I'm not sure what I mean, but I think I'm asking what is the most fundamental fact needed to get more knowledge. Maybe something like "the cause of the universe" or something. 

and for one individual or as a collective? Your clarification wasn't all that clear... and I think what's the most important thing to know is highly subjective. Maybe one of the better things to know is that you know close to nothing in the grand sense of things and to think that you've figured it all out and settle in a fixed view of how the universe (or whatever) works is just plain silly (although it'd be convenient). 

of course, that's the point, why i asked all of yous... 

anything that we don't already know can't be too important, or else how could we have survived so long? 

How to whipe your own ass. I use that almost every day.

How can you avail yourself of such knowledge when there are little kids in daycares in Langford, Michigan who do not have this abilaty, and instead have rashy little sore bottoms. You should refrain from using this advantage until everyone is able to wipe their asses, justice demands it! Poop'n'Go!

I bet you horde toliet paper like some obscene capitalist pig too when there is someone stuck
in a McDonald's bathroom stall at this very moment that has ran of paper and shit out of luck. The unbelievable lack of a conscience
some people display for their fellow human. 

do you guys think about Maslow's hierarchy of needs, and "self-actualization"? i've been interested in it for a few years, now...

http://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Maslow%27s_hierarchy_of_needs&oldid=125745454

if it's plausible and/or true, what implications does it have for morality and value systems? 

I wonder what aliens would think when watching the earthlings and spotting stuff like this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zyyCcjbrWOM&feature=dir 

I wonder what aliens would think when watching the earthlings and spotting stuff like this

Since you ask, I find it to be mildly entertaining, and some of the balloons have pretty, colorful designs that make me chuckle a 'oh, might as well let them live another day, how much harm can they really do.' As long as you keep churning out decent whiskey, coke, and slutty chicks with daddy issues who are not put off by two prong prosthetic penises, you'll be safe from extermination from the rest of the universe. 

http://www.abc.net.au/rn/allinthemind/stories/2007/1907069.htm

music and language

http://www.abc.net.au/rn/philosopherszone/stories/2007/1916966.htm

mind and embodiment 

http://www.lrb.co.uk/v29/n10/fodo01_.html

Warning: Do not try to get me to defend this article I didn't write just because you don't agree with it. :) 

http://www.centauri-dreams.org/?p=1297 

interesting. Reminds me of some of the themes in the book Permutation City. 

nice, is that from L2? /me bookmarks that blog

(finally someone talking seriously about matroishki brains!) 

it's just a blog I have subscribed via RSS. Even pictures come in that way and it's updated regularly. Works fine in Opera.

I think it's true that in some sense, SETI will be surpassed by optical observations in a decade or two when we can actually see the extrasolar planets... 

Just browsed thru some old cybernetics stuff, and found this nice demonstration how science (and engineering) models work at distinct levels. Adjacent levels are inmiscible because of their fundamentally different approaches:
http://a.photos.cx/levels_of_modeling-a75.png 

But a nice discussion about decisions now affecting the future generations:
http://groups.google.com/group/globalchange/browse_thread/thread/c59cd7f688a576ba 

http://s3.amazonaws.com/graffiti/6ec00b94c0b1c60e29bb645832887f01_580x270.png 

... you might be interested in my new book =) together with two fellow philosophers i compiled 12 selftests that let you find out what type of philosopher you are:

http://www.philomat.de

have fun! 

http://images.ucomics.com/images/pdfs/sadams/godsdebris.pdf 

http://www.project-reason.org/newsfeed/item/moral_confusion_in_the_name_of_science3/

video is on top, with some responses to criticism below.

I think that if Harris's perspective can be advocated well enough to gain widespread acceptance, at least among smart people (who will then feel absolutely fine with discounting the moral perspective of a creationist as easily as their perspective on geology), society will be transformed in a positive way. 

I saw it, and also watched the debate on ABC with Sam Harris and Deepak Chopra, where he basically says the same thing against the inane ideas of Mr. Chopra. Both were awesome. 

 

Is a very smart guy.

That's the kind of mental versatility I always try to ape, before getting bogged down in pointlessness. 

Biased towards the North American POV. Not necessarily a bad place to start. Nor good - as he mentions with the lads mags <-> Burka brigade screen.

I can see why he needs to de-simplify what would be knee-jerk reactions in the comments below. 

to see the controversy over what harris has said recently - and mostly from smart people - ie scientists, not theologians. in the latest back/forth I saw a whole new level of empiricism vs idealism, of course the former has always has the "science: it works, bitches" argument on its side but harris carries that to a whole new level.