Month: January 2023

MICHAEL SHERMER ~ AN EXGESIS OF WHY AND HOW WE ARE MORAL ~ THE SCIENCE OF GOOD & EVIL ~ 2004

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~ MN ~ MORAL NATURALISM

~ WTIAGONIITTT-BISOAANO-AEH-NC-STSA ~ Whether There Is A God Or Not – Is Irrelevant To The Theory – Because – In Science Our Approach Is A Naturalistic One – All Effects Have – Natural Causes – Subject To Scientific Analysis

~ AN EVOLVED MORAL SENSE

~ MSIH-AMPIHG-E-PTTFONSOOI-A-S-TTFO-GSOOP ~ Moral Sentiments In Humans – And – Moral Principles In Human Groups – Evolved – Primarily – Through The Force Of Natural Selection Operating On Individuals – And – Secondarily – Through The Force Of – Group Selection Operating On Populations

~ AEMS ~ AN EVOLVED MORAL SOCIETY

~ HEAASPSWAAHON-F-S-SOTI-T-TEOTITTF-T-ASOBWTEF-T-TRAOTC-T-IAOS-T-SA-A-B-AAOOMOTSABCTD ~ Humans Evolved As A Social Primate Species With An Ascending Hierarchy Of Needs – From – Self-Survival Of The Individual – To – The Extension Of The Individual Through The Family – To – A Sense Of Bonding With The Extended Family – To – The Reciprocal Altruism Of The Community – To – Indirect Altruism Of Society – To – Species Altruism And Bioaltruism – As Awareness Of Our Membership Of The Species – And – Biosphere Continues To Develop

~ T-BB-HN-A-MF-ALU-BC-W-TM-SAC-HN-A-MF-ALU-CC ~ The – Most Basic – Human Needs – And – Moral Feelings – Are Largely Under – Biological Control – Whereas – The More – Social And Cultural – Human Needs – And – Moral Feelings – Are Largely Under – Cultural Control

~ TNOMN ~ THE NATURE OF MORAL NATURE

~ H-A-BN-MAI-GAE/AAS/CAC/PAB/VAN-SMTVWI-AWA-WAB-G ~ Humans – Are – By Nature – Moral And Immoral / Good And Evil / Altruistic And Selfish / Cooperative And Competitive / Peaceful And Bellicose / Virtuous And Nonvirtuous – Such Moral Traits Vary Within Individuals – As Well As – Within And Between – Groups

~ PM ~ PROVISIONAL MORALITY

~ MP-A-PT-TI-TAT-MP-I-MC-I-MC-MOTT ~ Moral Principles – Are – Provisionally True – That Is – They Apply To – Most People – In – Most Cultures – In – Most Circumstances – Most Of The Time

~ PRAW ~ PROVISIONAL RIGHT AND WRONG

~ A-FP:TFOWAAI-ROW-AF ~ Ask-First Principle: To Find Out Whether An Action Is – Right Or Wrong – Ask First

~ HP:IIAHMPTASHWSEHIM-A-NSHWILTSEU ~ Happiness Principle: It Is A Higher Moral Principle To Always Seek Happiness With Someone Else’s Happiness In Mind – And – Never Seek Happiness When It Leads To Someone Else’s Unhappiness

~ LP:IIAHMPTASLWSELIM-A-NSLWILTSELOL ~ Liberty Principle: It Is A Higher Moral Principle To Always Seek Liberty With Someone Else’s Liberty In Mind – And – Never Seek Liberty When It Leads To Someone Else’s Loss Of Liberty

~ MP:WIPD-EITDOAINV-A-MITPOEINV ~ Moderation Principle: When Innocent People Die – Extremism In The Defense Of Anything Is No Virtue – And – Moderation In The Protection Of Everything Is No Vice

~PJ ~ PROVISIONAL JUSTICE

~ AWAAST-LON-A-FO-C-A-H-TSO-TAB-WA-FMA-RFOA-TI-C-A-SJ-WHCTPFO-RAG-A-A-RAP-SATTIAL-PJ-IN-HAN ~ Although We Are All Subject To – Laws Of Nature – And – Forces Of – Culture – And – History – That Shape Our – Thoughts And Behaviors – We Are– Free Moral Agents – Responsible For Our Actions – There Is – Individual Culpability – And – Social Justice – Within Human Communities That Produce Feelings Of – Righteousness And Guilt – And – Administer – Rewards And Punishments – Such That There Is At Least – Provisional Justice – In The – Here And Now

