How the Mind Works - Steven Pinker

Amazon.com: How the Mind Works (9780393318487): Steven Pinker: Books

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

Why do fools fall in love? Why does a man's annual salary, on average, increase $600 with each inch of his height? When a crack dealer guns down a rival, how is he just like Alexander Hamilton, whose face is on the ten-dollar bill? How do optical illusions function as windows on the human soul? Cheerful, cheeky, occasionally outrageous MIT psychologist Steven Pinker answers all of the above and more in his marvelously fun, awesomely informative survey of modern brain science. Pinker argues that Darwin plus canny computer programs are the key to understanding ourselves--but he also throws in apt references to Star Trek, Star Wars, The Far Side, history, literature, W. C. Fields, Mozart, Marilyn Monroe, surrealism, experimental psychology, and Moulay Ismail the Bloodthirsty and his 888 children. If How the Mind Works were a rock show, tickets would be scalped for $100. This book deserved its spot as Number One on bestseller lists.

Blink (book) - Wikipedia

Blink (book) - Wikipedia

Blink: The Power of Thinking Without Thinking is a 2005 book by Malcolm Gladwell. It presents in popular science format research from psychology and behavioral economics on the adaptive unconscious; mental processes that work rapidly and automatically from relatively little information. It considers both the strengths of the adaptive unconscious, for example in expert judgment, and its pitfalls such as stereotypes.

Contents [hide] 1 Summary 2 Research and Examples 3 Criticism and reception 4 Film 5 Topics mentioned 6 See also 7 References 8 External links

Judgment & Uncertainty: Heuristics and Biases

Amazon.com: Judgment under Uncertainty: Heuristics and Biases (9780521284141): Daniel Kahneman, Paul Slovic, Amos Tversky: Books

45 of 48 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Our biases over-ride our rational appraisal. An important volume from Kahneman and Tversky., January 10, 2006

By 

D. Stuart "Researcher at Kudos" (Auckland NZ) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Judgment under Uncertainty: Heuristics and Biases (Paperback)

In this volume Daniel Kahneman and the late Amos Tversky gathered together 35 authoritative papers that demonstrate through well-designed experiments and through observation the hard-wired biases and heuristics that influence (or define) the way humans go about making choices when the outcomes are from certain.

There are a raft of biases, and just one example is the Anchoring Effect. If you asked 100 people to guess the population of Turkey, what you'd probably get is a wide range of answers. If you broke the question into two parts: first by asking whether the population is higher or lower than 14 million - and then by asking the respondents to guess the population - you'd find that the answers would gravitate around our arbitrary 14 million mark.

The Heuristics we use to weigh up and evaluate data provide a second family of biases.

Our Shrinking Brains

Uploaded by tolerancethroughknow on Sep 26, 2010

"Skull types are known after the name of the place where they are first discovered and Cro Magnon was discovered in a cave in France. He is still considered by scientists today to be taller and larger brained than the average human living today."

Novelty:

Uploaded by bikini1212 on Jun 18, 2010

Anunnaki, Nephilim, Fallen Angels, Titans, Cro Magnon of Atlantis, Skulls, hybrid race, 1800cc, 1743cc, Cro magnon skull LARGER than modern man, Out of Africa theory is wrong not all races originate in Africa. Atlantis and Lemuria are under water so anthropologists only look to Africa. smithsonian hides tall giant skeletons and skulls. ancient Caucasian skulls in North and South America, why hide them? research and see the truth. look up King tut's haplogroup and DNA and compare to all other mummies world wide, all roads lead to Atlantis. race, racial, races, interracial

Aryan Natives of the Canary Islands

source: http://www.outofatlantis.com
Uploaded by tolerancethroughknow on Dec 22, 2010

Guanches is the name given to the aboriginal inhabitants of the Canary Islands. The Guanches are the most famous of the ancient people said to have a link to Atlantis, Pyramid building, mummification, and myths and religion of the Guanches were similar to that of the ancient Egyptians of the Pre-Dynastic and early Old Kingdom periods. The Guanches were remnants of a pre-cataclysmic oceanic population in the Atlantic based in the Canaries which became water-logged through natural geological upheaval and eventual devastation of their ancient homeland of Atlantis.

The Neanderthal Genome Project

Uploaded by DNALearningCenter on Jun 3, 2009

Svante Pääbo of the Max Planck Institute joins Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory's Dave Micklos to discuss Neanderthal genetics. Dr. Pääbo looks at mating between humans and Neanderthal, the FOXP2 gene and language development, and the possibility of recreating a Neanderthal today.



