Hello Cruel World

Friday, May 30, 2008

On Certainty, Fallibility, etc.

The problem has been noted, sadly, for some time

The whole problem with the world is that fools and fanatics are always so certain of themselves, but wiser people so full of doubts. — Bertrand Russell

The best lack all conviction, while the worst
Are full of passionate intensity.
WB Yeats, The Second Coming

It is also put clearly, passionately, and with references to its possible effects in the 'Knowledge and Certainty' episode of The Ascent of Man, by Jacob Bronowski; quoted in The Danger of Knowing for Sure, and here, as well as part of discussing 'Science', mostly under the heading "science as a candle in the dark".

There's even scientific studies of a related phenomenon. My link to this has gone dead, so here's info to track it down with.
Journal of Personality and Social Psychology - December 1999 Vol. 77, No. 6, 1121-1134
Unskilled and Unaware of It: How Difficulties in Recognizing One's Own Incompetence Lead to Inflated Self-Assessments
Justin Kruger and David Dunning, Department of Psychology, Cornell University

Labels: bronowski, certainty, poetry

[permalink][comment] - posted by Mez @ 5/30/2008 01:22:00 pm

Friday, May 23, 2008

Takin' a Trip

My friends are looking out for me. They took me for a couple of days to the Southern Highlands of New South Wales — see Flickr set "Southern Highlands Visit, May 2008"

Panorama

(large image)

Labels: Australia, panoramas, people, pix, travel

[permalink][comment] - posted by Mez @ 5/23/2008 02:49:00 am

Monday, May 05, 2008

Milky Way panorama (APOD May 3rd)

APOD: 2008 May 3 - Alborz Mountain Milky Way: Snow-capped stratovolcano Mt. Damavand climbs to 5,670 meters (18,598 feet) near the left edge in this panoramic view above the Alborz Mountain Range bordering the Caspian Sea.

Labels: astronomy, panoramas, pix

[permalink][comment] - posted by Mez @ 5/05/2008 02:54:00 pm

Saturday, May 03, 2008

May Day plus One

Mother's Birthday.
Anniversary at work. Went into work after doctor's appointment at lunchtime, where I felt sick and weak and had to lie down. Still didn't feel that good, but plugged on with a bit of trying to set up changed stuff following merger of company. My immediate boss had taken the day off for a long weekend, so I couldn't talk about leave & such. I guess they weren't expecting me — I said I'd try to get in, but couldn't say for sure, and had missed Special Merger Event recently with similar message — so there was no particular celebration for the anniversary.

Decided that sickness & such was probably due to lack of proper food combining badly with chemotherapy drugs, so ate food I'd planned on saving for dinner. Also bought ‘karmically correct’ chicken dinner with roast veggies from Roaming Bird near Coles in Pyrmont. Then friends invited me to their place for dinner, so although I was still shaky, ended up well-nourished and watched good Fellini film called “Intervista”.

Labels: anniversaries, memories, mourning, work