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On Beyond Representation


Blackboard Notes

Evolit 2009

19 March 2009

 

Re:

 

Notes Towards Day 17: A New Sensibility




(A Collage taken from Deco Pages, @ Art by the Yard)

“But what is life but an experiment? And morality but an exercise?....
I consider Leaves of Grass and its theory experimental—“

Laura Cyckowski's picture

Synesthesia and Perception

Submitted by Laura Cyckowski on Thu, 03/19/2009 - 5:33pm
Paul Grobstein's picture

Making Sense of the World (and Oneself)

Submitted by Paul Grobstein on Thu, 03/19/2009 - 4:32pm

 

Perception: From Five Senses Through Synesthesia and Beyond

prepared in association with an exhibit at the Painted Bride
Paul Grobstein
April 2009

 

 

A starting place: the "five senses"

Mental Health and the Brain: Working Group, March 16

Mental Health and the Brain Working Group:

March 16th, The Significance of Story in the Brain and Mental Health (Paul Grobstein) & Conflicting Stories (Debbie Plotnick)
Synopsis and forum for continuing discussion

Thoughts welcomed in the on-line forum below.

Rachel Townsend's picture

Thought Capabilities of Homo Sapiens And Other Animal Species

Submitted by Rachel Townsend on Thu, 03/19/2009 - 12:27pm
Daniel Dennett's book Darwin's Dangerous Idea: Evolution and the Meanings of Life discusses, in great detail, the ramifications of Darwin's theory of evolution on human life and meaning.  While looking over portions of the book again, I found myself wondering more about some of Dennett's ideas and other species of animals.  On page 369, Dennett writes: "The invasion of human brains by culture, in the form of memes, has created human minds, which alone among animals minds can conceive of things distant and future, and formulate alternative goals." (1)  What interests me here is his complete dismissal of other animals as thinking or having culture.  While Dennett certainly makes great, strong points about human culture, even if I do not necessarily agree with him, he jumps stra
Rachel Townsend's picture

On Homosexuality

Submitted by Rachel Townsend on Thu, 03/19/2009 - 12:20pm
In reading Darwin's On the Origin of Species and discussing the book in class, I have found myself thinking a lot about the evolutionary significance of homosexuality.  I have been struggling not with the existence of homosexuality but instead with its' long history and continuation within our species, for if evolutionary theory is to be accepted, homosexuality, which is not a selective reproductive trait, should not continue to appear in the species.  According to Darwin's theory of evolution, the appearance of homosexuality is not surprising because the basic principle of the theory is based on the randomness of mutation within a species.  Given this, the existence of homosexuality is not surprising at all but, as mentioned before, the fact that it has continued within the population
hope's picture

Zen Meditation

Submitted by hope on Wed, 03/18/2009 - 1:28am
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aybala50's picture

The Restriction's Placed On Us Because of a "Search For Meaning"

Submitted by aybala50 on Tue, 03/17/2009 - 11:54am
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