Since no one wants to age, there is a tremendous incentive to prevent, slow down or even reverse it. But all these efforts run into the same obstacle. No one actually knows what aging is or precisely what causes it. On its face, this riddle shouldn’t exist. The universe is subject to entropy, which causes everything, including the universe itself, to run down like a child’s toy whose battery slowly runs down. Biology chimes in with the obvious fact that all higher living things grow old and die.

What is Aging?

But reality changes depending on your viewpoint, and one viewpoint tells us that aging, especially human aging, could be a mistake. First, we need to counter the evidence that living things must grow old and die. This is more easily done than you might suppose. Here’s a thumbnail sketch of the counter-argument against aging.

Reality Changes

· Entropy refers to the dissipation of heat by which warm things grow colder. But those are inanimate things. Life preserves and increases energy. Putting on a coat in winter effectively defeats entropy, and so have all living forms for at least four billion years.· The universe may die a “heat death” as it approaches absolute zero, but in the meantime, complex forms keep arising and surviving. The force that creates them is evolution.· Unique among the living things yet discovered, Homo sapiens can consciously choose to evolve.

Evolution

· Long ago Homo sapiens escaped the prison of Darwinian survival of the fittest by moving in any direction that offers more complexity, creativity, and discovery.As you can see, these are fundamental facts that can be used to approach aging, making it far from inevitable. An ancient Indian scripture declares that “people grow old and die because they see other people grow old and die.”

An Indian Scripture

Since no one wants to age, there is a tremendous incentive to prevent, slow down or even reverse it. But all these efforts run into the same obstacle. No one actually knows what aging is or precisely…

personaldevelopment

Personal Development

health

Health

problemsolving

Problem Solving

scienceandnature

Science & Nature

What If Aging Is a Mistake?

Cacao Beans are Seeds of a Tree called the Theobroma cacao Tree.To simplify Cacao refers to the raw, fermented, unRoasted product. Cocoa refers generally to proceeded SubProducts of chocolate production ; i.e. powder and butter obtainted after roasting and extraction.

Cacao Or Cocoa? 

Cacao is extracted from the Theobroma cacao seeds : Cacao Beans (Fèves in FR). These seeds are contained inside Pods (Gousse) and surrounded into a sticky organic matrix.

Organic Origin Of Cacao

<ol><li>Fermentation : raw humid beans are fermented by yeasts and other microbes.</li><li>Drying - Séchage : Several days later the product is called Cacao and available for chocolate makers.</li><li>Roasting - Torréfaction : Unless a raw product is desired. From this step Roasted cacao Beans are called Cocoa.</li><li>Crushing : Produces nibs, small pieces of cacao Beans.</li><li>Grinding : Produces a liquor, separated into Cocoa Butter (50%) and Cocoa Powder (50%). Pressure is required for separation. </li></ol>

Cacao / Cocoa Production Process 

There’s not complete agreement on when to use the terms cacao and cocoa respectively.Makers of raw (unroasted) or less processed cacao bean products often use the word cacao rather than cocoa, which may imply that they’re more natural & healthy products.In a Nutshell :<ul><li>Cocoa ~ Processed </li><li>Cacao ~ Raw</li></ul>

Choosing The Correct Appellation

Gifts from Nature are immense. Healing our bodies through food is one of the most ancien knowledge of Humanity. As an Agronomist I am as fascinated as grateful for the wonders mother Earth is providing us.

If you buy chocolate, you’ve likely noticed that some packages say they contain cacao while others say cocoa. This article tells you the difference between cacao and cocoa and which one's healthier.

philosophy

Philosophy

food

Food

Cacao vs Cocoa: What's the Difference?

Waste no more time arguing about what a good man should be. Be one

Marcus was born in AD 121, in the reign of the emperor Hadrian. At first he was Marcus Annius Verus, but his well-born father died young and he was adopted by his grandfather, who had him educated by number of excellent tutors. When he was sixteen, he was adopted by his uncle by marriage Aurelius Antoninus as Hadrain's heir. Aurelius Antoninus changed Marcus' name to his own and betrothed him to his daughter, Faustina.  She bore fourteen children, but none of them survived Marcus except the worthless Commodus, who eventually succedded Marcus as Emperor.

