Skeptic News: Intelligent Math

Recent Reading

Susan Jacoby: Freethinkers: A History of American Secularism
Excellent overview of the prominent role that freethinkers (atheists, agnostics, and deists) played in America's past, including the founding of our country, the abolition of slavery, and giving women the vote. (*****)
Sam Harris: The End of Faith: Religion, Terror, and the Future of Reason
One of the most frightening books I've ever read. Among numerous other topics, Harris argues that it is almost inevitable that atomic weapons will fall into the hands of religious radicals -- if not terrorist, then perhaps a nation with religious radicals in charge. (****)
Richard Dawkins: The God Delusion
Highly recommended. Despite what you might have heard, Richard Dawkins does not spew venom in this book. Flames do not shoot out when you open it, nor does bile drip from the pages. Far from being an hysterical, rabid diatribe against religion, it is a quite measured, logical explanation of the evidence against God and why religion should not be treated with such reverence. (*****)
Daniel C. Dennett: Breaking the Spell: Religion as a Natural Phenomenon
I highly recommend this book for anyone who is about to embark on studying religion and atheism. Why do people enjoy music? Why do we like to socialize? Why do we sometimes become violent? Science has attempted to answer each of these questions. Dennett proposes that science attempt to answer another: Why are people religious? Even if one of the religions is true, that still means that billions of people believe religions that are not true. Why? What is it about our evolutionary past that makes us willing to believe? (*****)
Jared Diamond: Guns, Germs and Steel: The Fates of Human Societies
Why wasn't Europe invaded by ships carrying gun-wielding Native Americans or Africans, rather than the other way around? This is an excellent explanation of why some societies became quite advanced, while others remained primitive. (*****)
Richard P. Feynman: "Surely You're Joking, Mr. Feynman!": Adventures of a Curious Character
Very entertaining and thought-provoking collection of anecdates from the life of perhaps the best-known physicist of the 20th century. (****)
Terry Pratchett, Ian Stewart, Jack S. Cohen: The Science of Discworld
You'll have to visit Amazon UK to locate this one. This book explains science concepts by comparing them to the decidedly different physical laws of the Discworld series. (****)

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February 13, 2005

Intelligent Math

Here's a funny bit of satire from The Rockall Times:

"I tried to answer each problem I was set by adhering to strict Trinitarian principles, but for some reason I kept getting the answers wrong. Eventually I realised: either the concept of the Trinity was flawed; or the entire basis of mathematics was invalid. Naturally I decided that the latter was the case and so I set about developing my new theory."

The new "Intelligent Math" incorporates the belief that 1 and 3 are equivalent, as implied by the concept of the Trinity. Therefore, 1 + 1 is 2... or 6... or 4. And so forth. (Via Evolving Thoughts.)

Link: American school redefines mathematical paradigm.

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February 13, 2005 in Humor | Permalink