Brain Belief We have beliefs about our mind, but do we have beliefs about our brain?[1] That is, do we have beliefs about our brain without knowing anything about our brain? To be more precise, we have de dicto beliefs about our mind, but do we also have de re beliefs about our brain? If […]
Administrative Expertise I never fail to be impressed by university administrators. They are so wise, so knowledgeable, so insightful, so virtuous. And all without any formal training. Not only do they know about a wide range of academic subjects, they are experts in interpersonal relations—psychology, psychiatry, the ways of the human heart. They are also […]
My Sins Come Christmas time, a man might be forgiven for dwelling on his sins and showing remorse. In that spirit I find myself reflecting on my past misdeeds, and it turns out there are many. For there have been many occasions on which I have formed warm and friendly relationships with students that I […]
Brain Perception I am going to adumbrate a new theory, quite an eye-stinging one. It says that you perceive your own brain. To be more specific, pain is the perception of C-fibers firing. It isn’t C-fibers firing itself but the perception of that.[1] The relation between pain and C-fibers is like that between seeing a […]
Abby and Jasmine Who are the two most fearsome people in today’s politics? Abby Phillip and Jasmine Crockett. And what do they have in common? Oh yes, intelligence.
Christmas Speaking personally, there is not much about Christmas I like. I am not conventionally religious, still less Christian, so that angle carries little appeal for me. It is also quite exclusionary to dwell on this aspect, given that many people are not Christian and it is meant to be a holiday for anyone who […]
Living Consciousness Panpsychism is the doctrine that elements of mind exist in all physical things, down to atoms and their constituents. And yet we don’t see inanimate things tending towards mentality, despite their alleged quota of it. The mind is confined to animate things. Why should this be? A hypothesis suggests itself: elementary consciousness does […]
A Great Speech I gave a great speech last night, possibly one of the greatest. Forceful, tough, commanding respect. I shouted it all the way through at full volume and top speed. No one else has ever given such a powerful speech. I would give it A+++. It shows what great shape I am in. […]
Hand Work I just had occasion to revisit my 2014 book Prehension: The Hand and the Emergence of Humanity (it is the topic of episode 8 of the long-form interview I am recording with my Turkish collaborators). I found myself rather impressed by it. It is really a science book with some philosophy thrown in. […]
Balls I was over at the Biltmore yesterday hitting as usual. The under 14 Orange Bowl was winding down. Two girls were playing table tennis with a tennis ball. I had a brief conversation with one of them who said it was hard. This set me thinking. When I got home, I ferreted out some […]