Marcus Aurelius Antoninus

Marcus Aurelius' writing known as the Meditations, are unique in classical literature - the personal and the philosophical diary written in Greek by an intellectual Roman Emperor without any thought or intention of publication, and remain of unique interest and relevance to the modern world. To Himself is the better title given in the manuscript used for the first printed edition in 1559.There are long reflection on duty, virtue, the place of human rationality in univerese, the god within and god without, purposefulness & cohesiveness of the universe, nature of anger, death and regret.

Meditations

There is no work quite like the Meditations in Greek or Roman philosophical literarture. Readers who come to this book expecting the hardness and austerity of a Stoic will not be disappointed, but they will be surprised by prose that often read like modern peotry and startled by the vivid illustrations that reveals Marcus' deep appreciation of the beauty and purposefulness of the Nature. Perhaps the sustained analogy to be encountered is, it made possible by discovery of the intimate and indissouble connection between macrocosm and microcosm, between the providence, rationality of the Whole.

How could reader of the meditations tell he was a Stoic?

From my mother: piety, generosity, the avoidance of wrong-doing and even the thought of it; also simplicity of living, well clear of habits of the rich.

Meditation Book: 1 Passage: 3

Failure to read what is happening in another's soul is not easily seen as a cause of unhappiness: but those who fail to attend to the motions of their own soul are necessarily unhappy.

Meditation Book: 2 Passage: 8

Do not waste the remaining part of your life in thoughts about other people, when you are not thinking with reference to some common good. Why deprive yourself of the time for some other task? Thinking about what so-and-so is doing and why, what he is saying or plotting, and all that line of thought, makes you stray from the close watch on your own directing mind.Train yourself to think only th﻿oughts such that 'What is in your mind?' you could say that with immediate frankness, and so your answer give direct evidence that your thoughts are straightforward and kindly.

Meditation Book: 3 Passage: 4

You have seen that: now look at this. Do not trouble yourself, keep your self simple. Someone does wrong? He does wrong to himself. Has something happened to you? Fine. All that happens has been fated by the Whole from the beginning and spun for your own destiny. In sum, life is short: make your gain from present moment with right reason and justice. Keep sober and relaxed.

Meditation Book: 4 Passage: 26

"Fate brought this on him." So let us accept these prescribtions just as we accept those of Asclepius - many of them too are harsh, but we welcome them in the hope of the health.You should take the same view of the process and completion of the universal nature as you do of your own health: and so welcome all that happens to you, even if it seems rather cruel, because its purpose leads to health of the universe. He(God) would not bring this on anyone, if it did not also bring advantage to the Whole: no more than any natural principle brings anything appropriate to what it governs.

Meditation Book: 5 Passage: 8.3, 8.4

So there are two reasons why you should be content with your experiences: One is that this has happened to you, was prescribed to you, a thread of destiny spun for you by most anicent cause. Second is that what comes to each individual is determining part of the welfare, perfection, and indeed the very coherence of that which governs the Whole.Because the complete Whole is maimed if you sever even the tinniest fraction of its connection and connectivity: this is true of its constituents parts, and true likewise of its cause.

Meditation Book: 5 Passage: 8.5

If somone can prove me wrong and show me my mistake in any thought or action, I shall gladly change. I seek the truth, which never harmed anyone: the harm is to persist in one's own self-deception and ignorance.

Meditation Book: 6 Passage: 21

Is someone afraid of change? Well, what can ever come to be without change? Or what is dearer or closer to the nature of the Whole than change? Can you yourself take a bath, if the wood that heats it is not changed? Can you be fed, unless what you eat changes? Can any other of the benefits of the life be achieved without change? Do yo not see then that for you to be changed is equal, and equally necessary to the nature of the Whole?

