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TED Talk: "A new equation for intelligence"
http://www.lifein19x19.com/viewtopic.php?f=10&t=9848		 Page 1 of 2
Author:  EdLee [ Tue Feb 11, 2014 1:39 pm ]
Post subject: 
Hi Marcel, thanks. Yes, the AGA e-Journal also mentioned that video last Saturday.
I felt a little funny about his name-dropping --
he first claimed his formula F = T ∇ Sτ "is probably the closest equivalent to E = mc2 for intelligence",
and ended by quoting Feynman and made his own "equivalent statement".
He also seemed to be reading from the teleprompter for the entire speech
(nothing particularly wrong with that -- many other TED speakers have done the same --
but it's one area he could improve if he wants to.)

Also, for a TED talk, a bit unusual to see the amount of negative posts in the Comments section.
Author:  Uberdude [ Tue Feb 11, 2014 2:29 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: TED Talk: "A new equation for intelligence"
TED isn't as good as it used to be...
Author:  DrStraw [ Tue Feb 11, 2014 3:37 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: TED Talk: "A new equation for intelligence"
Uberdude wrote:
TED isn't as good as it used to be...


I lost all faith in TED when it was revealed that they were banning talks on certain subjects which spoke out against the unethical behavior of their corporate sponsors. It is not longer a forum for the free exchange of ideas, but the mouthpiece for corporate control.
Author:  Bantari [ Tue Feb 11, 2014 4:18 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: TED Talk: "A new equation for intelligence"
DrStraw wrote:
Uberdude wrote:
TED isn't as good as it used to be...


I lost all faith in TED when it was revealed that they were banning talks on certain subjects which spoke out against the unethical behavior of their corporate sponsors. It is not longer a forum for the free exchange of ideas, but the mouthpiece for corporate control.


Hogwash.
The fact that you don't bite the hand that feeds you, even if the hand is dirty, does not mean that you are a "mouthpiece for corporate control."
Its a very juvenile approach, and I am sure there is an actual logical fallacy somewhere in there as well.

Having said that, I agree that TED is not quite what it used to be. Still, there is a lot of value in a lot of what they do.

PS>
If bashing TED is fashionable now, I apologize. I did not know.
Author:  DrStraw [ Tue Feb 11, 2014 4:32 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: TED Talk: "A new equation for intelligence"
Bantari wrote:
DrStraw wrote:
Uberdude wrote:
TED isn't as good as it used to be...


I lost all faith in TED when it was revealed that they were banning talks on certain subjects which spoke out against the unethical behavior of their corporate sponsors. It is not longer a forum for the free exchange of ideas, but the mouthpiece for corporate control.


Hogwash.
The fact that you don't bite the hand that feeds you, even if the hand is dirty, does not mean that you are a "mouthpiece for corporate control."
Its a very juvenile approach, and I am sure there is an actual logical fallacy somewhere in there as well.

Having said that, I agree that TED is not quite what it used to be. Still, there is a lot of value in a lot of what they do.

PS>
If bashing TED is fashionable now, I apologize. I did not know.


Not that I know of. But anything which, by policy, only presents one side of any discussion is subject to doubt.
Author:  Uberdude [ Tue Feb 11, 2014 4:43 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: TED Talk: "A new equation for intelligence"
Well, TED have expanded a lot and with all these TEDx offshoot conferences so it's hardly surprising the top-quality talks have been diluted with a load of lesser ones.
Author:  Boidhre [ Tue Feb 11, 2014 9:08 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: TED Talk: "A new equation for intelligence"
DrStraw wrote:
Not that I know of. But anything which, by policy, only presents one side of any discussion is subject to doubt.


It's not one side of all discussions though and doesn't impinge on discussions unrelated to the sponsors no?


Though I do think TED has gone downhill a lot over time.
Author:  SmoothOper [ Wed Feb 12, 2014 9:23 am ]
Post subject:  Re: TED Talk: "A new equation for intelligence"
I listened to a TED talk my wife was watching to learn some statistics. The lecturer was a statistician but his field was something related to intelligence. Awfully smarmy, and sort of pseudo intellectual, was my impression for someone that was giving a lecture on high school statistics, like correlations. Though, I don't doubt that they do know their audience.
Author:  Bantari [ Thu Feb 13, 2014 12:39 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: TED Talk: "A new equation for intelligence"
DrStraw wrote:
But anything which, by policy, only presents one side of any discussion is subject to doubt.

I completely agree with the above. And I notice you tuned down from "mouthpiece of corporate control" to "subject to doubt." Much more reasonable, I think.

What I disagree with is how do you draw this conclusion wrt TED. The fact that one subject is off-limits does not mean that everything else should automatically be in doubt.

For example, when I talk to some of my religiously fanatical friends, I refrain from voicing my highly non-religious views because I do not want to offend them (especially when they serve me dinner.) I do not see how from this you could conclude that everything else I say is "subject to doubt" or even a "mouthpiece" for some manipulative agenda.