Related:

Intelligence, metabolism and freedom - Ray Peat Phd

Intelligence and metabolism

Extracts:
 
Intelligence is an interface between physiology and the environment, so it's necessary to think about each aspect in relation to the other. Things, both biochemical and social, that enhance intelligence enhance life itself, and vice versa.

About thirty years ago, someone found that the speed with which the iris contracts in response to a flash of light corresponds very closely to the I.Q. measured by a psychologist using a standard intelligence test. The devices used to measure reaction time in drivers' education courses also give a good indication of a person's intelligence, but so does measuring their heart rate, or taking their temperature.


But apart from ideologically institutionalized stupidity, there are real variations in the ability to learn, to remember and to apply knowledge, and to solve problems. These variations are generally metabolic differences, and so will change according to circumstances that affect metabolism. Everyday social experiences affect metabolism, stimulating and supporting some kinds of brain activity, suppressing and punishing others.

"All Marketers are Liars" - Seth Godin speaks at Google

Seth Godin is the author of six bestsellers, including Permission Marketing, an Amazon Top 100 bestseller for a year and a Fortune Best Business Book. His newest book, All Marketers are Liars , has already made the Amazon Top 100 and has inspired its own blog. Seth is also a renowned speaker, and was recently chosen as one of "21 Speakers for the Next Century" by Successful Meetings Magazine and is consistently rated among the best speakers by the audiences he addresses. Seth was founder and CEO of Yoyodyne, an interactive direct marketing company, which Yahoo! acquired in late 1998. He holds an MBA from Stanford, is a contributing editor to Fast Company magazine, and was called "the Ultimate.



from Wikipedia:
 
Godin believes that the end of the "TV-Industrial complex" means that marketers no longer have the power to command the attention of anyone they choose, whenever they choose. Second, in a marketplace in which consumers have more power, he thinks marketers must show more respect; this means no spam, no deceit and a bias for keeping promises. Finally, Godin asserts that the only way to spread the word about an idea is for that idea to earn the buzz by being remarkable. Godin refers to those who spread these ideas as "Sneezers", and to the spreading idea as an "IdeaVirus." He calls a remarkable product or service a purple cow. Yahoo! currently has a model of a purple cow in the lobby of its Sunnyvale campus.^[2]

Advertisements on television and radio are classified as 'interruption marketing' which interrupt the customer while they are doing something of their preference. Godin introduced the concept of "permission marketing" where the business provides something "anticipated, personal, and relevant".

On Getting Creative Ideas - Murray Gell-Mann

You Tube description:

"Murray Gell-Mann is one of the largest living legends in physics. He's also been described as The Man With Five Brains, and it's no puzzle why: He was admitted to Yale at 15, got his PhD from MIT at 21, and is an international advisor on the environment. He speaks 13 languages fluently (at last count), and has expertise in such far-ranging fields as natural history, historical linguistics, archaeology, bird-watching, depth psychology, and the theory of complex adaptive systems.

Oh yeah... he also coined the term "quark," after developing key aspects of the modern theory of quantum physics... for which he earned an unshared Nobel prize in physics in..."

Decision Making and Chance - Dr. Mike Orkin

Dr. Mike Orkin is a Managing Scientist at Exponent, a publicly traded scientific consulting company headquartered in Menlo Park. Mike has numerous research publications in game theory and probability theory and has written data mining and simulation software. He is a nationally known authority on odds and gambling games and has appeared on numerous TV and radio shows to discuss gambling and odds, including CNN, NBC's Dateline and ABC's World News Tonight.

Certain gambling games, such as roulette and craps, are games of pure chance: In repeated play, luck disappears, and the persistent gambler will go broke. Other gambling activities, such as betting...etc

The (Stephen) Hawking Paradox - scepticism

A discussion on the life of Stephen Hawking and the topic of information loss in a black hole.

The paradox of choice - Barry Schwartz

http://www.ted.com Psychologist Barry Schwartz takes aim at a central tenet of western societies: freedom of choice. In Schwartz's estimation, choice has made us not freer but more paralyzed, not happier but more dissatisfied.

What is Deja Vu - Dan Dennett

The Singularity - Summit at Stanford, Ray Kurzweil

Ray Kurzweil's keynote address at The Singularity Summit at Stanford put on by the Singularity Institute in May 2006

The "Singularity" is not a Religion - Ray Kurzweil

MemeBox interviews futurist Ray Kurzweil on whether he believes that the Singularity has become its own religions movement. He explains that though a singularity may be transcendent that does not make belief in it equivalent to religion.

article here: ">http://www.memebox.com/futureblogger/show/1231-ray-kurzweil-the-singularity-i...