Meditation Book: 7 Passage: 18 

If the choice is yours, why do the thing? But if it is another's choice, why do you blame - atoms or gods? Either is madness. There is no blame. If you can, put him right: if you can't, at the least put the matter itself right. If that too is impossible, what further purpose does blame serve? Nothing should be done without purpose.

Meditation Book: 8 Passage: 17

You can strip away many unnecessary troubles which lie wholly in your own judgement. And you will immediately make large and wide open room for yourself by grasping the whole universe in your thought, contemplating the eternity of time, and reflecting on the rapid change of each thing in every part - how brief the gap from birth to dissolution, how vast the gulf of time before your birth, and an equal infinity after your dissolution.

Meditation Book: 9 Passage: 32

Observe what your physical nature requires, as one subject to the condition of mere life. Then do it and welcome it, as long as nature as an animate being will not be impaired. Next, you should observe what your nature as an animate being requires: again, adopt all of this, as long as your nature as rational being will not be impaired. And rational directly implies social. Follow these rules, and no further fuss.

Meditation Book: 10 Passage: 2

Just as those who try to block your progress along the straight path of the reason will not be able to divert you from principled action, so you must not let them knock you out of your good will towards them. Rather you shold watch yourself equally on both fronts, keepind only a stablity of judgement and action, but also a mild response to those who try to stop you or are otherwise disaffected.to be angry with them is no less a weaknessthan to abandon yoir course of action and capitulate in panic.

Meditation Book: 11 Passage: 9

What a tiny part of the boundless abyss of time has been allotted to each of us - and this is soon vanished in eternity; what a tiny part of the universal substance and the universal soul; how tiny in the whole earth the mere clod on which you creep. Reflecting on all this, think nothing important other than active pursuit where your oen nature leads and passive acceptance of what universal nature brings.

Meditation Book: 12 Passage: 32

Meditations is a series of personal writings by Marcus Aurelius, Roman Emperor from 161 to 180 AD, recording his private notes to himself and ideas on Stoic philosophy

meditation

Meditation

To be smart is great, but it doesn't happen overnight. If you want to become smarter, you have to create habits that will groom your intelligence and nourish your mind.Here are 18 habits that can help you become your smartest self.

Don't assume anything or subscribe unthinkingly to the conventional wisdom. Keep your eyes and mind wide open. The greatest enemy of knowledge is not ignorance but the illusion of knowledge--and questioning and curiosity are the key to overcoming it.

1. Question Everything. 

Make reading a habit--serious reading, not celebrity gossip and lists on the web. Even if it's just part of a chapter each day, stick to your reading schedule and your intellect will be enriched.

2. Read as much as you can.

Find a topic that keeps you interested and dive in. It's easier to stay engaged with a topic you find stimulating. Find a format that stimulates your mind, too, whether it's a podcast or a newspaper. Feed your mind well with things it will enjoy.

3. Discover what motivates you.

To be innovative means making creativity more important than the fear of being wrong. Even in the things you do every day, you can be inventive and experimental. When you take risks, make mistakes, and have fun instead of slogging through the same routine. You'll have a daily reminder that imagination and creativity can change the world.

4. Think of new ways to do old things.

Smart people have interesting things to talk about. They know how to expand their mind and feed their brain, so spending time with them is good for you on multiple levels. Seek them out at work, in service organizations, and socially.

5. Hang out with people who are smarter than you.

When you have an opportunity to learn something new, you become smarter. Make a point of continuously and consistently acquiring new skills, because life will never stop teaching if you're willing to learn.

6. Remember that every expert was once a beginner.

We're all so distracted, it's easy to dash from one thing to another without pausing to consider what it means. Make time to pause and reflect--reflection is an important part of the learning process.

7. Make time to reflect.

As you're caring for your mind don't neglect your body. Build discipline in doing what you need to do in terms of diet, exercise, and sleep.

