Human Rationality, or Lack thereof

[doublecross]

If you were genuinely interested in this thread based on understanding of the title, and not just compulsion to check everything with big words, then I think you will enjoy the following article, and, if you have time, the site it comes from.
http://lesswrong.com/lw/20/the_apologist_and_the_revolutionary/ (http://lesswrong.com/lw/20/the_apologist_and_the_revolutionary/)

[DSSCRA]

It gets weirder. For some reason, squirting cold water into the left ear canal wakes up the revolutionary. Maybe the intense sensory input from an unexpected source makes the right hemisphere unusually aroused. Maybe distoring the balance sense causes the eyes to move rapidly, activating a latent system for inter-hemisphere co-ordination usually restricted to REM sleep3. In any case, a patient who has been denying paralysis for weeks or months will, upon having cold water placed in the ear, admit to paralysis, admit to having been paralyzed the past few weeks or months, and express bewilderment at having ever denied such an obvious fact. And then the effect wears off, and the patient not only denies the paralysis but denies ever having admitted to it.

Best paragraph from that article.... Wait no even better is.

...you know, my mouth is still agape at that whole cold-water-in-the-ear trick. I have this fantasy of gathering all the leading creationists together and squirting ice cold water in each of their left ears. All of a sudden, one and all, they admit their mistakes, and express bafflement at ever having believed such nonsense. And then ten minutes later the effect wears off, and they're all back to talking about irreducible complexity or whatever. I don't mind. I've already run off to upload the video to YouTube.

[doublecross]

This website, lesswrong, is full of articles of this nature, and discussions of Human Rationality in general.


Also, the guy who created the site, Eliezer Yudkowsky (who was on NPR recently), also wrote an amazing story entitled Harry Potter and the Methods or Rationality.

It can be found on line.

He has permission from J.K. Rowling.

[killybob]

i find this article most fascinating. it's also incredibly funny! what people will mill make up just to produce an explanation to why their arm isn't quite working properly. wouldn't it be easier to admit the truth? lol

this is an epic part of biology that should be made common knowledge

[doublecross]

Some would say the same thing about religion

Best paragraph from that article.... Wait no even better is.

...you know, my mouth is still agape at that whole cold-water-in-the-ear trick. I have this fantasy of gathering all the leading creationists together and squirting ice cold water in each of their left ears. All of a sudden, one and all, they admit their mistakes, and express bafflement at ever having believed such nonsense. And then ten minutes later the effect wears off, and they're all back to talking about irreducible complexity or whatever. I don't mind. I've already run off to upload the video to YouTube.

[Bloodshadow]

Shouldn't this be in the Off-Topic forum? The General Discussion forum is for general Elements-related discussion.

[doublecross]

Oh. I didn't know. I am not new to thinking, but I still am relatively new to these forums. Is there any way to move it?

[Raptor6789]

a mod will sooner or later

in the meantime... i found that article quite interesting. i dare one of you to try that house/chicken claw thing with one of your friends. or does it only work with those ana-whatchamacallits?

so basically, human rationality is about how a human brain is only able to make theories and explanations based on past information and experience. hmm. so seeing IS believing.

[doublecross]

Well, that is not what all human rationality is. This is a specific phenomenon called Rationalization, where you do something, and then justify it afterwards. This post is about an extreme case of Rationalization.

[Daxx]

Also, the guy who created the site, Eliezer Yudkowsky (who was on NPR recently), also wrote an amazing story entitled Harry Potter and the Methods or Rationality.

Which, I have to add, is fantastic. Everyone should read this fic (which is still being written).

[DrunkDestroyer]

Also, the guy who created the site, Eliezer Yudkowsky (who was on NPR recently), also wrote an amazing story entitled Harry Potter and the Methods or Rationality.

Which, I have to add, is fantastic. Everyone should read this fic (which is still being written).

Thanks guys for introducing me to this. I much prefer this Harry Potter character to the original one, with his Sheldon-like comments and irritability mixed with some sort of intellectual charm. It obviously is much better for someone who has read the series (or understands all of the terms and ideas referenced and used). Plus, it makes me think about the things being explained, because many of them are things I haven't come across before. I like it when books do that.

+1 Person saying "read it"

[Bloodshadow]

Hmm... Interesting. So my stubbornness is caused by a hyperactive left brain? I suppose that makes sense.