Future Shock (1972) 5 of 5

This is a little known documentary based on the book Future Shock by Alvin Toffler. See review here: http://oddculture.com/weird-movies/movie-review-future-shock/

This movie came out in 1972 and features Orson Welles as the narrator. Note the high amount of paranoia in regards to the future... some of the segments (like people choosing their own skin color) are highlights. Worth a look - at the very least for its historical value.

Big Thinkers - Alvin Toffler [Futurist] (3 of 3)

This episode features Alvin Toffler. He is an American writer and futurist, known for his works discussing the digital revolution, communications revolution, corporate revolution and technological singularity. A former associate editor of Fortune magazine, his early work focused on technology and its impact (through effects like information overload). Then he moved to examining the reaction of and changes in society. His later focus has been on the increasing power of 21st century military hardware, weapons and technology proliferation, and capitalism.

Big Thinkers - Daniel Dennett (Philosopher) (3 of 3)

This episode features Daniel Dennett. He is a prominent American philosopher whose research centers on philosophy of mind, philosophy of science and philosophy of biology, particularly as those fields relate to evolutionary biology and cognitive science. He is currently the co-director of the Center for Cognitive Studies, the Austin B. Fletcher Professor of Philosophy, and a University Professor at Tufts University. Dennett is also a noted atheist and advocate of the Brights movement.

Science Showing We Don't Have Free Will? - Daniel Dennett

A public lecture by Daniel Dennett, Professor of Philosophy at Tufts University, entitled "Is Science Showing That We Don't Have Free Will?" Dennett discusses some of the current work in psychology bearing on this question, and draws on Hume, Darwin and Turing, three Enlightenment heroes. Part of the University of Edinburgh's Enlightenment Lecture Series.

Dan Dennett - 5 lectures

Can we know our own minds?

The Four Horsemen: Dawkins, Dennett, Harris, Hitchens (12 of 12)

On the 30th of September 2007, Richard Dawkins, Daniel Dennett, Sam Harris and Christopher Hitchens sat down for a first-of-its-kind, unmoderated 2-hour discussion, convened by RDFRS and filmed by Josh Timonen.

All four authors have received a large amount of media attention for their writings against religion - some positive, and some negative. In this conversation the group trades stories of the public's reaction to their recent books, their unexpected successes, criticisms and common misrepresentations. They discuss the tough questions about religion that face to world today, and propose new strategies for going forward.

Food Television is the New Pornography

from The Forum Channel - Live, Unscripted, Celebrity and Expert Conversations - Captured on Video

Food Television is the New Pornography


wrong to fetishise food


channel link: http://www.theforumchannel.tv/#.TfveNWfD5wc

Christopher Hitchens: In Confidence April 2011

alternative library here: http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?annotation_id=annotation_222792&p=4210E2C5787A74BA&feature=iv

Hitchens & Paxman - Newsnight Special

Hitchens discusses his cancer in December 2010:

Steve Jobs: Good artists copy great artists steal

Library - Best of Science

The You Tube video library of Best of Science: http://www.youtube.com/user/Best0fScience#g/p

Also note Casiopieap animated library: http://www.youtube.com/user/cassiopeiaproject#g/a

Quantum Mechanics - 6 of 6

Find out what Quantum Mechanics is!

Once you get past existence coming and going... and virtual particles... and uncertainty... and exclusion, then you are ready to enjoy the REALLY weird stuff in the quantum world.

Lecture 1 | Modern Physics: Quantum Mechanics (Stanford)

Leonard Susskind's Modern Physics course concentrating on Quantum Mechanics. Recorded January 14, 2008 at Stanford University.

This Stanford Continuing Studies course is the second of a six-quarter sequence of classes exploring the essential theoretical foundations of modern physics. The topics covered in this course focus on quantum mechanics. Leonard Susskind is the Felix Bloch Professor of Physics at Stanford University.

Complete playlist for the course: http://youtube.com/view_play_list?p=189C0DCE90CB6D81

Stanford Continuing Studies: http://continuingstudies.stanford.edu/

About Leonard Susskind: http://www.stanford.edu/dept/physics/people/faculty/susskind_leonard.html

Stanford University channel on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/stanforduniversity

Philosophy of Quantum Physics, No BS | 1. Stern-Gerlach Exp.

A serious philosophical discussion about quantum physics without the new age crap.

Part 1 - The Stern-Gerlach Experiment, wherein we introduce the series and get an idea as to why classical mechanics is out the window.




Part 2 - the EPR Paper, wherein we see the argument for hidden variables given as given by einstien and co. Basically the question is: all this freaky deaky stuff that's going on in QM, is that stuff actually happening in reality, or is reality as we always thought it was and QM just can't account for some aspects of it? EPR are saying that reality is just as we thought it was, and QM is just incomplete. The paper: http://prola.aps.org/abstract/PR/v47/i10/p777_1

Quantum Mechanics - intro & origins

Heisenberg's uncertainty principle

Quantum Mechanics The Uncertainty Principle Light Particle's

Single photons are the smallest quantities of light and, despite having no mass, have many properties in common with particles. In fact, physicists often think of photons as particles -- particles that sometimes behave like waves. Physicists sometimes describe all particles as waves -- even those with mass, such as electrons and protons -- in order to better understand certain aspects of their behavior.

