The Earth is a very small stage in a vast cosmic arena. Think of the endless cruelties visited by the inhabitants of one corner of this pixel on the scarcely distinguishable inhabitants of some other corner, how frequent their misunderstandings, how eager they are to kill one another, how fervent their hatreds. Think of the rivers of blood spilled by all those generals and emperors so that, in glory and triumph, they could become the momentary masters of a fraction of a dot. (Pale Blue Dot) ...

Albert Camus: “Every time I hear a political speech or I read those of our leaders, I am horrified at having, for years, heard nothing which sounded human. It is always the same words telling the same lies. And the fact that men accept this, that the people’s anger has not destroyed these hollow clowns, strikes me as proof that men attribute no importance to the way they are governed; that they gamble – yes, gamble – with a whole part of their life and their so called ‘vital interests.” ...

Timothy Snyder, On Tyranny: To abandon facts is to abandon freedom. If nothing is true, then all is spectacle. The biggest wallet pays for the most blinding lights. Marcek Proust, In Search of Lost Time: We construct our lives for one person, and when at length it is ready to receive her that person does not come; presently she is dead to us, and we live on, prisoners within the walls which were intended only for her. ...

cheese bread Made some cheese bread. the dough has a bit of cheese. the crust is thin with olive oil applied at the top. A little salt to add favor. Then a layer of cheese on the top. Bake it to golden top. You have a crusty top and edge with layered and soft internals. Cem Karsan on market volatility He build his models to profit on the volatility of the market. I am not sure I understand all his points. But I agree that the fundamental structre of the market, the human nature and the season of the year drive the volatility. The election, the interest rate, the wars and many other events and data just change the direction of the flow. ...

As we became more experienced, it’s harder to get or feel a breakthrough. However, once you get it, it is so exciting. The context here is that I am thinking about Buddhism for quite a long time (心外无别法). Then when you connect it with philosophy, say German idealists such as Kant and Hegel, it becomes clear that our ideas and minds is very important to shape and understand the reality. This has no conflict with scientific truth from materialism. In human world, you have to accept and be open to that there are more than one ultimate truth. ...

dialectics Kant: Kant’s critical philosophy utilized dialectics to challenge metaphysical claims and to propose that reality is shaped by our perceptions. German idealists: Fichte, Schelling, and Hegel further developed this idea, using dialectics to delve into the nature of being and knowledge itself. Hegel’s dialectic, in particular, is famous for its thesis-antithesis-synthesis progression. Thesis: A proposition or an idea is put forward, starting the dialectical process. Antithesis: This initial idea is then countered with an opposing view or critique. Synthesis: Through the clash of thesis and antithesis, a new understanding (the synthesis) emerges, which in turn becomes a new thesis for further exploration. This triadic structure is not just a rigid formula; it’s a dynamic process that promotes the evolution of thought. It’s been applied in philosophy, sociology, literature, and even in everyday problem-solving. ...

Helene reached the small town of Spruce Pine, North Carolina, which is home to the purest natural quartz on Earth. The quartz is used as a crucible to melt polysilicon, which is then used to produce silicon wafers - the base of semiconductor manufacturing. There are two mining companies there, Quartz Corp and Sibelco. Zygmunt Bauman (1925-2017)

lung-gom-pa You must be curious about what lung-gom-pa is. It is an ecstatic state: running in a trance, just like lungs-on-legs. Albert Camus: In the depth of winter I learned that there lay within me an invincible summer. Albert Camus: what if Sisyphus is happy? La lutte elle-même vers les sommets suffit à remplir un cœur d’homme; il faut imaginer Sisyphe heureux. The struggle itself towards the summit is enough to fill a man’s heart; you have to imagine Sisyphus happy. ...

Hope it will be proved wrong in the due time. The source is from Kate Manne. Three types of programming: PS 2024-10-06 it is a year now. the longer the war by Isreal, the less chance of Harris to win. it is unfortunate but that is exactly what Democratic Party is doing now. then it will blame voters for its failure. The Hamas attack last year is terrorism. The war in Gaza by Isreal is genocide. ...

Changes in assumptions: modern synthesis extended evolutionary synthesis the pre-eminance of natural selection reciprocal causation (organisms shape, and shaped by, selective and developmental environments) genetic inheritance inclusive inheritance random genetic variation non-random phenotypic variation gradualism variable rates of change gene-centred perspective organism-centred perspective micro-evolution macro-evolution For classical MS, the major directing or creative influence in evolution is natural selection, which alone explains why the properties of organisms match the properties of their environments (adaptation). Genes constitute the only general inheritance system. Acquired characters are not inherited. There is no relationship between the direction in which mutations occur - and hence the supply of phenotypic variants - and the direction that would lead to enhanced fitness. Evolution via mutations of large effects is unlikely because such mutations have diruptive pleiotropic effects. Phenotypic transitions typically occur through multiple small steps, leading to gradual evolutionary change. Evolution requires, and is often defined as, change in gene frequencies. Populations evolve through changes in gene frequencies brought about through natural selection, drift, mutation and gene flow. Macro-evolutionary patterns are explained by micro-evolutionary processes of selection, drift, mutation and gene flow. ...