8. Exercise your body. 

Being busy and being productive are two different things. The future you want is created by what you do. Smart people make the most of today.

9. Push yourself to become more productive. 

Carry a journal to jot down ideas when they come to you. Push yourself to be creative and to think in new ways. Review your ideas weekly and edit them as you go.

10. Come up with new ideas daily. 

Facing your fears makes you braver, smarter, and better able to withstand what life throws at you. Sometimes the greatest rewards in life come from doing the things that scare you the most.

11. Do something that scares you. 

Devote your break time to something more productive than social media or binge watching TV. The internet is filled with awesome learning tools. It's a small habit but a big win if you can nourish your brain and advance your career and life at the same time.

12. Replace TV with online learning.

Everything you take part in is either uplifting or detrimental to your mind. It's important to silence inner and outer negativity--once you do, you begin to play a role in shaping your mindsets and beliefs, which in turn guide your actions.

13. Be mindful of what you are absorbing. 

Every day, look online and in other media for topics, interests, or other sources that fall off your usual path. When you do, you absorb wisdom you would never have been able to access otherwise.

14. Read something you normally wouldn't. 

Learning something new is important, but sharing that knowledge makes what you've learned actionable and meaningful.

15. Share what you know. 

There really is no point in learning something if it doesn't make you smarter or inspire you to improve. The smartest people apply what they know not to become a person of success but rather to become a person of value.

16. Apply your new knowledge. 

It turns out that journaling is an important way to become smarter. Taking a few minutes each day to reflect in writing has been shown to boost your brain power. Smart happens when you learn from your experiences.

17. Keep a journal. 

Intelligent people tend to have fewer friends than the average person--at least in part because the smarter you are, the more selective you become. Who you spend time with reflects who you are.

18. Be selective.

habits

Habits

education

Learning & Education

books

Books

18 Habits That Will Make You Smarter

Alchemy is an area of study, sometimes described as a science, sometimes described as a branch of philosophy, that was practiced in Europe, Asia, and Africa. Alchemy originated in the early centuries AD, primarily in Egypt, Greece, and Rome, but eventually spread as far as India, China, and England by the 12th century.

What is Alchemy? 

The symbol for the philosopher's stone

Since the beginning of alchemy, alchemists have used symbols to represent different elements. Alchemy symbols sometimes contain hints of the qualities the element was thought to have, as well as the history of the element. Using symbols helped alchemists keep their work secret from non-alchemists who wouldn’t recognize the symbols. Because early alchemy also drew much of its information from astrology, many alchemy element symbols are connected to planets or other celestial bodies. Alchemy symbols continued to be used until the 18th century, becoming more standardized as time went on.

How Have Alchemy Symbols Been Used?

The three primes, also known as the tria prima, were named by Paracelsus, a Swiss philosopher, in the 16th century. He believed the tria prima contained all the poisons that caused disease, and that by studying them, alchemists could learn how to cure disease. He also believed the tria prima defined humans, and he assigned each of the elements to a different part of the human identity.

The Three Primes

Mercury

Mercury (which is also one of the seven planetary metals) can mean both the element and the planet. In either case, this alchemy symbol represents the mind, as well as a state that could transcend death. In ancient times, mercury was known as quicksilver, and it was believed to be able to shift between liquid and solid states. Therefore, in alchemy, mercury was believed to shift between life and death.

Mercury 

Salt is now known to be a chemical compound comprised of sodium and chloride, but alchemists believed it was a single element. Salt represents the body, as well as physical matter in general, crystallization, and condensation. Salt is often impure when first collected, but through chemical processes it can be dissolved and purified, which some alchemists compared to purification processes the human body can undergo. Its symbol is a circle bisected by a horizontal line.