Heisenberg's Uncertainty Principle in two minutes.

*Quantum Physics* The Reality As You Know It Does Not Exist

For more information go to these websites:
www.hiddenmeanings.com
www.greggbraden.com
www.fredalanwolf.com
www.whatthebleep.com

'The God Particle': The Higgs Boson

The Standard Model of Particle Physics (Chapter 8): The Higgs Mechanism.




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---

STANDARD MODEL OF PARTICLE PHYSICS:
http://www.youtube.com/user/Best0fScience#g/c/4A8C50311C9F7369

1) First Second Of The Universe:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4HXPYO5YFG0
2) Force And Matter:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p5QXZ0__8VU
3) Quarks:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PxQwkdu9WbE
4) Gluons:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZYPem05vpS4
5) Electrons, Protons And Neutrons:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vi91qyjuknM
6) Photons, Gravitons & Weak Bosons:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JHVC6F8SOFc
7) Neutrinos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m7QAaH0oFNg
8) The Higgs Boson / The Higgs Mechanism:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1_HrQVhgbeo

Quantum Mechanics: The Uncertainty Principle

Quantum Mechanics (Chapter 4): The Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle.



Subscribe to Science & Reason:
• http://www.YouTube.com/Best0fScience
• http://www.YouTube.com/ScienceMagazine
• http://www.YouTube.com/ScienceTV
• http://www.YouTube.com/FFreeThinker
---

1. A Brief History Of Quantum Mechanics
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7pACq_xWyw
2. The Structure Of Atoms
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-YYBCNQnYNM
3. Wave Function And Wave-Particle Duality
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7GTCus7KTb0
4. The Uncertainty Principle
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fw6dI7cguCg
5. The Spin Of Fundamental Particles
6. Quantum Entanglement

Meet the Supermassive Black Hole experts - BBC science

Meet the experts of possibly the scariest phenomenon in the universe - super massive black holes. Described as gravity gone mad, whole solar systems can be sucked into these terrifying masses. Learn more with this fascinating BBC science show 'Supermassive Black Hole'.

Aren't There Really 11 Dimensions?

Follow this project on twitter: http://twitter.com/10thdim
One of the most commonly asked questions about this project.
To read along go to http://imaginingthetenthdimension.blogspot.com/2008/12/arent-there-really-11-...

Other video blogs referenced from this video:
Elvis and the Electrons:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hWysfIj-ebM
Hypercubes and Plato's Cave:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uP_d14zi8jk
Time is a Direction:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LDajcGcKiAM
Time in Either Direction:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i0j8oYNFFbw
Scrambled Eggs:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CFZVd_Ez23g
Dr. Mel's 4D Glasses:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_JnzlLx6nA4
The Big Bang and the Big Pie:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kiP12-u2GYY

Dark Energy Rules the Universe

The revolutionary discovery that the expansion of the universe is speeding up, not slowing down from gravity, means that 75 percent of our universe consists of mysterious dark energy. Berkeley Lab theoretical physicist Eric Linder delves into the mystery of dark energy as part of the Science in the Theatre lecture series on Nov. 24, 2008.

Dark Matter vs Dark Energy - Leonard Susskind

Q- What is The Dark Matter & Dark Energy 1

In astronomy and cosmology, dark matter is a hypothetical form of matter that is undetectable by its emitted electromagnetic radiation, but whose presence can be inferred from gravitational effects on visible matter.[1] According to present observations of structures larger than galaxies, as well as Big Bang cosmology, dark matter and dark energy could account for the vast majority of the mass in the observable universe.

The Dark Matter Mystery

The Mystery of Dark Matter:

Stars Are Moving Too Fast. (Chapter 1/4) A mystery exists! Galaxies do not seem to have enough mass for stars to orbit at their observed speeds. Galaxies should be flying apart, but they don't. Why not? Explore the surreal world of dark matter - one of the universe's greatest mysteries.




A mystery exists!(Chapter 2/4) Galaxies do not seem to have enough mass for stars to orbit at their observed speeds. Galaxies should be flying apart, but they don't. Why not? Explore the surreal world of dark matter - one of the universe's greatest mysteries.




The Mystery of Dark Matter (Chapter 3/4): Gravitational Lensing. A mystery exists! Galaxies do not seem to have enough mass for stars to orbit at their observed speeds. Galaxies should be flying apart, but they don't. Why not? Explore the surreal world of dark matter - one of the universe's greatest mysteries.

