Big Data Baby!
Is there a logic of history? Is there, beyond all the casual and incalculable elements of the separate elements of the separate events, something that we may call a metaphysical structure of historic humanity, something that is essentially independent of the outward forms – social, spiritual and political – which we see so clearly? Are not these actualities indeed secondary or derived from that something? Does world-history present to the seeing eye certain grand traits, again and again, with sufficient constancy to justify certain conclusions? And if so, what are the limits to which reasoning from such premisses may be pushed?
— Oswald Spengler (1880-1936)
Binary Black and White Data Processing and Big Data Determinism
Big Data Baby!
Is there a logic of history? Is there, beyond all the casual and incalculable elements of the separate elements of the separate events, something that we may call a metaphysical structure of historic humanity, something that is essentially independent of the outward forms – social, spiritual and political – which we see so clearly? Are not these actualities indeed secondary or derived from that something? Does world-history present to the seeing eye certain grand traits, again and again, with sufficient constancy to justify certain conclusions? And if so, what are the limits to which reasoning from such premisses may be pushed?"
— Oswald Spengler (1880-1936)
The titled responsion is...
This historicity is Hegelian in essence, futurity of yesteryear projected upon a time. Wishful thinking is half the story, the rest is, well, History. Logically imperfect, our history is what it is. How we collectively remember History could be augmented and improved upon through the devices we carry in our pockets.
Oswald Spengler was born in Germany and became a British citizen in his late thirties. He published the first volume of The Decline of the West as a review of the literature of his day, which focused largely on Germany. His philosophy of history and his studies of the cyclical nature of human history have much in common with the modern scientific method. Born in Germany, Oswald Spengler died in England, but his philosophies continue to influence his countrymen in many ways.
Cicero
If Spengler were alive today I muse that he would writes something called, The Big Data Baby, about the future of data mining and analytics. This new method has much to do with what we are now doing with data about the human condition. In essence, it means that we can get much more out of all the data we already have. Much of the current work on this topic is done by those who have experience using the tools. While this technology has been around for a while, its application has been limited because it took a long time to develop.
Today's advances in data mining are allowing us to find patterns from data that previously were too large to notice. In fact, we can even take an old idea and apply it to a new context. A recent example is the use of a diary by a man who was killed at the front line in the Second World War. A researcher used the diary to examine the personal habits and experiences of his fellow soldiers as they fought in the war. From there, he was able to see how their personal habits and experiences changed during the course of the war, how those changes affected the way they fought, how they died, and whether or not there was any correlation between the personal habits and experiences of the war dead and the personal habits and experiences of the war survivors. By looking at the diary, and then comparing the personal habits and experiences of the war dead and the war survivors, one can see how they influenced the outcome of the war. This is a fascinating example of how we can use what we already have to make better decisions about ourselves and the world around us.
I Beg to Deter
Demoralize the enemy from within by surprise, terror, sabotage, assassination. This is the war of the future."
— Adolf Hitler (1889-1945)
The titled responsion is...
Without certainty, fear makes victims of us all. Empowered, the tyranny of the majority is self-protecting. Nothing prevents any one despot from gaining a foothold over our society yet again. Still, I urge you not to limit your personal freedoms with the fear of being "watched" by Big Brother. Unlimiting the upside of technology requires oversite and governance from the rise of the technocrat.
The famous quote "Adolph Hitler - The only thing worse than a lie is a lie that is half truth", is an interesting one, and one which is often quoted by political leaders who believe in the need to bring democracy to their countries, and to fight for freedom of speech, freedom of the press, freedom of religion and so on. However, this saying is not just meant to be taken literally. It is a symbol of something deeper than mere words. It can mean that any false statement or distortion of facts, or any kind of dishonesty with the intentions to deceive the other party is a demoralizing act and can in itself demoralize your opponent and even turn them against you. Here are some reasons why.
Philip Sidney
One way you can demoralize your enemy is through lying, because lying will degrade their status, and will have an opposite effect on their morale. In World War I, while the allies were trying to win the war, they had been telling a lot of lies and rumors to the German soldiers, that were either purposely meant to make the enemy angry or were simply false. When the people of Germany heard the truth, and they started to wonder who was telling the truth and who was not, this made their morale plummet.
Another demoralizing tactic that you can use is by acting in an indecisive manner. When you say that you will support a certain bill or legislation, or whatever, make sure that you do so. You might not know exactly what is going to happen. Your opponent might get a good idea of what the outcome will be, but he might have an idea of what you are going to do. Therefore, if you give them a chance to come up with something that will benefit you, it would be a good idea to let them come up with something that does not harm you at all. However, if they are adamant about the exact course of action that you want them to take, then it would be a good idea to stay out of it.
Daily Determinism
I did not direct my life. I didn't design it. I never made decisions. Things always came up and made them for me. That's what life is."
— B. F. Skinner (1904-1990)
The titled responsion is...