Salt

Salt

Sulfur

Sulfur represents properties such as dryness, heat, and masculinity. In alchemy, it could also represent evaporation, expansion, and dissolution. In terms of human body, it represented the soul. In terms of the tria prima, sulfur was seen as the middling element connecting salt (high) and mercury (low).Sulfur’s symbol is typically a triangle atop a Greek cross (seen above), but it can also be represented by a Cross of Loraine atop an ouroboros/infinity symbol. This symbol has come to be known as Satan’s Cross and is sometimes used as a satanic symbol.

Sulfur

What are alchemy symbols? Check out our complete guide to the most important alchemy symbols and meanings.

Understand yourself and those around you.

psychology

Psychology

Alchemy Symbols and Their Meanings

John Vervaeke teaches cognitive sciences University of Toronto. Similar to his Canadian colleague, Jordan Peterson, he became popular through his Youtube channel, where he explores deep philosophical ideas. In 50 hour-long episodes, Vervaeke analyses the crisis of meaning (which he describes as a pervasive feeling of alienation from the world and from each other). To get to the bottom of the meaning crisis he puts in context various historical philosophical schools of thought, combining them with cognitive sciences and much more.

John Vervaeke's "Awakening from the Meaning Crisis"

To seek our purpose in the world is a human pursuit for millennia. For Vervaeke, the meaning in life is found in wisdom. But the modern world has distanced us from the goalpost and Vervaeke points out spikes in depression, suicide rates, and social unrest.But while things look bleak the public seems to be much more interested in topics related to meaning: mindfulness, stoicism, psychedelic ... all of these weird Hippie interests points to a revival of the meaning conversation.

The meaning of life in the 21st century

Humans existed for 200-300 thousand years. But 40,000 BC something happened. Humans started living in settlements. And they started to make ... art. Sculptures, paintings, and even music.This is the period where humans have an upgrade to their cognitions. They invent abstract tools like the calendar or projectile weapons.Meaning began when our ancestors started to complement their tech with psycho technologies to allow them to deal with the environment but also with others. Literacy or shamanic rituals are some early such technologies.

Upper Paleolithic Transition

We evolved to use tools. In that sense, we are natural-born cyborgs. Our clothes, our objects are tools we enhanced ourselves with biologically. Psycho technologies enhance our brain. Like literacy, which enhances our cognition by helping us to remember. Taking notes makes time obvious.If we use a computer analogy: regular technology enhances our hardware, while psycho technology is like a software upgrade. Since humans operate on pretty much the same basic hardware it can be concluded all our major advances were psychological.

Psycho Technology

Saying "How are you?" was a huge leap fwd in the interaction between human beings: It shows you are interested in others. It allows relationships built on trust and ... trading. Mindsight is the ability to pick up on other people's mental states. It is a massive cognitive advancement of people from 40,000 years ago.And once we started paying attention to others, we also started paying attention to our own mental state.

mindsight

Shamanism is a cultivated ritual for altering your consciousness. It was so pervasive in prehistorical civilization, to today the shaman became an archetype: Yoda, Merlin, any old wise man are all Shamanic characters.Shamans do this through sleep deprivation, imitation of animals, isolation, or psychedelics. The goal is to create awakening experiences by disrupting the normal patterns in the world, which trap you.

Shamanic rituals

When the shaman dresses like a deer, he is not imitating the deer. He is becoming the deer.

A very long series of lectures about meaning from a Canadian cognitive academic. I plan to watch them all and will share my insights as I go.

