The Scientific Method

""Scientific theory has been defined as "a set of related assumptions that allow scientists to use logical deductive reasoning to formulate a testable hypothesis"(Feist and Feist, 2006, p.4). Theories and scientific observations have an interactive relationship. A theory gives meaning to observations, and observations in turn fit into and alter the theory to explain these observations. Theories, then, are dynamic and become more powerful as they expand to explain more and more relevant observations"" ((Brannon and Feist, 2010).

Why is this important? This outlines the most important attribute of the scientific method and that is that it is dynamic. Proponents of the oft debated theory of evolution fail to reconcile this notion. Darwin's "Origin of the Species" was merely the beginning theory which evolutionary science was built. Many additions, subtractions, revisions and dynamic changes have taken place since Darwin's initial findings. I suppose those framing these debates wish to keep them limited for as soon as the parameters include recent findings only one theory can be deduced logically. Philosophical semantic banter back and forth between these two warring faction will serve no purpose at all. Philosophy, while interesting, is no more useful than the talent portion of the Miss America Pageant. Theory is not fact and no self respecting scientist would suggest that it is. A theory is a working model of what we know right now. It will likely change tomorrow.

Joshua Keirsey


References
Brannon, L., & Feist, J. (2010). Health psychology (7th ed.). Belmont, CA: Thomson/ Wadsworth.

Enlightenment ?

Pyszczynski and his colleagues on the need for self-esteem (Pyszcynski et al., 2003)

"Self-esteem is a protective shield designed to control the potential for terror that results from awareness of the horrifying possibility the we humans are merely transient animals groping to survive in a meaningless universe, designed only to die and decay. From this perspective, each individual humans name and identity, family and social identifications, goals and aspirations, occupation and title, and humanly created adornments are draped over an animal that, in the cosmic scheme of things, may be no more significant or enduring than any individual potato, pineapple, or porcupine." (Pyszcynski, 2004)(referenced in Kasin, Fein, Markus, 2005).

Kassin, S., Fein, S., & Markus, H.R. (2005). Social psychology. (7th ed.). Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company.

Though a rather bleak view on humanity as a whole I found this assessment to be both poignant and accurate. We are far more insignificant than we realize by design I presume. If we knew this then we might act accordingly. We often look at nature and and recognise the symbiosis. The many organisms that seem to live and die simply to support the other organisms and so on. You know the circle of life and all that. So why should we be any different? Would a tree be any less than a tree if it were conscious? Furthermore, would it be more than a tree if it were? I often think we could begin to emerge and evolve if we collectively realized that we know nothing for certain. We are nothing and everthing all at once. We are encumbered by our own memory delusion called consciousness. I am going to leave this incomplete thought hanging as it can never really be completed, finished out, or for that matter make sense. I want to learn as much as I can so that I can realize how truly little I know and how small I am in the cosmos.

Joshua Keirsey

"It's only us out there so what are we all afraid of anyway" (George Carlin)

More mind food....

As anyone who has read my blogs no doubt knows, I am a huge fan of the TED talks. In my web crawling for new and interesting information I came across a wonderful new site. If you ever had a secret desire to audit some course at Harvard, Yale or perhaps Standford, now you can. These Universities are beginning to publish entire lecture series to the web. The site is called Academic Earth its at http://academicearth.org/. Some of the instructors even post exams and quizzes. I know you wont get the paper that proves it but you can indeed get that free education if you like. I have been busy otherwise and just finished up another round of finals and started new classes the following day. Baseball season is in full swing and since I happen to have two prodigies on my hands I have plenty of practices and games to go to. I normally prefer to be more philosophical but today I will just be informative. I can't believe things like this are out there and no one is taking advantage. The day this site went public the servers should have been jammed. There is something satisfying to know that a young kid in Africa can go to an Internet cafe and sit in on a Harvard lecture series. Global economics is perhaps not a good thing but global education is the most beautiful thing to come from the Internet since...........google. I should note that my hapless brother has yet to post on this shared blog. I may have to stop not paying him.

Joshua keirsey

Unwritten rules

Slavoj Zizek Rules, Race and Mel Gibson 1/8
Uploaded by Ali_La_Pointe

Joshua Keirsey

Think for yourself!

I will be brief. The time has come to stop projecting your worldview onto everyone else. Share it if you like but don't project it and apply this skewed logic onto me. I enjoy a good intellectual debate and I always go into it hoping to be enlightened in some new way. This should be the norm, however it is not. People seem to argue more to win the argument and prove they are right. The fact of the matter is noone can be right at any one point in time. There are always multiple ways to look at an issue and your is but one. This is no way an angry rant I just wish we could all converse intelligibly without all the unnecessary projection. Make arguments and establish points but don't make impassioned speeches. I will try to do the same.

Joshua

A better way.

My brother and I were kicking around an Idea the other day and I think we may have stumbled onto something. There is a better way to do everything. A quick scan of all processes currently in place reveals a gross inefficiency in every aspect of our lives. When are we as a society going to embrace all the new technologies out that will dramatically enhance our lives. The following items are no longer relevant in a truly modern society; work, schools, money, jobs, governments, politics, judges, police, militaries, and religion. There is really only two things that come to mind that are necessary technology and solutions derived from that technology. It might sound crazy but it can be better but we have to let go of these ancient notions that value comes from hard work, determination and so on. We are not free when we live this way no matter what country we live in.

Many people would argue that we need protection from these institutions from people who would do us harm. The fact is without a corrupt monetary system they would have no reason do do us harm. If you take away the reason and provide a solution it is no longer an issue. If a problem exist where people repeatedly run red lights and injure other you don't imprison them you make cars so they cant run red lights. Solutions not punishments. Make that which is not useful to society useful again.

There is a better way but are we willing to try it?

Joshua Keirsey

It starts with an idea.

This blog is an experiment as I presume all blogs are. My twin brother and I have varied opinions and wide range of knowlege. We have many ideas that we often share with each other and everyone in our imediate social network. I have been sharing new things with him such as the Venus Project, Zeitgeist Addendum, and Ted Talk while he is keeping me up to date on all the latest and greatest scientific breakthroughs. It occurs to me that we may want to share some of this with others. The reason I have labeled this blog Geneconomics is because I am a student of the Mises Institute's Austrian school of economics and he work's with genetics and biology. I can not say where these concepts will lead but I hope it is somewhere interesting and entertaining.

I will begin my little experiment by suggesting that we seriously think about a reboot of our current economic, political and religious idology. There is a better way to do everything.

If you are reading this or any other blogs I post please feel free to let your opinions be known. I can't know what the reaction is if there is none (although I suppose that is a reaction)

More on that later.......

Joshua Keirsey