Having said that, I agree that TED went down the tubes somewhat, but I think this was not avoidable in the long run. Everything eventually gets corrupted, and my feeling is that TED is by far not yet done sliding.
Author:  DrStraw [ Thu Feb 13, 2014 1:54 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: TED Talk: "A new equation for intelligence"
Here is the link I am referring to:
http://www.naturalnews.com/042112_TED_c ... _GMO.html#

The article starts out

Quote:
Allow me to be the first to announce that TED is dead. Why? Because the group that organizes so-called "TED talks" has been thoroughly hijacked by corporate junk science and now openly rejects any talks about GMOs, food as medicine, or even the subject of how food can help prevent behavioral disorders in children. All these areas of discussion are now red-flagged from being presented on any TED stage.

This is openly admitted by TEDx itself in a little-known letter publicly published on December 7, 2012. Click here to view the letter.

In that letter, TED says that people who talk about GMOs are engaged in "pseudoscience." Those who discuss the healing potential of foods are spreading "health hoaxes."

The letter also advises TEDx organizers to, "reject bad science, pseudoscience and health hoaxes," meaning anyone who talks about GMOs, "food as medicine" or similar topics.


Emphasis added by me. You can click on the link to read it all.
Author:  SmoothOper [ Thu Feb 13, 2014 3:09 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: TED Talk: "A new equation for intelligence"
Bantari wrote:
DrStraw wrote:
But anything which, by policy, only presents one side of any discussion is subject to doubt.

I completely agree with the above. And I notice you tuned down from "mouthpiece of corporate control" to "subject to doubt." Much more reasonable, I think.

What I disagree with is how do you draw this conclusion wrt TED. The fact that one subject is off-limits does not mean that everything else should automatically be in doubt.

For example, when I talk to some of my religiously fanatical friends, I refrain from voicing my highly non-religious views because I do not want to offend them (especially when they serve me dinner.) I do not see how from this you could conclude that everything else I say is "subject to doubt" or even a "mouthpiece" for some manipulative agenda.

Having said that, I agree that TED went down the tubes somewhat, but I think this was not avoidable in the long run. Everything eventually gets corrupted, and my feeling is that TED is by far not yet done sliding.


Would you say its fair to call TED talks nothing more than marketing and advertising? I think it really does raise a red flag, when you no longer have at least plausible academic freedom, under the auspice of providing an academic service. And I don't see how corporate sponsors breathing down your neck could be any better than the King of England or the Pope, in those regards. No don't teach legitimate statistics people might be able to figure out the problems with our trials. Don't teach critical thinking, they might figure out vitamins prevent illness.
Author:  leichtloeslich [ Thu Feb 13, 2014 3:16 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: TED Talk: "A new equation for intelligence"
DrStraw wrote:
naturalnews.com


en.wikipedia wrote:
NaturalNews (formerly Newstarget) is a website operated by Mike Adams. It is dedicated to alternative medicine and various conspiracy theories, such as "chemtrails", the alleged dangers of fluoride in drinking water, (as well as those of monosodium glutamate and aspartame) and alleged health problems caused by "toxic" ingredients in vaccines, including the now-discredited link to autism.

[...]

It defends Andrew Wakefield's fraudulent 1998 study linking autism to vaccinations, is outspoken against gun control, Transportation Security Administration screening procedures, and genetically modified organisms, and claims that CT scans and mammograms cause cancer. It claims that amalgam fillings are dangerous and need to be removed and defends Scientology, but its primary purpose is the promotion of alternative medicine and (often controversial) nutrition claims.

[...]

David Gorski of ScienceBlogs called the site "one of the most wretched hives of scum and quackery on the Internet," and the most "blatant purveyor of the worst kind of quackery and paranoid anti-physician and anti-medicine conspiracy theories anywhere on the Internet". Peter Bowditch of the website Ratbags, and Jeff McMahon writing for Forbes commented about the site. Steven Novella of NeuroLogica Blog called NaturalNews "a crank alt med site that promotes every sort of medical nonsense imaginable. If it is unscientific, antiscientific, conspiracy-mongering, or downright silly, Mike Adams appears to be all for it – whatever sells the "natural" products he hawks on his site."



Quote:
dangers of fluoride in drinking water

Image
Author:  Uberdude [ Thu Feb 13, 2014 3:21 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: TED Talk: "A new equation for intelligence"
http://www.naturalnews.com/About.html wrote:
The site strongly criticizes drugs-and-surgery medicine, vaccines,...

:shock: :lol:
An organisation that dismisses drugs, surgery and vaccines seems rather more than "subject to doubt".

Edit: and now that I read most of the article and referenced TED letter I was going to say basically what Bantari already has below.
Author:  Bantari [ Thu Feb 13, 2014 3:40 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: TED Talk: "A new equation for intelligence"
DrStraw wrote:
Here is the link I am referring to:
http://www.naturalnews.com/042112_TED_c ... _GMO.html#

The article starts out

Quote:
Allow me to be the first to announce that TED is dead. Why? Because the group that organizes so-called "TED talks" has been thoroughly hijacked by corporate junk science and now openly rejects any talks about GMOs, food as medicine, or even the subject of how food can help prevent behavioral disorders in children. All these areas of discussion are now red-flagged from being presented on any TED stage.

