Words of Wisdom — June 30, 2014

Rene Descartes on Good Books

“The reading of all good books is indeed like a conversation with the noblest men of past centuries who were the authors of them, nay a carefully studied conversation, in which they reveal to us none but the best of their thoughts.” – Rene Descartes

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An AI-generated illustration of a man sitting at a desk, accompanied by thought-provoking poetry.

Thinking

Can AI write authentic poetry?

Cognitive psychologist and poet Keith Holyoak explores whether artificial intelligence could ever achieve poetic authenticity.

Charles bridge in prague, czech republic.

Neuropsych

An untold story of LSD psychotherapy in communist Czechoslovakia

Uncovering the story of Milan Hausner, the Sadská clinic, and LSD psychotherapy behind the Iron Curtain.

Aphantasia limits the ability to visualize a statue of a man in the mind's eye.

Neuropsych

My brain doesn’t picture things. What’s wrong with me?

I also can’t conjure sounds, smells, or any other kind of sensory stimulation inside my head. This is called “aphantasia.”

Neuropsych

The strange persistence of first languages

After my father died, my journey of rediscovery began with the Czech language.

"First Meal" - a gripping book unraveling the truth behind a wrongful conviction.

The Present

Arrogant certainty is the reason for wrongful convictions. Here’s how to fix it

Through humility, the old arrogance of infallibility crumbles. And in that there is genuine hope to prevent wrongful convictions.

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Surprising Science

New York Supreme Court: Towns Can Use Zoning to Ban Fracking

The New York Supreme Court struck a blow to the oil and gas industry today when it ruled that towns can use zoning ordinances to stop landowners from engaging in hydraulic fracturing, more colloquially known as fracking.