The Dark Matter & Dark Energy [1/5]

Dark matter are invisible objects that react with matter by gravitational force. Scientists believe that the dark matter is made up of exotic particles like WIMPs(Weakly Interacting Massive Particles).In physical cosmology, dark energy is an exotic form of energy that permeates all of space and tends to increase the rate of expansion of the universe.Dark energy is the most popular way to explain recent observations that the universe appears to be expanding at an accelerating rate. In the standard model of cosmology, dark energy currently accounts for 73% of the total mass-energy of the universe.

Dark Matter Dark Energy & the Unknown Universe

http://Cosmology.com Dark Matter Dark Energy & the Unknown Universe, by Rhawn Joseph, Ph.D.

The Origin Of Mass

Presentation by Frank Wilczek.

Who lives in the eleventh dimension? - Parallel Universes - BBC science

Scientists discuss what sort of life could be found in the eleventh dimension. With talk of world of lightning bolts, electricity, unstable atoms and more, this video from BBC show 'Parallel Universe' is full of mind-bending theories to set your imagination racing.

Robert Anton Wilson explains Quantum Physics

http://www.dedroidify.com
http://www.dedroidify.com/vids
http://www.dedroidify.com/realitytunnel

Any model we make does not describe the universe it describes what our brains are capable of saying at this time. All perception is gamble. We believe what we see and then we believe our interpretation of it we dont even know we're making an interpretation most of the time.

Translator: "She wants to know what Quantum Physics is..." *takes sip*
RAW: "WHAT?"
Translator: "Quantum Phsyics, explain it simply she asks"
RAW: "Explain Quantum Physics simply..."
Translater braces herself LOL but she has nothing to worry about because RAW explains it wonderfully

thanks to picturethefastlight
http://www.youtube.com/picturethefastlight

http://www.dedroidify.com
http://www.dedroidify.com/vids
http://www.dedroidify.com/realitytunnel

Lecture 1 | Modern Physics: Quantum Mechanics (Stanford)

Lecture 1 of Leonard Susskind's Modern Physics course concentrating on Quantum Mechanics. Recorded January 14, 2008 at Stanford University.




This Stanford Continuing Studies course is the second of a six-quarter sequence of classes exploring the essential theoretical foundations of modern physics. The topics covered in this course focus on quantum mechanics. Leonard Susskind is the Felix Bloch Professor of Physics at Stanford University.

Complete playlist for the course:

http://youtube.com/view_play_list?p=189C0DCE90CB6D81

Stanford Continuing Studies:

http://continuingstudies.stanford.edu/

About Leonard Susskind:

http://www.stanford.edu/dept/physics/people/faculty/susskind_leonard.html

Stanford University channel on YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/stanforduniversity

Space and time : Relativity

From the documentary "The Elegant Universe". http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/nova/elegant/




Space-Time And The Speed Of Light - The concept of spacetime combines space and time to a single abstract "space", for which a unified coordinate system is chosen. Typically three spatial dimensions (length, width, height), and one temporal dimension (time) are required. Dimensions are independent components of a coordinate grid needed to locate a point in a certain defined "space"

Black Holes - Roger Blandford (SETI Talks)

Black holes are popularly associated with death and destruction (excluding romances dealing with the redemptive properties of wormholes). However, their conventional astrophysical role is now seen as regenerative and they play a major role in the formation and evolution of galaxies stars and, arguably, organic molecules. Some possible ways in which they may impact the research of the SETI Institute will be discussed and ways in which they may have played a role in the history of our solar system will be briefly discussed.

Simultaneity - Albert Einstein and the Theory of Relativity

Imagine two observers, one seated in the center of a speeding train car, and another standing on the platform as the train races by. As the center of the car passes the observer on the platform, he sees two bolts of lightning strike the car - one on the front, and one on the rear. The flashes of light from each strike reach him at the same time, so he concludes that the bolts were simultaneous, since he knows that the light from both strikes traveled the same distance at the same speed, the speed of light. He also predicts that his friend on the train will notice the front strike before the rear strike, because from her perspective on the platform the train is moving to meet the flash from the front, and moving away from the flash from the rear.

But what does the passenger see? As her friend on the platform predicted, the passenger does notice the flash from the front before the flash from the rear. But her conclusion is very different. As Einstein showed, the speed of the flashes as measured in the reference frame of the train must also be the speed of light. So, because each light pulse travels the same distance from each end of the train to the passenger, and because both pulses must move at the same speed, he can only conclude one thing: if he sees the front strike first, it actually happened first.