This is openly admitted by TEDx itself in a little-known letter publicly published on December 7, 2012. Click here to view the letter.

In that letter, TED says that people who talk about GMOs are engaged in "pseudoscience." Those who discuss the healing potential of foods are spreading "health hoaxes."

The letter also advises TEDx organizers to, "reject bad science, pseudoscience and health hoaxes," meaning anyone who talks about GMOs, "food as medicine" or similar topics.


Emphasis added by me. You can click on the link to read it all.


Thanks for publishing that. Interesting read. And very ironic that the writer of this article accuses TED of things (being dead, banning certain topics, etc.) based on a conclusion taken from a source (the letter) which says nothing of the sort. Reminds me of the talks we have with MagicWand about global warming and all the spin and fact-twisting presented on this topic by the right-wing machine.

Question: did you even read the letter to TED and TED's response, the one the article you give is apparently based on? As a matter of fact, TED clearly stated that they do *no* ban topics, and there seems to be nothing in the letter which says they do. We can believe them or not, of course, but you cannot cite such thing as "proof" that TED bans issues. From my read, what the letter is all about is that certain pieces of "bad science" have occasionally appeared on TED - and which TED claims are now removed. The letter to TED is meant to spark discussion about good and bad science, not accuse TED of banning subjects, from what the author says herself.

To use such material to conclude that "TED is dead" or "thoroughly hijacked by corporate junk science" is very bad science, I would say. And to claim that it "openly rejects any talks about GMOs, food as medicine, or even the subject of how food can help prevent behavioral disorders in children" when the very letter you quote gives examples of articles on TED discussing just that - this is simply aiming at the lowest common denominator and at people who are to lazy to read or think and just follow the first thing they see.

So, all in all, while it was an interesting read, I consider this article to be absolutely worthless in terms of any factual information presented with any kind of integrity. It is clearly a gripe by somebody reaching out to draw certain conclusions out of facts that actually contradict it - and then hoping people will fall for it.

Pretty disappointing. Not sure why you brought it up.
Author:  DrStraw [ Thu Feb 13, 2014 4:35 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: TED Talk: "A new equation for intelligence"
Bantari,
When the sponsors of TED get to decide that anything going against them is bad science then we really have a problem. What is wrong with presenting all views and letting people decide for themselves? Oh, I forget: thinking people are dangerous to those in control.

leichtloeslich,
The wiki entry is just a joke, trying to claim that numerous things are conspiracy theories just because they don't tow the official line. The official line is designed to control people so obviously they cannot let anyone question what they say.

Uberdude:
"An organisation that dismisses drugs, surgery and vaccines seems rather more than "subject to doubt"."
They are not dismissed as much as seriously questioned. I refuse any drugs or vaccines unless absolutely essential, and have had none of either in many, many years. I've needed neither and have not got sick. Living a healthy lifestyle minimizes the need for them. Sure, I may have got a little lucky, but then you make your own luck, don't you.
Author:  SmoothOper [ Thu Feb 13, 2014 4:51 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: TED Talk: "A new equation for intelligence"
Uberdude wrote:
and vaccines seems rather more than "subject to doubt".



Maybe one of Bill Gate's colleagues, friends or relatives will pipe up, and explain his philanthropy more thoroughly, however the problem with corporate structures in instances like these is precisely that there are little profits to be gained by administering vaccines, so there are little incentive to promote such knowledge however valid the science is.
Author:  Uberdude [ Thu Feb 13, 2014 5:02 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: TED Talk: "A new equation for intelligence"
DrStraw, the site itself says they aren't just questioned but "strongly criticize[d]". I changed the verb for variety, I shouldn't have. As part of your fortunate good health you don't have and can't get smallpox, a horrible disease the eradication of which through vaccination I'd call one of (evil mainstream) medicine's great achievements.
Author:  lemmata [ Thu Feb 13, 2014 6:00 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: TED Talk: "A new equation for intelligence"
An alternate view.
Author:  DrStraw [ Thu Feb 13, 2014 6:05 pm ]
Post subject:  Re: TED Talk: "A new equation for intelligence"
Uberdude wrote:
DrStraw, the site itself says they aren't just questioned but "strongly criticize[d]". I changed the verb for variety, I shouldn't have. As part of your fortunate good health you don't have and can't get smallpox, a horrible disease the eradication of which through vaccination I'd call one of (evil mainstream) medicine's great achievements.


I did say unless absolutely essential. I am only 95% Luddite. But flu shots and similar for humans, and most shots for pets, are more dangerous then beneficial.

Also, that web site happened to be the one I found when I did a search. There are probably others, although it is the one I originally got the story from. I read it regularly and he makes way more sense than most people.
Author:  badukJr [ Sat Feb 15, 2014 9:55 am ]
Post subject:  Re: TED Talk: "A new equation for intelligence"
lemmata wrote:
An alternate view.


Its really hard to take any commentary seriously where they refute a mathematical argument with a couple of handwavey sentences. "Oh, everyone knows a pole doesn't balance on a cart, so this is wrong"

It seems like these author's articles are always like that, they attack mathematically heavy work with words only - as if it will somehow prove the math wrong. Its very strange.
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