My daughter loves Sid the Science Kid. At her age she mainly loves the songs that Sid and his friends sing, but at my age what I like about Sid and his friends is their love of learning. He provides some useful insights into the philosophical and scientific search for evidence.
In every show Sid reminds the viewer to "keep asking lots of questions." This is an important message to send, not only to the kids watching the show, but also to the parents (who are hopefully watching it with their kids as opposed to simply using the TV as a babysitter).
Unfortunately, many adults reach a point where they stop asking questions or worse they have been taught that there are certain areas of life where they are never supposed to ask questions at all. I fear that they are also teaching this to their children to the detriment of their learning and curiosity not to mention to the detriment of society. We need questioning kids to grow into continuously questioning adults!
In the "super fab lab" Sid and his friends "observe, investigate, compare, and contrast." More useful skills not only in philosophy and science but in everyday life. I am always struck by the ease with which students in my philosophy courses are able to draw conclusion before carrying out these four important steps. Maybe I need to assign some Sid videos for them to watch!
Another positive aspect of Sid's schooling experience is that once a new idea is discussed in the classroom, the teacher encourages the students to "go play with all your new ideas." This is an important part of the educational process and one that is sorely missing in primary, secondary, and post-secondary education. We need to be encouraging students to bring a sense of play to their learning and encourage them to see new ideas and concepts as new tools to be used and integrated into their own life.
So, what can be learn from Sid the Science kid that is useful in our evidence project?
1. Keep asking questions.
2. Observe in order to confirm or disconfirm theories.
3. Play with new ideas.
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Monday, June 21, 2010
Monday, June 14, 2010
Volunteer at Project Reason
Project Reason is a valuable resource in our ongoing search for evidence. And it is a great opportunity to volunteer in the search for evidence as well! Check them out!
Tuesday, March 2, 2010
Drawing conclusions (part 2)
"I have no data yet. It is a capital mistake to theorise before one has data. Insensibly one begins to twist facts to suit theories, instead of theories to suit facts."
Sherlock Holmes
When I first began this blog I posted some comments about drawing conclusions before examining the evidence. Now, in the middle of my second semester of using The Evidence Blog in my philosophy course I find the problem is still as bad as ever.
Without much knowledge of basic psychology, not to say anything of brain science, students seem very willing and eager to share their views on what the mind is, how it relates to the brain, and what each one does with regard to thinking and other mental processes.
When you think about this at all, it should strike you as quite odd. How can people go on and on about a subject they know quite little about?
In fact, psychologists recognize this is all too common. Indeed, there has been much research done recently on precisely this phenomenon. However, philosophers have recognized this propensity for centuries. In his Meditations on First Philosophy, Rene Descartes devotes an entire chapter to the question of the origin of our errors in thinking. In part, this is due to our willingness to make judgments about things which are beyond our knowledge. And so it goes.
I would like to encourage my students and any readers of this blog (if indeed there be any!) to take to heart Sherlock Holmes' warning and advice quoted above. Don't let your own pet theory guide your interpretation of the facts. Let the facts guide your formation of theory.
These days to really be conversant on the philosophical questions we address here you need to do some research on the latest findings in such areas as neuroscience, cognitive science, psychology, evolution, cosmology, and physics. Some of our current theories may turn out to be wrong but we have to work with what we have and know today, not what we might know decades from now. At least you need to be aware of what we know today!
Sherlock Holmes
When I first began this blog I posted some comments about drawing conclusions before examining the evidence. Now, in the middle of my second semester of using The Evidence Blog in my philosophy course I find the problem is still as bad as ever.
Without much knowledge of basic psychology, not to say anything of brain science, students seem very willing and eager to share their views on what the mind is, how it relates to the brain, and what each one does with regard to thinking and other mental processes.
When you think about this at all, it should strike you as quite odd. How can people go on and on about a subject they know quite little about?
In fact, psychologists recognize this is all too common. Indeed, there has been much research done recently on precisely this phenomenon. However, philosophers have recognized this propensity for centuries. In his Meditations on First Philosophy, Rene Descartes devotes an entire chapter to the question of the origin of our errors in thinking. In part, this is due to our willingness to make judgments about things which are beyond our knowledge. And so it goes.
I would like to encourage my students and any readers of this blog (if indeed there be any!) to take to heart Sherlock Holmes' warning and advice quoted above. Don't let your own pet theory guide your interpretation of the facts. Let the facts guide your formation of theory.
These days to really be conversant on the philosophical questions we address here you need to do some research on the latest findings in such areas as neuroscience, cognitive science, psychology, evolution, cosmology, and physics. Some of our current theories may turn out to be wrong but we have to work with what we have and know today, not what we might know decades from now. At least you need to be aware of what we know today!
Sunday, February 14, 2010
The Evidence Bookstore
The Evidence Bookstore is now available at Amazon.com. Check out all the books which provide useful insights into our search for evidence to answer life's ultimate philosophical questions!
Friday, January 22, 2010
New Books For Evidence
Here are some new books which add to our search for evidence relating to the philosophical questions we've been asking:
Karen Armstrong: The Case for God
Thomas Metzinger: The Ego Tunnel; The Science of the Mind and the Myth of the Self
Karen Armstrong: The Case for God
Thomas Metzinger: The Ego Tunnel; The Science of the Mind and the Myth of the Self
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