Wilkins on demarcation 13 Aug 201413 Aug 2014 Continuing Adam Ford’s series of me as a talking head: Epistemology Philosophy Science
Evolution Social dominance hierarchies 1 Jul 200922 Jun 2018 Given the dynamic nature of dominance hierarchies among animals, it would be very unlikely to get a well formed control hierarchy in nature. Read More
Book Historicism 17 Nov 202417 Nov 2024 I have made my latest Substack post available to all. In which I defend myself from heinous charges and calumnies, and defend a kind of historicism. Read More
Epistemology Evolution quotes: The English and theories 11 Dec 2012 ‘What I really like about the English is that they don’t have theories. No Englishman would ever have said, “I think, therefore I am.” Although possibly he might have said, “I think, therefore I am, I think.”‘ [Solomon, from Dodger, by Terry Pratchett, p219] Read More
When one says “anything goes”, does that include “whistling Dixie”, or “playing Calvinball”, or “knock-knock” jokes? And if one entertains the idea that someday someone which produce something which looks like real science, but includes “intelligent design”? Well, what precludes a real scientific theory which includes also whistling Dixie?
The likelihoods of science requiring “Whistling Dixie” are slightly higher than the likelihoods it involves Intelligent Design. I’ve seen a few experiments that needed something nearly as arbitrary as a song to work.