StumbleUpon | Nader's blog posts

http://Nader.stumbleupon.com/review/6981075/

Fri, 15 Dec 2006 09:24:53 -0800

http://Nader.stumbleupon.com/review/4826377/

Fri, 14 Jul 2006 09:25:34 -0700

If knowledge can create problems, it is not through ignorance that we can solve them.
- Isaac Asimov

http://Nader.stumbleupon.com/review/4727407/

Thu, 06 Jul 2006 20:17:44 -0700

I really love this tune: Sinfonia 2 by Bach.

http://Nader.stumbleupon.com/review/4557769/

Wed, 21 Jun 2006 08:41:15 -0700

If I am ignorant about a phenomenon,
this is a fact about my state of mind,
not a fact about the phenomenon.

Confusion exists in the mind, not in reality.
There are mysterious questions.
Never mysterious answers.

- Eliezer Yudkowsky, at The Singularity Summit at Stanford

http://Nader.stumbleupon.com/review/4219204/

Sat, 20 May 2006 08:57:04 -0700

Why choose when you can have it all? This is a snapshot of my Linux operating system (Gentoo) running Windows XP and Mac OS X at the same time. They are both very usable and connected to the internet. Emulators are fun!

Here's another shot.

http://Nader.stumbleupon.com/review/4123857/

Wed, 10 May 2006 06:23:48 -0700

All truth passes through three stages. First, it is ridiculed. Second, it is violently opposed. Third, it is accepted as being self-evident.
- Arthur Schopenhauer

http://Nader.stumbleupon.com/review/4040616/

Sat, 29 Apr 2006 13:16:33 -0700

Evolutionary Psychology

I love evolutionary psychology. It is a relatively new field that sheds a bright light on human behavior. It tries to explain behaviors that are universal to the human species, but that we usually take for granted. For example:
* Why are small children cute?
* Why do we find some people more attractive than others?
* Why do couples cheat on each other?
* Why do we find spiders repulsive?

Rarely do we ask these questions, but they are nonetheless important. Some will find evolutionary psychology controversial or even dehumanizing, because it describes human behavior in terms of genes, evolution and fitness maximization. But it is important to bear in mind that just because evolutionary psychology reveals something about human behavior, it does not mean that human behavior 'ought' to be this way, or that the behavior is somehow biologically determined and inevitable. Learning about it can in some cases help us make more conscious and responsible decisions.
To learn more about this fascinating topic:

- The Sweaty T-Shirt Experiment: Nice & short introductory video.

- Evolutionary Psychology: Great introductory page, easy to follow.

- Toby & Cosmides Primer: Excellent primer by the founders of the field.

http://Nader.stumbleupon.com/review/4038362/

Sat, 29 Apr 2006 08:51:45 -0700

To any thoughtful person, the singularity idea, even if it seems wild, raises a gigantic, swirling cloud of profound and vital questions about humanity and the powerful technologies it is producing. Given this mysterious and rapidly approaching cloud, there can be no doubt that the time has come for the scientific and technological community to seriously try to figure out what is on humanity's collective horizon. Not to do so would be hugely irresponsible.
- Douglas Hofstadter, Ph.D., Pulitzer Prize.

http://Nader.stumbleupon.com/review/3728788/

Wed, 29 Mar 2006 06:25:44 -0800

Some people say that computers can never show true intelligence, whatever that may be. But it seems to me that if very complicated chemical molecules can operate in humans to make them intelligent, then equally complicated electronic circuits can also make computers act in an intelligent way. And if they are intelligent, they can presumably design computers that have even greater complexity and intelligence.
- Stephen Hawking, Ph.D

http://Nader.stumbleupon.com/review/3324675/

Wed, 15 Feb 2006 06:13:40 -0800

From Perko:
According to the International Mass Retail Association, men, on average, spend $135.67 on Valentine's Day gifts for women, while women spend $68.64.

So this Valentine's Day, ask her the question that counts:

"where is my other $67.03?"