New videos released every Friday. List of Books in the Video: •Michael Anderson - After Phrenology: Neural Reuse and the Interactive Brain •Barry Boyce (Editor) - The Mindfulness Revolution: Leading Psychologists, Scientists, Artists, and Meditation Teachers on the Power of Mindfulness in Daily Life •Andy Clark - Natural-Born Cyborgs: Minds, Technologies, and the Future of Human Intelligence •Michel Ferrari and Nic Weststrate (Editors) - The Scientific Study of Personal Wisdom: From Contemplative Traditions to Neuroscience •Harry Frankfurt – On Bullsh*t •David Lewis-Williams - The Mind in the Cave: Consciousness and the Origins of Art •L. A. Paul - Transformative Experience •Massimo Pigliucci - How to Be a Stoic: Using Ancient Philosophy to Live a Modern Life •Matt Rossano - Supernatural Selection: How Religion Evolved •Daniel Siegel - Mindsight: The New Science of Personal Transformation •Steve Taylor - Waking From Sleep: Why Awakening Experiences Occur and How to Make Them Permanent •John Vervaeke, Christopher Mastropietro, and Filip Miscevic - Zombies in Western Culture: A Twenty-First Century Crisis •Michael Winkelman - Shamanism: A Biopsychosocial Paradigm of Consciousness and Healing •Susan Wolf - Meaning in Life and Why It Matters Series Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLND1JCRq8Vuh3f0P5qjrSdb5eC1ZfZwWJ Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Vervaeke.John/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/vervaeke_john First episode of Dr. John Vervaeke's Awakening from the Meaning Crisis.

history

History

New videos released every Friday.

List of Books in the Video:

•Michael Anderson - After Phrenology: Neural Reuse and the Interactive Brain 
•Barry Boyce (Editor) - The Mindfulness Revolution: Leading Psychologists, Scientists, Artists, and Meditation Teachers on the Power of Mindfulness in Daily Life 
•Andy Clark - Natural-Born Cyborgs: Minds, Technologies, and the Future of Human Intelligence 
•Michel Ferrari and Nic Weststrate (Editors) - The Scientific Study of Personal Wisdom: From Contemplative Traditions to Neuroscience
•Harry Frankfurt – On Bullsh*t 
•David Lewis-Williams - The Mind in the Cave: Consciousness and the Origins of Art 
•L. A. Paul - Transformative Experience 
•Massimo Pigliucci - How to Be a Stoic: Using Ancient Philosophy to Live a Modern Life 
•Matt Rossano - Supernatural Selection: How Religion Evolved 
•Daniel Siegel - Mindsight: The New Science of Personal Transformation
•Steve Taylor - Waking From Sleep: Why Awakening Experiences Occur and How to Make Them Permanent 
•John Vervaeke, Christopher Mastropietro, and Filip Miscevic - Zombies in Western Culture: A Twenty-First Century Crisis
•Michael Winkelman - Shamanism: A Biopsychosocial Paradigm of Consciousness and Healing
•Susan Wolf - Meaning in Life and Why It Matters

Series Playlist: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLND1JCRq8Vuh3f0P5qjrSdb5eC1ZfZwWJ

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Vervaeke.John/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/vervaeke_john

First episode of Dr. John Vervaeke's Awakening from the Meaning Crisis.

John Vervaeke, PhD is an award-winning lecturer at the University of Toronto in the departments of psychology, cognitive science and Buddhist psychology.

Join our Patreon to support John's work, join in Live Q&A sessions, get early access to videos and more!

John Vervaeke

Ep. 1 - Awakening from the Meaning Crisis - Introduction

Matter and light have properties of both waves and particles simultaneously. The results of quantum mechanics make it clear that waves exhibit particle-like properties and particles exhibit wave-like properties, depending on the specific experiment. Quantum physics is, therefore, able to make descriptions of matter and energy based on wave equations that relate to the probability of a particle existing in a certain spot at a certain time.

Wave Particle Duality

Einstein's theory of relativity is based upon the principle that the laws of physics are the same for all observers, regardless of where they are located or how fast they are moving or accelerating. This seemingly common-sense principle predicts localized effects in the form of special relativity and defines gravitation as a geometric phenomenon in the form of general relativity.

Einsteins Theory of Relativity

Quantum physics is defined mathematically by the Schroedinger equation, which depicts the probability of a particle being found at a certain point. This probability is fundamental to the system, not merely a result of ignorance. Once a measurement is made, however, you have a definite result.The measurement problem is that the theory doesn't completely explain how the act of measurement actually causes this change. Attempts to solve the problem have led to some intriguing theories.

