Our first ever Broken Science event was in February, and the talks are now online. Watch them all here.
These are all up late because the sound was busted, and, as you’ll hear, it was only fixed to a certain degree. Here’s my talk:
My “slides” are also available (as are everybody’s). Difficulty with mine is that I have few words on them, and the pictures won’t make much sense to you without the talk.
“Briggs, you wore a tie like you said you would. But where’s your jacket?”
Too hot.
Speakers in Phoenix were from BSI founders Emily Kaplan, Greg Glassman, philosopher and mathematician Jim Franklin, cancer doc Thomas Seyfried, and all-around doc Malcolm Kendrick.
Incidentally, Franklin was a student of the late great philosophy David Stove, and his talk is about logical probability, which will be of especial interest to regular readers.
This also serves as a reminder for next Tuesday the 11th’s talk for the Hillsdale Academy for Science & Freedom, in Hillsdale, Michigan. I was told they’re expecting “400-500” people, but I gather there are still a few spots let, so if you can be in the area, come on over and say hi.
My talk there is how science goes bad through mistaken and misunderstood philosophy.
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From the link to BSI:
”We have no hope of fixing this for the world. It is too deeply entrenched. However, we are dedicated to teaching any individual with the will to learn how to spot these problems. The power of critical thinking is available to anyone wanting to take back his or her right to think for themselves.”
That’s a great way to see things; you may not be able to change the world, but you have tremendous power to change your life. It is a free-will realm.
A minor niggle: strike that “or her”, in “his and her right” — “his” neatly encompasses both male and female — thereby advancing the Broken Language Initiative.
Briggs advanced the Broken Sartorial Initiative with his necktie, while noting it was too hot for a jacket. Certainly, traditional Western men’s attire is more suited to northern climes. The Anglish invented Bermuda shorts to advance their imperialism in the swarthy zone while we invented air conditioning to advance ours. Might be better simply keeping to our cool hyperborean castles.
Hagfish,
Next week I’ll be wearing a full parka, with boots, given the snow and cold up here.
Listened to the presentations while turning the compost heap. Pretty good stuff. And there was a pretty good turnout for the event. Interesting to note that the inspiration, planning, and funding for this BSI comes not from any mainstream scientific institution but from… a fitness entrepreneur. The world is a funny place.
You forgot Kaplan’s and Franklin’s:
https://youtu.be/5z6CDIZNPTI
https://youtu.be/mBNjTSMd680
and duplicated the complete talks video.
Science isn’t broken. It’s working to bolster the regime just as it’s paid to do. Get back to Natural Philosophy and leave the scientists alone. All you’re doing is annoying them and making yourselves miserable.
ChatGPT’s response when asked to define the pseudosciences on Glassman’s slide #7:
Alectryomancy: A divination method that involves observing the behavior of a rooster in response to a question posed by a person.
Astrology: A belief system that studies the influence of celestial bodies on human affairs and earthly events.
Astromancy: A type of divination that uses astronomical phenomena, such as stars, planets, and comets, to predict future events.
Augury: A divination method that involves interpreting signs and omens, such as the flight of birds or the behavior of animals.
Bazi: A Chinese astrology system that uses a person’s birth date and time to predict their future and personality traits.
Bibliomancy: A divination method that involves using books, usually the Bible, to answer questions or gain insight into a situation.
Cartomancy: A divination method that uses playing cards or tarot cards to gain insight into a situation or answer a question.
Ceromancy: A divination method that involves interpreting the shapes and patterns formed by melting wax dripped into water.
Chiromancy: The practice of interpreting the lines and other features of a person’s palms to predict their future or personality traits. Also known as palmistry.
Chronomancy: A divination method that uses time, such as clocks, calendars, or hourglasses, to predict the future or gain insight into a situation.
Clairvoyance: The ability to gain information about a person, object, location, or physical event through means other than the known senses, such as extrasensory perception (ESP) or psychic abilities.
Cleromancy: A divination method that involves casting lots or dice to determine an outcome or gain insight into a situation.
Cold reading: A technique used by some fortune-tellers or psychics to elicit information from a client by making generalized statements or asking leading questions.
Consensus science: The scientific principle that scientific theories or conclusions should be based on evidence and supported by a consensus of scientists in the relevant field.
Crystallomancy: A divination method that uses crystals or other transparent objects, such as glass or water, to gain insight into a situation or answer a question.
Extispicy: A divination method that involves interpreting the entrails of an animal, usually a bird or a sheep.
Face reading: A divination method that involves interpreting the lines, wrinkles, and other features of a person’s face to predict their future or personality traits.
Feng shui: A Chinese philosophy that studies the relationship between the environment and human well-being, and seeks to create harmonious living spaces.
Gastromancy: A divination method that involves interpreting the sounds and movements of a person’s stomach to answer a question or gain insight into a situation.
Geomancy: A divination method that uses patterns made in sand or earth to answer a question or gain insight into a situation.
Haruspicy: A divination method that involves interpreting the liver or other organs of a sacrificed animal to predict the future or gain insight into a situation.
Horary astrology: A type of astrology that uses the position of the planets and stars at the moment a question is asked to predict an outcome or gain insight into a situation.
Hydromancy: A divination method that involves interpreting the movement and patterns of water, usually in a bowl or basin.
I Ching: An ancient Chinese divination system that uses hexagrams, or sets of six lines, to gain insight into a situation or answer a question.
Kau chim: A Chinese divination method that involves shaking a bamboo cylinder filled with sticks
Modern science: A methodical and evidence-based approach to studying the natural world, which involves formulating hypotheses, conducting experiments, and analyzing data to arrive at testable explanations for observed phenomena. Modern science seeks to explain the workings of the universe through objective observation, experimentation, and logical reasoning, and is guided by the principles of peer review and empirical verification. It includes various fields such as physics, chemistry, biology, astronomy, and many others, and has made significant contributions to our understanding of the world and to technological advancements.