Whose interpretation is correct - the observer on the platform, who claims that the strikes happened simultaneously, or the observer on the train, who claims that the front strike happened before the rear strike? Einstein tells us that both are correct, within their own frame of reference. This is a fundamental result of special relativity: From different reference frames, there can never be agreement on the simultaneity of events.

Time Dilation - Albert Einstein and the Theory of Relativity

Two spaceships are traveling together through the galaxy at close to the speed of light. Mounted on one ship is a laser that can fire pulses of light, and on the other, a mirror. The pilot of the first ship fires a pulse at the mirror, and watches as it is reflected back. A clock on board measures how long the round trip takes.

But now suppose that he does this as the ships are passing an observer on a nearby asteroid. According to relativity theory, this observer sees the pulse moving through space at exactly the same speed that the pilot does -- namely, the speed of light. But he also sees the pulse traveling a longer distance, because from his perspective, he must add the forward motion of the ships to the motion of the pulse between them. So he measures a longer time interval for the round trip than the pilot does, because he is watching the pulse go farther without going any faster. This effect is called time dilation: if one observer is moving with respect to another, each perceives that the other's time is flowing more slowly.



National Science Foundation

Relativity In 5 Minutes

A 5 minute clip, employing both video and computer generated animation, that aims to explain special relativity.

Ontological Paradox

The bootstrap paradox is a paradox of time travel in which information or objects can exist without having been created. After information or an object is sent back in time, it is recovered in the present and becomes the very object/information that was initially brought back in time in the first place. Numerous science fiction stories are based on this paradox, which has also been the subject of serious physics articles.

Quantum Mechanics - intro & origins

Universe - "... Life & Nothing, Dr Lawrence Krauss

Lawrence Maxwell Krauss (born May 27, 1954) is an American theoretical physicist who is professor of physics, Foundation Professor of the School of Earth and Space Exploration, and director of the Origins Project at the Arizona State University. He is the author of several bestselling books, including The Physics of Star Trek and Atom. He is also a well known advocate of skepticism, science education, and the science of morality.^[1]

Universe - "...From Nothing' by Lawrence Krauss, 2009

Lawrence Krauss gives a talk on our current picture of the universe, how it will end, and how it could have come from nothing. Krauss is the author of many bestselling books on Physics and Cosmology, including "The Physics of Star Trek."





Lawrence Maxwell Krauss (born May 27, 1954) is an American theoretical physicist who is professor of physics, Foundation Professor of the School of Earth and Space Exploration, and director of the Origins Project at the Arizona State University. He is the author of several bestselling books, including The Physics of Star Trek and Atom. He is also a well known advocate of skepticism, science education, and the science of morality.^[1]

Books by Lawrence Krauss:

http://www.amazon.com/Lawrence-M.-Krauss/e/B000AP7AZS/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0

Download Quicktime version

Small: http://c0116791.cdn.cloudfiles.rackspacecloud.com/Krauss-AAI09-web-sm-new.mov
720p HD: http://c0116791.cdn.cloudfiles.rackspacecloud.com/Krauss-AAI09-web-new.mov

Physics - The Coming Revolutions

The Berkeley Center for Theoretical Physics presents a lecture by Nobel Laureate and Berkeley grad, David Gross, of UC Santa Barbara's Kavli Institute for Theoretical Physics. He will discuss "The Coming Revolutions in Fundamental Physics." The lecture is part of the Berkeley Center for Theoretical Physics Opening Symposium on October 19 and 20.

Mysteries of the Dark Universe - 2009 Buhl Lecture

Edward W. Kolb (known to most as "Rocky") gave the 2009 Buhl Lecture, sponsored by the Carnegie Mellon Department of Physics. In his lecture "Mysteries of the Dark Universe", Kolb talks about how most of the universe is in a mysterious form called dark matter and most of the energy in the universe is in an even more mysterious form called dark energy. In the next decade, the combination of new astronomical facilities, powerful particle accelerators and sensitive laboratory experiments promises to unlock the secrets of dark matter and dark energy, connecting the inner-space of the quantum with the outer space of the cosmos.

Kolb is the Arthur Holly Compton distinguished Service Professor of Astronomy & Astrophysics. In addition to more than 200 scientific papers, he is a co-author of The Early Universe, the standard textbook on particle physics and cosmology. He is the chair of the Department of Astronomy & Astrophysics at the University of Chicago.

For more, visit: http://www.phys.cmu.edu/

Universe - Lectures 24 & 25

Physics 10: Physics for Future Presidents. Spring 2006. Professor Richard A. Muller.

Relativity - Lectures 22 & 23

Physics 10: Physics for Future Presidents. Spring 2006. Professor Richard A. Muller.

