenous guardians protect the planet and humanity | Valérie Courtois
- How to tap into your awareness -- and why meditation is easier than you think | Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche
- Demystifying the wild world of crypto | Laura Shin
- How can we escape soaring energy bills? Stop using fossil fuels | Tessa Khan
- A disability-inclusive future of work | Ryan Gersava
- How to tackle the stigma of living with HIV | Gareth Thomas
THEMED RESOURCES
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Category Archives: Resources
Philosophy Ideas
Interesting site, interestingly organised. Screen shot below. http://philosophyideas.com/
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The Changing Climate of Skepticism
Via Embiggen Books In this excellent talk given by Peter Ellerton (winner of the 2008 Australian Skeptics prize for Critical Thinking) on the Climate Change debate, the viewer is encouraged to examine the way in which the debate is being … Continue reading
Animal Actors – Animal Rights, Human Perceptions
Chimpanzees Should Not Be Used in TV or Movies (via Scientific American) Does the use of chimps in movies distort the conservation message? By Jason G. Goldman | October 12, 2011 | 3 Lots of people mistake bonobos for chimpanzees, despite the fact that they’re really … Continue reading
Pick your Cognitive Bias
Another brilliant Dilbert
Imagining the Tenth Dimension
Excellent intellectual exercise
A Wonderful Piece of Pseudoscience in Advertising
Well worth reading the whole lot. The language is absolute nonsense. “By strengthening the body’s own natural energy and innate intelligence, the QLink allows it to recognise and differentiate between which external energies are healthy, and which are not. The … Continue reading
Reasons for Reason
Via MICHAEL P. LYNCH NYTimes The Stone Rick Perry’s recent vocal dismissals of evolution, and his confident assertion that “God is how we got here” reflect an obvious divide in our culture. In one sense, that divide is just over the … Continue reading
Atheism as a ‘Null Hypothesis’
An interesting take on the subject by QualiaSoup…
Why do humans reason? Arguments for an argumentative theory
Great paper on Reasoning Why Do Humans Reason? (pdf) Abstract and authors below… Abstract: Reasoning is generally seen as a means to improve knowledge and make better decisions. However, much evidence shows that reasoning often leads to epistemic distortions and poor … Continue reading
Tips on Writing a Philosophy Paper/Essay
A nice overview from Douglas W. Portmore Tips on writing a philosophy paper (pdf) The full text is below…
How Science Works in Action
Faster-than-light neutrinos show science in action Making a very good point about when to believe evidence. via Scientific American Unless you’ve been hiding under a rock for the past 24 hours, you’ve probably heard about the neutrinos that … Continue reading
Ability to Think Scientifically Declines as Kids Grow Up
Young children think like researchers but lose the feel for the scientific method as they age via Scientific American If your brownies came out too crispy on top but undercooked in the center, it would make sense … Continue reading
Developing critical thinking skills
A useful handout that talks about reading, writing and thinking critically with examples of how to achieve this. via http://sydney.edu.au/stuserv/documents/learning_centre/critical.pdf Critical Thinking Skills (pdf)
Language as a Window into Human Nature
Another excellent video from RSA Animate http://comment.rsablogs.org.uk/videos/
Critical Thinking – An Introduction (Alec Fisher)
This ebook is widely available for download on the web. I got it here www.axzopress.com/downloads/pdf/1560526483pv.pdf Critical thinking introduction (pdf) A good resource for referencing what we mean by critical thinking.
The power of the non sequitur
From www.dilbert.com of course…
Anecdotal Evidence cartoon
via smbc
How Anecdotal Evidence Can Undermine Scientific Results
Why subjective anecdotes often trump objective data By Michael Shermer | July 25, 2008 | 27 http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=how-anecdotal-evidence-can-undermine-scientific-results The recent medical controversy over whether vaccinations cause autism reveals a habit of human cognition—thinking anecdotally comes naturally, whereas thinking scientifically does not.
Philosophical Health Check
This is a fabulous online interactive to see how coherent your beliefs and values are as a whole (tpm online) Check your [philosophical]Tension Quotient! To take the philosophical health check (PHC), go through the statements below, selecting for each one … Continue reading