Archive for January, 2009

The Allure of the Unfalsifiable

Author: Hermiene

Jan 12

I have had an idea fermenting in my mind for a few years, and about a year ago I labeled it “the allure of the unfalsifiable” to myself. I can’t in any way claim to be the originator of the idea, because many others have expressed similar sentiments. The idea is this: an idea is alluring to us presicely because it’s unfalsifiable. If you don’t know how a camera or a television works it’s easier to assume that it’s run by magic than to understand about lenses, about shutters, about transistors and cathode ray tubes. Now, here comes the trick: if you don’t believe it’s run by magic then you can’t prove that it’s not, and this is why the magic theory of cameras is more alluring than the electricity theory of cameras. This works for any degree of knowledge about cameras (save for absolute knowledge, perhaps). Even if you know every detail of every pathway on every printed circut board in the camera, the hypothesis that it’s run by magic isn’t disproved. It’s diminished, to be sure, but the idea is still alluring, isn’t it?

  • Date: 12 Jan 2009
  • Categoriess: Philosophy

    • A Modest Introduction

    Author: Hermiene

    Jan 12

    My recently acquired and now very good friend Ryft Braeloch invited me to try out blogging here, so I’ll give it as good a shot as I can.

    I’m 23 years old, I live in Norway, and I work in a convenience store. I studied Web Programming for a year, but the college I went to, NITH, closed down. So instead of moving to Oslo (the capital of Norway) to continue, I opted to work for a year to save for tuition. I worked at Datakjeden for a year, but then things went kerblooey there and I quit.

    I enjoy honest discussion, reading books, spending time with good friends, and playing games (for the most part computer and videos games; I never got into tabletop games, something which I regret and will perhaps try to rectify).

    That should be it for a quick introduction. I’m sure I’ll contribute more to this blog in due time.

  • Date: 12 Jan 2009
  • Categoriess: Introspection