Fan Fear

I know I've already written off the Yankees for the year. I'm not going to set myself up for the heartbreak. But that said, as of this writing they've won their last 6 in a row and are a mere 6.5 games back of Boston. Now, I'm not saying they are going to win the division or anything, but I am starting to really believe that Red Sox fans are getting nervous. They sense something, feel it in their guts... They see the impending collapse on the horizon.

My pastor is Sox fan, God bless him. He can't help what he is. He was born and raised in western Massachusetts. He occasionally likes to make comments about the Yankees just before he starts his sermons, especially when they are doing poorly. He made a comment recently, something to the effect that "Gee, they're just 7.5 games out!" He meant it to show how far behind the Yankees were in that sarcastic sense. Only, that's not what I heard in his voice. I definitely sensed an underlying fear. I know it's there, even though he isn't likely to admit it. I strongly suspect this is the current state of many Red Sox fans. They might not even be ready to admit their fears to themselves.

Good News for Flying Smokers

The security theater (as opposed to real security) that is the TSA is now once again allowing non-torch lighters on airplanes after August 4th! Hurray!

I got a 38

Here's a quiz - name all 43 US presidents in 10 minutes. With my big BA in history, I still missed 5.

Five Sentences

Here's thought. Limit all your email to 5 sentences or less. Especially if you are sending one to me. I might try that with my blog entries. Nah.... [One more for good measure.]

USA! USA!

I am not at all ashamed to admit that we watched and cheered as Joey Chestnut brought back the most important title in all of sports to the USA, where it belongs.

It is no exaggeration to say that this was far more important to me than the Superbowl, the Stanley Cup, and NBA Championship combined. [Disclaimer: I don't care a bit about football, hockey, or basketball.]

Science and the Supernatural

Up for some heavy philosophical reading on the subject of the way science does and should view the supernatural? I'd highly recommend reading this article by a friend of mine, a philosophy professor at St John's University.

The paper is written in a style familiar to students of philosophy. This is really an excellent paper, and pretty accessible for a limited mind like mine - 3 years of philosophy courses in college certainly help. I could not have written it any better. In fact, I could not have written nearly as well.

I could probably have been swayed to the idea that "there is no conflict between methodological naturalism and the principles of discovery, evidence, and self-correction because there is something else about the supernatural that justifies its exclusion from science," but his case for indirect empirical observation of supernatural causes is reasonable - not necessary, per se, but possible. And if that's the case, then methodological neutrality is a much better stance than trying to justify methodological naturalism by limiting its scope.

I also really like the distinction between the "natural world" and the "actual world," with the latter being the appropriate study of realistic science.

I just recently finished Brian Greene's modern classic on particle physics / string theory - "The Elegant Universe." It's a great read, and I highly recommend it if you haven't read it already. But the relevant bit that strikes me is that Greene is very open and honest about how much of string theory and other scientific theories are driven by philosophical disposition rather than evidence. Scientists want the universe to be elegant, to have a coherent "theory of everything," much in the same way scientists of the 19th Century (and many today) want material determinism to be true because it fits their philosophical views.

I just hope scientists and philosophers read this paper and honestly consider it. It would certainly make science more robust and deliver the benefits outlined. It really sounds great in principle, however, I think there's more at work than getting people to acknowledge the superiority of methodological neutrality. Scientists, like all people, are filled with prejudices, aversions, and beliefs. To get the scientific community to largely move to methodological neutrality, you'd have to get through matters of the heart. Good luck achieving that through a philosophy paper!

Andrea Doria

Many people say that my name reminds them "of that ship," referring to the Andrea Doria. I knew a little about it before, but decided to do a little light reading and get smart on the subject. In any case, if you are interested, here's some info on the famous ship (there were other ships of the same name), and of the 16th Century Genoese naval hero for whom it is named.

As far as I know, there's no relation.

Colossal Seems Apt

Next time you think about swimming in the ocean, you may want to consider this bit of news.

NY Yankees

I have officially written them off this year. As I had this thought this morning, I spied a copy of the NY Daily News. They had the exact same realization as I did.

Gift Ideas?

In case you are wondering what you'd like to get me for a little gift, just about anything from this page will do.