Video: What Is Evolution?
Recently, I have encountered many people who don’t have a grasp on what evolution really entails, what it truly means. In fact, it is not solely the lack of understanding and background on the matter, but the rather creative and farcical explanations on the subject that I have encountered. One example was a week ago when I was at Kuwait University with a filmmaker friend of mine working on a documentary. We were approaching students asking them about “secularism,” basic questioning to find out what they knew about the term and whether they agreed or disagreed with it. One guy brought in a very unique form of evolution into the secularism question, and already baffeled by this combination, it was what he said next and the reason why that took the cake. “Men are better equipped to face reality as opposed to women”. His backup to this claim is that men physically have wider eyes than women, and the reason for this is so they can better absorb shocks, not physical shocks per se, rather shocks to the capacity of seeing things that may affect us. Now how creative is that? I am still reeling from the answer, unsure whether to praise the genius behind it or to drop everything and start from scratch. I thought to myself if only he had the chance to learn about evolution, maybe he wouldn’t come up with such a crazy idea. Or if he truly was on to something, had he seeked a biological explanation to his ‘wide-eye theory,’ backing the suggestion on how it has evolved over time to show these differences in men and women, then maybe then I would give this student a second listen. I stopped asking where secularism came into play in the answer, and the point taken was that the foundations of our thoughts and ideas are laid out differently, and getting a point across or understanding a topic may require deconstructions of thought and applicability of newer ideas and so on. Anyways, a new take on Evolution out of Kuwait, and with that it reminded me of this video, for all the people who are confused or overwhelmed by it. Enjoy!
Video: Daniel Dennett – Free Will, Determinism and Evolution
Beautiful lecture by the scientific philosopher Daniel Dennett, simplifying the magical myth we associate with free will. One of his slides include three key elements to his speech.
- Evolutionary theory, not physics, is the key to understanding the phenomenon of freedom.
- It explains how we can be free, when our parts aren’t free.
- It explains why people get so anxious. Freedom does evolve, and it could go extinct, if we aren’t careful.
I think free thought is how freedom evolves. Enjoy!
Video: Sex, Death and The Meaning of Life (Arabic Subtitled)
On a Saturday morning, get a cup of coffee, free your schedule, get comfortable and watch this three episode documentary about the basic questions we ask about life. Questioning is healthy, and better yet if it becomes a healthy habit. What a feeling it is when we explore a new country, when presented with evidence for a new theory, when testing a new product, or when discussing politics; how amplified it can be by questioning. We go through this everyday, but do we really afford the necessary time to analyze and contemplate our experiences? You read, watch, research and discuss all kinds of ideas and you go through a whole process of doubt, looking for better understanding on topics and seeking assurances for them against older beliefs. Certain conclusions may not immediately be reached, and answers hard to come by, but once that unasked question is asked, doors open in this fascinating process from not knowing to knowing, or knowing but now even better. Some call it the Socratic method, some critical thinking or the scientific method. All I know is that it changes us and gives us an incentive to explore and adapt to change, it moves us away from being static in thought and action. The ability to think using our neurons in our brain is something we have to cherish, and it all starts with questions.