Narrative is an integral part of how humans perceive, identify and judge information. A narrative is the conscious and non-conscious story we see or tell about our lives, attach to observed situations and still objects. Narrative includes perception of time, plotting, mood, point of view, emphasis (what is important. what is not), character motives, etc. … Continue reading Narrative and the Perception of Still Information
Author: David Cycleback
When does 1 + 1 not equal 2?
Is a bag of potato chips one thing? Many? Both? Neither? Other? Depends on how you look at it. A basic part of mathematics, physics, chemistry, engineering, economics and daily life is counting. Counting is popularly considered to be an objective activity. In the field, however, it involves subjectivity. Not over whether 1 + 1 … Continue reading When does 1 + 1 not equal 2?
The Fiction in Science
"All models are wrong, but some are useful"-- statistician George E. P. Box Scientific representations are different than the things they represent. A representation, model or description is a limited view of the subject, made for a specific purpose, edited by the scientist and translated into a form the scientific audience can understand and … Continue reading The Fiction in Science
Logic Versus Art in Communicating Advanced Ideas
Two lovers were cursed, he to be a wolf at night and she to be a hawk during day. They could not be human together.Humans view, interpret and mentally explore their world on many levels. Humans experience things rationally, irrationally, consciously, subconsciously, emotionally, intuitively, directly, indirectly, aesthetically-- in a varying combination of these and more … Continue reading Logic Versus Art in Communicating Advanced Ideas
The ambiguity of language, and the answer to history’s most famous philosophic riddle
Our daily language is ambiguous and can be interpreted in different ways. Words have multiple meanings, definitions change and multiply over time, phrases are interpreted differently by different people and differently by the same person in different situations. Voice intonation, pacing, grammar and facial expressions communicate meaning. The audience uses its experience, education and culture … Continue reading The ambiguity of language, and the answer to history’s most famous philosophic riddle
Rare Victorian Trade Card showing pigs playing baseball
Shown is an 1880s American trade card for the anti-cholera Haas Remedy veterinary medicine, showing the plump and healthy Haas Remedy treated pigs beating the skeletal cholera-infected pigs in a baseball game. The 'nine' in the caption was a common old time nickname for baseball teams, with there being 9 players in the starting lineup … Continue reading Rare Victorian Trade Card showing pigs playing baseball
Connecting to the Unreal: Art Perception
(Excerpted from the book Noise Music: Cognitive Psychology, Aesthetics and Epsitemology) A complex and fascinating question is why do humans have such strong emotional reactions and human connections to unrealistic art? Why do viewers become scared, even haunted for days, by a movie monster they know doesn't exist? Why do humans become enthralled by distorted … Continue reading Connecting to the Unreal: Art Perception
Little Mermaid
I've never seen Disney's 'The Little Mermaid,' but somehow assume it doesn't follow the original Hans Christian Anderson storyline where the Little Mermaid can, as she has always dreamed, leave her life in the sea to become human and have a human soul, but to do so "it will constantly feel as if she is … Continue reading Little Mermaid
Notes on Invisibility
Invisibility means something is, well, not visible. While invisibility is often associated with science fictionon, fantasy and horror, objects are often invisible under normal, mundane circumstances. Objects can be hidden from view because they are behind other objects, too small or too far away to see or obscured by dark or fog. Speaking more science … Continue reading Notes on Invisibility
Are Standard Physical Measurements Intrinsic to the Objects or Merely Arbitrary Human Conceptions?
Many standard physical measurements such as height and volume are human conceptions. There are a nearing infinite ways to measure water and land objects. None are intrinsically better or lesser than the other possible measurements. Picking the 'best' measuring method for water is like picking the most accurate identity in a cloud--- you might see … Continue reading Are Standard Physical Measurements Intrinsic to the Objects or Merely Arbitrary Human Conceptions?
Looking at Artifacts and Ideas 