Quantum Probability & The Measurement Problem

The physicist Werner Heisenberg developed the Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle, which says that when measuring the physical state of a quantum system there's a fundamental limit to the amount of precision that can be achieved.For example, the more precisely you measure the momentum of a particle the less precise your measurement of its position. Again, in Heisenberg's interpretation, this wasn't just a measurement error or technological limitation, but an actual physical limit.

Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle

In quantum theory, certain physical systems can become "entangled," meaning that their states are directly related to the state of another object somewhere else. When one object is measured, and the Schroedinger wavefunction collapses into a single state, the other object collapses into its corresponding state ... no matter how far away the objects are (i.e. nonlocality).Einstein, who called this quantum entanglement "spooky action at a distance," illuminated this concept with his EPR Paradox.

Quantum Entanglement & Nonlocality

Unified field theory is a type of theory that goes about trying to reconcile quantum physics with Einstein's theory of general relativity.There are several specific theories that fall under the heading of unified field theory including Quantum Gravity , String Theory / Superstring Theory / M-Theory , and Loop Quantum Gravity.

Unified Field Theory

When Albert Einstein developed the Theory of General Relativity, it predicted a possible expansion of the universe. Georges Lemaitre thought that this indicated the universe began in a single point. The name "Big Bang" was given by Fred Hoyle while mocking the theory during a radio broadcast.In 1929, Edwin Hubble discovered a redshift in distant galaxies, indicating that they were receding from Earth. Cosmic background microwave radiation, discovered in 1965, supported Lemaitre's theory.

The Big Bang

In attempts to solve the measurement problem in quantum physics, physicists frequently run into the problem of consciousness. Though most physicists try to sidestep the issue, it seems that there is a link between the conscious choice of experiment and the outcome of the experiment.Some physicists, most notably Roger Penrose, believe that current physics cannot explain consciousness and that consciousness itself has a link to the strange quantum realm.

Quantum Consciousness

Recent evidence shows that were the universe just slightly different, it wouldn't exist long enough for any life to develop. The odds of a universe that we can exist in are very small, based on chance.The controversial Anthropic Principle states that the universe can only exist such that carbon-based life can arise.The Anthropic Principle, while intriguing, is more a philosophical theory than a physical one. Still, the Anthropic Principle poses an intriguing intellectual puzzle.

Anthropic Principle

These are the top 10 weirdest and most interesting concepts in physics, mostly from the realm of quantum physics and Einstein's theory of relativity.

Top 10 Totally Weird Physics Ideas

We think of our body as a brain that operates a machine of flesh & bones. Our mind distinctively separated from our bodies. It's why we think we can start living in the meta-verse.But we don't have a body. We are a body!All our consciousness is the result of our body interacting with the world and other people. Separating the 2, even in theory, makes no sense.

The myth of mind body separation

We somehow think children are better at language learning than adults. But an adult brain is so much better than a kid's brain so if something changes is the adult body.We also think language is like an instinct. But it has been proven that people growing without other humans don't develop language ability.A language is a tool, a social tool. To use a language one has to interact with others in a certain context. Languages are lived, not purely spoken.

Language Learning Myths

Language is a unity of generalisation and social interaction, a unity of thinking and communication.

We think our minds can be filled with information, books, methods etc... Like a container. That metaphor is broken. There is a huge difference between knowledge and knowing. The transition from to another is activity. Doing the knowledge is the only way to know. This is true learning.

Knowledge ≠ Knowing

We are not a mind and a body.We are somebody.

As everyone is dreaming about the metaverse, we have to remember our consciousness is not a brain process that happens in out brains, but a full experience with our bodies. This has some big insights on learning.

