A Philosopher's Blog

Philosophical Essays on Many Subjects

Archives for July 12, 2007

Failings

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During my class yesterday we discussed the problem of evil with some specific focus on the cause of the imperfections of finite beings. One of the problems with being imperfect is that we have failings that can very easily lead us to unhappiness.

A large part of the philosophical life is working towards dealing with such failings-at least those that relate to wisdom. This is a challenging thing even for professional philosophers. Perhaps it can be even harder for professionals-sometimes it is best to just do rather than to over-think matters.

In any case, I recently (perhaps ironically) had the opportunity to face one of my own failings and, sadly, I came up short. I do regret this. But, my philosophical nature has prevented the situation from being a complete loss. While we all make mistakes, it is far worse not to learn from them. We can never hope to be perfect, but we can learn to be better and not make the same mistake twice.

One mistake is a chance to learn, but two mistakes are a sign of foolishness. I do hope that I am no fool.

Review: What’s Science Ever Done for Us: What The Simpsons Can Teach Us about Physics, Robots, Life and the Universe

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As anyone who watches the Simpsons can attest (and anyone who is anyone watches the show),Springfield is town that is rife with science.

Within the confines of that fictional town many strange and scientific events take place. Three eyed fish swim the rivers. Homer proposes that the universe is shaped like a donut. He also travels back in time. Lisa builds a perpetual motion machine. The resident scientist, Dr. Frink, builds amazing machines that shrink people and teleport people.

Faced with such an abundance of science, it would be good and wonderful if some sort of book were available that clearly explained life, the universe and everything in that little town.

Fortunately, Paul Halpern has come to save the world…with science…and a book with a really, really long title.

In his 262 page book, What’s Science Ever Done for Us: What The Simpsons Can Teach Us about Physics, Robots, Life and the Universe, Halpern explains the science of twenty six classic episodes of the show.

As any professor will attest, explaining complex things such as science means facing two serious challenges.

The first is presenting an explanation that is clear and comprehensible. All too often attempts to explain merely lead to greater confusions and naps. In some extreme cases, people are actually blinded with science.

The second challenge is providing an explanation that is interesting. Being a professor myself, I can attest to the fact that a dull explanation can render a class unconscious. So much so, that I am still researching ways to get certain lectures transformed into a pill form (next stop-FDA testing).

Fortunately, Halpern meets these two challenges and brutalizes them in way that would make the bully Nelson proud.

His explanations of complex scientific matters, such as genetics and androids, are eminently clear and comprehensible. So much so that even people with the intellectual horsepower of Homer should be able to grasp his lucid and concise accounts.

His explanations are also quite illustrating. In addition to making use of the appeal of the Simpsons (a brilliant marketing angle, by the way) he also enhances his accounts with clever wit and humor.

I strongly recommend the book to anyone who is a Simpsons’ fan. I also recommend it to anyone who wants to learn about science in a way that is interesting and not likely to cause blindness.
As Mr. Burns would say, this book is…excellent.

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