IB Theory of Knowledge - an ongoing list of interesting finds

The idea of a "mind's eye," or powerful visualization skills, is often seen as being at the centre of artistic creativity and can lead to a misconception that, without this ability, one cannot be creative. What happens, then, when some of the most creative minds in film today suffer from a condition called Aphantasia - the inability to visualize mental images? How can some of the chief artists and animators in the Pixar / Disney franchise create such powerful works of art with "blind mind's eye"?

Alex Rosenberg, a philosopher of science and a writer of historical fiction, "does not deny that stories can be wonderful as art and effective at eliciting emotions that then push action... but stories also lull us into a false sense of knowledge and fundamentally limit our understanding of the world." In this interview transcript , see how Rosenberg explains the impact of stories from a neuroscience perspective and encourages us to seek a balance between an engaging historical narrative and more factual / accurate retelling of events.

"(A)s artificial intelligence evolves and eventually perhaps reaches or surpasses human level intelligence, what will this mean for human artists and the creative industries in general?"   Through discussions of creativity, artificial intelligence and expressions of human experience, the article questions whether works of art produced by AIs are more than just "creative problem-solving" and the mimicking of patterns. 

For those interested in the "anti-vaxxer" debate, here is an article about parents in Ontario who have received judicial support to refuse immunization , even citing an anti-vaccination 'expert.' And in an ironic twist, the subheading reads:  "While the case was being heard, both children contracted whooping cough, one of the diseases covered by standard childhood vaccinations."  The article also contains a comprehensive infographic illustrating vaccination trends in Canada as well as comparative immunization rates against other countries. 

Languages around the world are dying, and dying fast .  "The grimmest predictions have 90 percent of the world's languages dying out by the end of this century. Although this might not seem important in the day-to-day life of an English speaker with no personal ties to the culture in which they’re spoken, language loss matters." National Geographic's page entitled " Enduring Voices " is a great resource to learn more about endangered languages.

Economist Keith Chen realized that there are innate differences in how he speaks in Chinese and in English.  He began to ask questions like "Is there a connection between language and how we think and behave? In particular, he wanted to know: does our language affect our economic decisions?" So he designed a study to look at how language might affect individual’s ability to save for the future. According to his results, it does — big time. Have a look at this blog post that explores Chen's ideas and also provides several examples of what research shows about the link between language and both psychology and behavior.

The death blow preserved at one particular site.  EXCERPT:  "New research released Friday captures a fossilized snapshot of the day nearly 66 million years ago when an asteroid smacked Earth, fire rained from the sky and the ground shook far worse than any modern earthquake. It was the day that nearly all life on Earth went extinct, including the dinosaurs. The researchers say they found evidence in North Dakota of the asteroid hit in Mexico, including fish with hot glass in their gills from flaming debris that showered back down on Earth. They also reported the discovery of charred trees, evidence of an inland tsunami and melted amber." Current controversy stems from the fact that access to the site is highly restricted and that, aside from the current researchers, the knowledge discovered has not and cannot be verified by other scientists or other experts.