"The New Atheism" (2008), lecture by John Gray

"The New Atheism", Theos/LICC lecture by Professor John N. Gray (June 16, 2008)

John Gray, the author of "Black Mass: Apocalyptic Religion and the Death of Utopia" and former professor of European Thought at the London School of Economics gave a lecture on the New Atheism at an event co-hosted by Theos, the public theology think tank, and the London Institute for Contemporary Christianity.

See also the article by John Gray on the "atheist delusion": http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2008/mar/15/society

John Gray at Wikipedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_N._Gray

"Before the Big Bang?" (2005), the original lecture by Roger Penrose (pa...

in 9 parts, "Before the Big Bang? A new perspective on the Weyl curvature hypothesis"

This is the original lecture by Roger Penrose on his fascinating new model of the universe, its origin and future, and of the "Big Bang"; held at the Isaac Newton Institute for Mathematical Sciences (November 7th 2005).



links to all 9 parts:

http://youtu.be/fJ-D5AUGVcI
http://youtu.be/inzgHjEVxAc
http://youtu.be/WD3BWt85bxA
http://youtu.be/YXDSCEX5wE8
http://youtu.be/YX30dxKdJkc
http://youtu.be/aNS_8WTYVuM
http://youtu.be/6mV6WnA52wQ
http://youtu.be/LXYLLG7VkoI
http://youtu.be/br1zHYH2hvA

Originally published at http://www.newton.ac.uk/webseminars/pg+ws/2005/gmr/gmrw04/1107/penrose/index....

See also http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghbDGBOYp1g and http://www.perimeterinstitute.ca/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&a... for other lectures by Penrose on this theory.

See also http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pEIj9zcLzp0 for an interview with Roger Penrose on his new model.

See also http://accelconf.web.cern.ch/AccelConf/e06/PAPERS/THESPA01.PDF for Penrose's academic article about his theory.

See also http://arxiv.org/pdf/0710.3879v2 for an article about Penrose's "Before the Big Bang" idea, verifying that some of Penrose's basic predictions are mathematically correct.

SUMMARY:

There is now a great deal of evidence confirming the existence of a very hot and dense early stage of the universe. Much of this data comes from a detailed study of the cosmic microwave background (CMB)—radiation from the early universe that was most recently measured by NASA's WMAP satellite. But the information presents new puzzles for scientists. One of the most blatant examples is an apparent paradox related to the second law of thermodynamics. Although some have argued that the hypothesis of inflationary cosmology solves some of the puzzles, profound issues remain. In this talk, Professor Penrose will describe a very different proposal, one that suggests a succession of universes prior to our own.

Sir Roger Penrose is a highly distinguished mathematician and theoretical physicist. He is currently emeritus Rouse Ball Professor of Mathematics at Oxford University. His research interests span many aspects of geometry, having made contributions to the theory of non-periodic tilings (Penrose tilings), to general relativity theory and quantum foundations. He has also had remarkable insights in the science of consciousness. His main research programme is to develop the theory of twistors, which he originated over 30 years ago as an attempt to unite Einstein's theory of general relativity with quantum mechanics.

In 1994 Professor Penrose was knighted by Queen Elizabeth II for his service to science. He has received numerous prizes and awards, including the 1988 Wolf Prize, which he shared with Stephen Hawking for their understanding of the universe, the Dannie Heinemann Prize, the Royal Society Royal Medal, the Dirac Medal and the Albert Einstein prize to name a few.

Penrose is a prominent lecturer and author. His 1989 book The Emperor's New Mind became a best seller and won the 1990 (now Rhone-Poulenc) Science Book Prize. His latest books are Shadows of the Mind (1994), The Nature of Space and Time (1996) with Stephen Hawking, The Large, the Small and the Human Mind (1997) and Road to Reality (2004).

Relativity - Gravity in the Universe

clip from the series 'The Elegent Universe' regarding some aspects of General Relativity and gravity. More info- http://archive.ncsa.uiuc.edu/Cyberia/NumRel/GenRelativity.html http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Introduction_to_general_relativity

Lunatic beliefs - David Icke & Bill Maher

This guy is a complete lunatic but unfortunately the way he speaks to justify his beliefs is highly familiar:





Bill Maher to the rescue:

Space-Time - New Discovery

Relativity - Special & General, Explained

Relativity - gravitational waves

Tenth Dimension - Imagining it

This is the first part of the animation illustrating the concepts found in chapter one of the book "Imagining the Tenth Dimension - a new way of thinking about time and space" by Rob Bryanton, from tenthdimension.com

Watch What's Around the Corner for more on this idea:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1K_MgAfeZkk

This approach to visualizing the fifth dimension is now seeing support from scientists at Oxford:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o87TkFOR_Js

You should follow this project on twitter:

http://twitter.com/10thdim

Watch the new annotated version:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XjsgoXvnStY

String Theory - 4 short explanations

various precis's of string theory:

Dr. Michio Kaku - SCI FI or SCI FACT

SCI FI or SCI FACT



INVISIBILITY, TELEPORTATION, and DEATH STARS:



TELEPATHY and STARSHIPS:



ROBOTS and WORMHOLES:

Parallel Universes - Dr Michio Kaku

Michio Kaku - on God & Immortality

Dr. Michio Kaku dishes on spirituality, Einstein, and God in this latest installment of Dr. Kiki's interview with him.




