Great interviewee
Proper format i.e. just let him talk
Very good Devil’s advocate-style questions
Interesting to discover Hansel and Gretel, in the Grimm Brothers’ telling, has a happy ending. When we were told that story orally as kids it ended with them getting cooked. Warning us not to stray, I suppose.
And back in the Glasnost days, I too was confident we were past having wars over religion..
Per the Shirley Maclaine comment, I was startled, recently, to discover that my childhood crush, Diane Keen, believed she was the reincarnation of an ancient Egyptian Queen..
He articulates far better than I can the reason why I think humanity is doomed. We just aren’t ‘smart’ enough to sustainably live in the world we have created. 500 years ago the amount of damage we could do to the world was reasonably limited. Now we have created numerous population and technological triggers to destruction. The neural shortcuts that humans evolved (e.g looking for patterns, confirmation bias etc) are deadly liabilities in our modern world, and this is why, in 2020, irrational, ludicrous beliefs are still so prevalent. It will never change and will continue to be exploited by those who will benefit.
Note that I define ‘smart’ as being capable of assessing the quality of available information and then using that information to make rational decisions. It doesn’t mean always making correct decisions, as sometimes the correct decision can not be rationally determined with the information available.
Thousands of years ago, religion was probably the best explanation that could be determined for natural events, with the information that was available at the time. It’s sad that in 2020 religion/pseudoscience etc are still acceptable explanations for many people.
Well, if it’s any consolation, humanity is probably doomed, but life, and the planet itself, will just go on without us. They will probably be better off!
Sewer Robot says
Great interviewee
Proper format i.e. just let him talk
Very good Devil’s advocate-style questions
Interesting to discover Hansel and Gretel, in the Grimm Brothers’ telling, has a happy ending. When we were told that story orally as kids it ended with them getting cooked. Warning us not to stray, I suppose.
And back in the Glasnost days, I too was confident we were past having wars over religion..
Sewer Robot says
Per the Shirley Maclaine comment, I was startled, recently, to discover that my childhood crush, Diane Keen, believed she was the reincarnation of an ancient Egyptian Queen..
retropath2 says
Aren’t we all, darling?
Podicle says
He articulates far better than I can the reason why I think humanity is doomed. We just aren’t ‘smart’ enough to sustainably live in the world we have created. 500 years ago the amount of damage we could do to the world was reasonably limited. Now we have created numerous population and technological triggers to destruction. The neural shortcuts that humans evolved (e.g looking for patterns, confirmation bias etc) are deadly liabilities in our modern world, and this is why, in 2020, irrational, ludicrous beliefs are still so prevalent. It will never change and will continue to be exploited by those who will benefit.
Note that I define ‘smart’ as being capable of assessing the quality of available information and then using that information to make rational decisions. It doesn’t mean always making correct decisions, as sometimes the correct decision can not be rationally determined with the information available.
Thousands of years ago, religion was probably the best explanation that could be determined for natural events, with the information that was available at the time. It’s sad that in 2020 religion/pseudoscience etc are still acceptable explanations for many people.
Arthur Cowslip says
Well, if it’s any consolation, humanity is probably doomed, but life, and the planet itself, will just go on without us. They will probably be better off!
Mrbellows says
I really don’t know much about him other than his name but he describes us now in 2020 with that interview that it knocked me off my perch.
jockblue says
Anyone else glance at the photo and think Graeme Garden’s aged a bit….
Arthur Cowslip says
I was thinking Gaz Coombes.
Twang says
Hand up.