This programme, in the generally brilliant BBC Analysis series, is a fascinating discussion of a ‘new’ approach to philosophy where researchers actually do experiments and are exploring the relationship between our ‘morals’ and our reason. What is great about it is that one is continuously wanting to chip in and say “yes but…”.
The thesis that how we feel effects our perception of the world and therefore how we feel about the world and therefore our perception of it in some big circle is hardly new from a Buddhist perspective. Putting someone in an NMR scanner seems an expensive and complex way to explore what millions of people do every day during mettā bhāvanā practice - that it is easier to feel compassion and loving kindness for someone close to you. Although I can’t demonstrate it rationally I ‘believe’ (or should that be feel) that a meditator probably has a greater understanding of the nature of compassion than the non-meditating experimental philosopher will ever have - even though they are essential pursuing the same goals. But here I am probably expressing my bias.
You can listen to the programme as a podcast or read the transcript. Certainly worth half an hour of anyone’s time.
Westminster Abbey
I just gave a talk at e-Biosphere ‘09 . This was a 15 minute talk to possibly the largest audience I have ever addressed (400ish). Several people asked for copies of the slides so here it is as a PDF.
Why you should care about data standards
The thought of recording audio to go with these slides scares me but perhaps I will do a SlideShare version of this in the future. In the meantime you will have to try and guess what I said by reading the slides. The bit with the sleeping bags is particularly sureal if you don’t have the comentary.
Ellinor Michel (ICZN) came up with an interesting alternative spin on my use of Newton’s “shoulders of giants” - that it was much to do with social competition and class. Newton was not very nice to some people - though this is all the subject of history and therefore revisable.
I’d be grateful for any thoughts/feedback.
For those not in London: The conference centre is directly opposite Westminster Abbey so if you step outside at the right moment it sounds like this: Westminster Abbey Chimes.
Inula hookeri
Until December 2010 I am employed as the project officer for Work Package 4 of the PESI project. My particular responsibility is the adoption of standards that will facilitate the integration of European, biological taxonomic data. The first deliverable of WP4 is a report on the current state of biodiversity standards and how they apply to PESI. This is very much a scoping document to outline what we need to do. In collaboration with my colleagues in WP4 and the wider project I have now submitted a final version of this document. It is for public consumption and you can read it here: wp41_pesi_standards_report_1_final_version.
(OK so Inula hookeri is not a European native but it is a naturalised alien in the UK and occurs in Euro+Med PlantBase and the picture fell to hand. The flies are probably two male Syrphus - perhaps S. ribesii, S. torvus, or S. vitripennnis - Thanks to Louis Boumans for the det.)
This talk has been put together for the LifeWatch WP5 workshop “Semantic Data Integration” taking place in IBED Nieuwe Achtergracht 166, 1018 WV Amsterdam between Monday 18 may 13:00 and Tuesday 19 may 15:00, 2009.
Having discovered Slideshare I am wondering whether I should put all talks together like this.
Saturday 24th May - I just played this through again and boy is it slow. Was I on valium when I recorded it? Was I in the bathroom? The content is still potentially interesting for some but I apologize for quality of the delivery!