Big Data Determinism makes this "more true" (o sepi to poli) than ever. The daily grind and disenchantment of the allusion myths require another narrative, no narrative at all or an honest attempt interpreting and reconciling the in-congruent truths. Logic doesn't lie.
One of the most respected figures in the 20th century, Dr. B. F. Skinner was a British psychologist and behavioral scientist who used behaviorism to create his theories on human behavior. According to his own testimony, his work has been instrumental in developing many of our contemporary behavioral sciences. His works are known all over the world and he is a renowned public figure and a highly respected public intellectual. I know that I had a hard time finding a biography of Dr. B. F. Skinner.
Heraclitus
One of the first sources I found about Dr. Skinner was the Life of B. F. Skinner, by Harry Stackpole III. This is a biography of Dr. B. F. Skinner written by the author himself, and it is very good. It tells a lot of his personal story as well as his influential work on behaviorism. It includes a short blurb on his most famous experiment, 'Skinner Box', and a detailed description of how it came to be. The author does an excellent job of describing how he came to be involved in the behaviorist movement, what it was like to live in the wild west, and how he became one of the most eminent psychologists in history.
If you are looking for a biography of Dr. B. F. Skinner, or anyone for that matter, this is a great starting point. I think you will find this biography of Dr. B. F. Skinner to be just as enjoyable and informative as the book that I read, and I am sure you will find it just as valuable as well. There is no doubt that you will enjoy your research into the lives of Dr. B. F. Skinner and his life's work.
On your own terms...
Do not go gentle into that good night, Old age should burn and rave at close of day; Rage, rage against the dying of the light."
— Dylan Thomas (1914-1953)
The titled responsion is...
The title of this article is an apt description of the question I ask, "How do you understand the difference between rage and Old Age?" I think the most accurate answer would be "You can't understand the difference between rage and Old Age without first understanding the meaning of both." This seems to me to be a fairly easy and straightforward explanation. But it is not so simple.
Frederick the Great
The short explanation is that "rage" refers to intense emotion which manifests in behavior which could only be called "angry". The long and the short explanation is that rage is a natural part of life for humans and that there is no reason why people should react more intensely to the stimuli of their lives than they already do. Old Age on the other hand is defined as the progression of years. The old age, in other words, is not necessarily a sign of old age. The definition is that old age is a natural part of life for humans. When we go through life we experience our physical bodies becoming weaker, our mental faculties becoming less developed, our spiritual development decreasing, and our emotional well-being declining.
In his book, The Old Age Blues, Dylan Thomas explains that the "old age blues" that many people experience are the normal consequences of aging. The phrase "the blues" is derived from a phrase written by Robert Burns, "The siren's song". Burns was a famous Scottish poet. The siren's song referred to the way in which the early men of Scotland, who were far more advanced technologically, were unable to keep up with the new, more rapid development of the new world, especially in the field of communications. It took a while for the new men to catch up with the faster technological developments, but eventually these new men caught up, and this meant that they could not maintain the same levels of productivity as the old men. This is what we now call the "old age blues."
Contaminating Determinism
I have noticed even people who claim everything is predestined, and that we can do nothing to change it, look before they cross the road."
— Stephen Hawking (1942-2018)
The titled responsion is...
Why did the chicken cross the road? Because she had free will is one possible interpretation. What is yours? Are we self-determined or predestined towards augmented intelligence?
Stephen William Hawking, CBE was an eminent English theoretical scientist, cosmologist and author who was also director of research in the Centre for Theoretical Astrophysics at the University of Oxford at the time of his untimely death. Although a great mathematical genius, his personal life was full of turmoil. His first published book, "A Brief History of Time" was rejected by Oxford University Press, in spite of winning the prestigious Ig Nobel Prize, for being the first book in the history of physics to be written within the bounds of an anonymous publication, under an assumed name. He then went on to produce four more books before his untimely death, all of which were rejected or ignored by publishing houses.
Isaac Newton
His most popular work, "A Brief History of Time" is a science fiction book that covers a wide range of subjects, such as time travel, black holes, quantum mechanics, and general relativity, all in a story about a young man named Arthur Eddington, who discovers that he can use time traveling to solve his many problems in physics. Unlike his other works, this book has won several awards, including the Nobel Prize for Physics in 1986. In addition to his contributions to mathematics, he wrote a number of popular articles in scientific journals and literary magazines. His short stories and non-fiction novels include "The Black Mirror"The Lighthouse." He wrote the screenplay for "A Space Oddysey," which was written by Arthur C Clarke.
Another of his books, "The Grand Design" is a work of speculative philosophy that examines the question of what would have been the nature of the universe had it not been for a singularity, a point beyond which the very laws of nature cease to apply. Although he has become widely known for his theory about black holes and the existence of the universe, he also wrote many books on cosmology, quantum mechanics, and general relativity. He was also the author of a documentary movie about the Theory of Relativity entitled "Proof of Heaven."
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Daniel Sanderson