Dr Michio Kaku on Immortality, The Bible, and Scientific Evidence of Geological Time

Physics - of Invisibility, Michio Kaku

Universe - and Beyond, Michio Kaku

Professor Michio Kaku, Professor of Theoretical Physics and author of the best selling book "Physics of the Impossible"

String theory - Dr. Michio kaku of NewYork University

Dr. Michio kaku of NewYork University talks about string theory.

Relativity - The Train in a Tunnel Paradox

Relativity - The Train Paradox (Time Dilation and Length Contraction). This is a famous example of the strangeness of relativity. Demonstrates just how non-intuitive reality can be.

Described here by Professor Richard Muller of the University California, Berkeley. Taken from Lecture 22 of the spring 2006 webcasts of Physics For Future Presidents. Also known as Descriptive Introduction to Physics. Empahsis is on conceptual understanding, rather than mathematics.



Full lecture: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nNgzqpKZwhE

Universe - Professor Richard A. Muller

Physics 10: Physics for Future Presidents. Spring 2006. Professor Richard A. Muller. Producer: Educational Technology Services

Part 1




Part 2

Dan Dennett - on consciousness, TED.com

Dan Dennett on our consciousness

Philosopher Dan Dennett makes a compelling argument that not only don't we understand our own consciousness, but that half the time our brains are actively fooling us.

From Wikipedia:

Daniel Clement Dennett (born March 28, 1942)^[1][2] is an American philosopher, writer and cognitive scientist whose research centers on the philosophy of mind, philosophy of science and philosophy of biology, particularly as those fields relate to evolutionary biology and cognitive science. He is currently the Co-director of the Center for Cognitive Studies, the Austin B. Fletcher Professor of Philosophy, and a University Professor at Tufts University. Dennett is a firm atheist and secularist, a member of the Secular Coalition for America advisory board,^[3] as well as an outspoken supporter of the Brights movement. Dennett is referred to as one of the "Four Horsemen of New Atheism," along with Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, and Christopher Hitchens

Educational videos for college students

Educational videos for college students

PHYSICS

GENERAL CHEMISTRY

ORGANIC CHEMISTRY

MATH

BIOLOGY

Ayaan Hirsi Ali - at AAI 07

Ayaan Hirsi Ali (About this sound pronunciation (help·info); Somali: Ayaan Xirsi Cali Arabic: أيان حرسي علي‎; born Ayaan Hirsi Magan; 13 November 1969) is a Somali-Dutch feminist activist, writer, politician and founder of the women's rights organisation the AHA Foundation.[1] She is the daughter of the Somali scholar, politician, and revolutionary opposition leader Hirsi Magan Isse. She is a prominent critic of Islam, and her screenplay for Theo van Gogh's movie Submission led to death threats, as well as to the assassination of Theo van Gogh.

George Carlin - interview

"Famed for his landmark "Seven Words You Can Never Say on Television" routine, George Carlin filled the void created by the death of Lenny Bruce, honing a provocative, scathing comic style that bravely explored the limits of free speech and good taste......"

video library:

http://www.youtube.com/artist/George_Carlin?feature=watch_video_title

Skepticism - James Randi on psychics

James Randi's fiery takedown of psychic fraud | Video on TED.com

"James Randi has an international reputation as a magician and escape artist, but he is perhaps best known as the world's most tireless investigator and demystifier of paranormal and pseudoscientific claims.

Randi has pursued "psychic" spoonbenders, exposed the dirty tricks of faith healers, investigated homeopathic water "with a memory," and generally been a thorn in the sides of those who try to pull the wool over the public's eyes in the name of the supernatural. He has received numerous awards and recognitions, including a MacArthur "genius" grant in 1986. He's the author of numerous books, including The Truth About Uri Geller, The Faith Healers, Flim-Flam!, and An Encyclopedia of Claims, Frauds, and Hoaxes of the Occult and Supernatural.

In 1996, the James Randi Education Foundation was established to further Randi's work. Randi's long-standing challenge to psychics now stands as a $1,000,000 prize administered by the Foundation. It remains unclaimed."