Are you a mind, or a body? Join me on a philosophical adventure into language, learning, and human nature. - Get unlimited access to my courses and learner community in the Canguro Academy. Learn pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary, listening, and more! https://canguroenglish.com/academy - Stay updated on how to learn English: Canguro English newsletter: https://canguroenglish.com/newsletter - Official Facebook group: https://canguroenglish.com/facebook Instagram: https://canguroenglish.com/instagram Listen to the podcast: https://canguroenglish.com/anchor Twitter: https://canguroenglish.com/twitter - Buy official Canguro English merchandise here: https://canguroenglish.com/merch

mindfulness

Mindfulness

Are you a mind, or a body? Join me on a philosophical adventure into language, learning, and human nature.
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Get unlimited access to my courses and learner community in the Canguro Academy.
Learn pronunciation, grammar, vocabulary, listening, and more!
https://canguroenglish.com/academy
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Stay updated on how to learn English:
Canguro English newsletter: https://canguroenglish.com/newsletter
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Official Facebook group: https://canguroenglish.com/facebook
Instagram: https://canguroenglish.com/instagram
Listen to the podcast: https://canguroenglish.com/anchor
Twitter: https://canguroenglish.com/twitter
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Buy official Canguro English merchandise here: https://canguroenglish.com/merch

Changing the way the world learns English.

Canguro English

Learning is useless.

Artificial Intelligence, although one of the most revolutionary and groundbreaking discoveries, is also a moral and ethical problem for the majority of people. Is it something we truly need to worry about?Depending on how it's used, AI can either be incredibly useful, or incredibly harmful. For example, companies such as Google use AI in order to better learn and understand your habits so that Google itself can be better optimized. However, in the wrong hands, AI can lead to a plethora of problems.Long story short, AI can either be harmful or helpful depending on the way that it's used.

Is Artificial Intelligence Dangerous?

Artificial Intelligence is one of the most hotly debated topics in science. Is it worth all that conversation?

technologyandthefuture

Technology & The Future

artificialintelligence

Artificial Intelligence

From the big bang to black holes, this fast-paced tour of time and space for the astro-curious unlocks the science of the stars to reveal fascinating theories, surprising discoveries, and ongoing mysteries in modern astronomy and astrophysics. Before the big bang, time, space, and matter didn't exist. In the 14 billion years since, scientists have pointed their telescopes upward, peering outward in space and backward in time, developing and refining theories to explain the weird and wonderful phenomena they observed.

A Tour of Time & Space

Through these observations, we now understand concepts like the size of the universe (still expanding), the distance to the next-nearest star from earth (Alpha Centauri, 26 trillion miles) and what drives the formation of elements (nuclear fusion), planets and galaxies (gravity), and black holes (gravitational collapse). But are these cosmological questions definitively answered or is there more to discover? Oxford University astrophysicist and popular YouTube personality Dr. Becky Smethurst presents everything you need to know about the universe in 10 accessible and engaging lessons.

From the big bang to black holes, this fast-paced illustrated tour of time and space for the astro-curious unlocks the science of the stars to reveal fascinating theories, surprising discoveries, and ongoing mysteries in modern astronomy and astrophysics. Before the big bang, time, space, and matter didn't exist. In the 14 billion years since, scientists have pointed their telescopes upward, peering outward in space and backward in time, developing and refining theories to explain the weird and wonderful phenomena they observed. Through these observations, we now understand concepts like the size of the universe (still expanding), the distance to the next-nearest star from earth (Alpha Centauri, 26 trillion miles) and what drives the formation of elements (nuclear fusion), planets and galaxies (gravity), and black holes (gravitational collapse). But are these cosmological questions definitively answered or is there more to discover? Oxford University astrophysicist and popular YouTube personality Dr. Becky Smethurst presents everything you need to know about the universe in ten accessible and engagingly illustrated lessons. In Space at the Speed of Light: The History of 14 Billion Years for People Short on Time, she guides you through fundamental questions, both answered and unanswered, posed by space scientists. Why does gravity matter? How do we know the big bang happened? What is dark matter? Do aliens exist? Why is the sky dark at night? If you have ever looked up at night and wondered how it all works, you will find answers--and many more questions--in this pocket-sized tour of the universe!

Space at the Speed of Light

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