Discussions

The idea of relative truth is self-defeating because the very concept of true vs. false requires the recognition of epistemic authority. Our objective understanding is not subordinate to so-called conceptual schemes. Rather, it transcends subjective expressions of individual belief or cultural norms

The Impasse Between Modernism and Postmodernism

A rubber sock that shoots arrows

3200 years ago empires and societies throughout the entire eastern Mediterranean completely collapsed, all complex politico-economic structures were abolished, and cities & towns were abandoned. A newly published hieroglyphic decipher tells of an invasion of a great mysterious army- The Sea Peoples.

Stefanos and George at mikonos ink tattoo (Greece)

Scientist from the University of Cambridge discovered method of tracking movements of quantum particles while not directly observing them

TIL that some scientists theorize that the origin of life is just the inevitable outcome of thermodynamics as a middle-step to increase overall entropy in the universe.

Repeated bacterial infections can add up over time, eventually leading to severe inflammatory disease. Infections that go unnoticed and clear the body without treatment—such as occurs in mild food poisoning—can start a chain of events that leads to chronic inflammation and life-threatening colitis.

Microsoft has set up an internal AI University to try and get around the skills shortage

TIL about the concept of 'invented tradition', in which something believed or touted to be ancient is actually modern, such as ancestral Scottish clan-tartans, which are actually a 19th-century creation.

He’s ready :)

Queen Victoria with the last Tsar of Russia and his family (c. 1896)

TIL that singer Lorde has sound-to-color synesthesia, a unique condition where sound blends with sight to create certain colors. This greatly contributed to the creative process on 'Melodrama', where she wrote music to the 'violets and blues' that appear on the album's cover

From the Showerthoughts community on Reddit

Fresh hand and finger tattoos done by Heath Wathke @ Hellbomb Tattoos in Wichita KS

Review: Plato’s ‘Friendly Orange Glow’

TIL that children who are anxiously shy at an early age tend to display distinct patterns of brain activity in social situations at a later age. This manifests in the form of increased distress when anticipating unpredictable social feedback.

We replaced our insufficient (and ugly) aluminum coat rack with a 'piano' coat rack. Total cost about $250 not including the wine drunk during the staining phase.

Seneca on Overcoming Grief, Facing Death, and The True Nature of Life

This is the best exercise which can help people who slouch

Learn about philosophy, from the ancients to the moderns, with 350 short animated videos!

How to Write Your Own C++ Game Engine

Bought this for $7 at Chamblins, its from 1969. This thing is practically the How-To bible for everything I can possibly think of

How to draw a perfect circle

From the Showerthoughts community on Reddit

Here is a new big map of all the stars with known planets including those potentially habitable

TIL Legendary Sci-fi author Phillip K Dick (Blade Runner, etc.) believed he led two parallel lives, one as himself, and one as 'Thomas', a Christian persecuted by Romans in the first century AD. He also thought he was taken over by the spirit of the prophet Elijah and wrote a massive religious book

You are more likely to remember something if you read it out loud, a study from the University of Waterloo has found. Dubbed the “production effect,” the study determined that it is the dual action of speaking and hearing oneself that has the most beneficial impact on memory.

The Slippery Slope Fallacy: a short animated explanation of what it is and how to avoid it.

Many different types of anxiety and depression exist, new study finds