~ EEE ~ ENNOBLING EVOLUTIONARY ETHICS

~ AA-EMOHP-T-MS-T-IAG-A-BTTS-POTIFO-E/H/C ~ As An – Evolved Mechanism Of Human Psychology – The – Moral Sense – Transcends – Individuals And Groups – And – Belongs To The Species – Products Of The Impersonal Forces Of – Evolution / History / Culture

MICHAEL SHERMER ~ THE SCIENCE OF GOOD & EVIL ~ 2004 ~ 999

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~ TBA-FFMA-OCPAMPHDBF-MP-R-MR ~ To Be A – Fully Functioning Moral Agent – One Cannot Passively Accept Moral Principles Handed Down By Fiat – Moral Principles – Require – Moral Reasoning
~ M:RAW-TAB-ITCOTROASG ~ Morality: Right And Wrong – Thoughts And Behaviors – In The Context Of The Rules Of A Social Group
~ E:T-SS-O-A-TA-M-TAB-ITCOTROASG ~ Ethics: The – Scientific Study – Of – And – Theories About – Moral – Thoughts And Behaviors – In The Context Of The Rules Of A Social Group
~ LBTW-S-ECR-FT-POBF-HDVMO-BC-T-FG-A-T-A-EX-A-A-OV ~ Long Before There Were – State-Enforced Constitutional Rights – For The – Protection Of Basic Freedoms – Humans Devised Various Mechanisms Of – Behavioral Control – To – Facilitate Goodwill – And – To – Attenuate – Excessive Greed – Avarice – And – Other Vices
~ T-RF-O-H-VAV-SAS-IF-IA-COAIP-O-MAI-B ~ The – Religious Foundation – Of – Human – Virtues And Vices – Saints And Sinners – In Fact – Is A – Codification Of An Informal Psychology – Of – Moral And Immoral – Behavior
~ HAA-HS-PS-AAS-RAM-AA-SS-T-ET ~ Humans Are A – Hierarchical Social – Primate Species – And As Such – We Need – Rules And Morals – And A – Social Structure – To – Enforce Them
~ RMS-SATEI-J/C/I-A-MO-EMS-SATEBIP(TMROOPS)A-TOMO~ Religious Moral Systems – Such As Those Expressed In – Judaism / Christianity / Islam – Are – Millennia Old – Evolutionary Moral Systems – Such As Those Expressed By Indigenous Peoples (The Modern Remnants Of Paleolithic Societies) Are – Tens Of Millennia Old
~ W-Q-ADF-H-Q ~ Why – Questions – Are Different From – How – Questions
~ AHSACH ~ All Humans Share A Common Humanity
~ WCCA-MS-TIN-DA-N-IR-A-PM-FAAOS-TP-EE-A-A-RBFB-SASOM-SAM-UAY-E-AETW-ET-W-BAS-O-MOTS-A-O-AS ~ We Can Construct A – Moral System – That Is Neither –Dogmatically Absolute – Nor – Irrationally Relative – A – Provisional Morality – For An Age Of Science – That Provides – Empirical Evidence – And – A – Rational Basis For Belief – Such A System Of Morality – Suggests A More – Universal And Tolerant – Ethic – An Ethic That Will – Ensure The – Well-Being And Survival – Of – All Members Of The Species – And – Of – All Species
~ M-ITEDO-HS ~ Morality – Is The Exclusive Domain Of – Homo Sapiens
~ AA-I-HA-A-JTTS-A-ITOT-CIAGS ~ All Animals – Including – Human Animals – Are – Just Trying To Survive – And – It Turns Out That – Cooperation Is A Good Strategy
~ IATTSOPP-R-HASAAIO-SO-A-BC-TROPMS-A-TPONO-BACRO-R-L-O;T-C-S-SAM-N-A-WT-IOW-L-C-T-I-S-SAT ~ In Addition To The Sanction Of Political Power – Religion – Has Also Served As An Institution Of – Social Order – And – Behavior Control – The Reinforcement Of Positive Moral Sentiments – And – The Punishment Of Negative Ones – Became A Central Role Of – Religious – Leaders – And – Organizations; They – Codified – Subjective – Social And Moral – Norms – And – With The – Invention Of Writing – Literally – Canonized – Them – In – Sacred – Scrolls And Texts
~ TWO-GAM ~ The Wedding Of – God And Mammon
~ B-SS-‘LTN’-M-O-IF/EF/C-‘O-G’-WTBDWC-TWT-CWF-DBWWC ~ Before State – Societies – “Love The Neighbor” – Meant – One’s – Immediate Family / Extended Family / Community – “Out-Groupers” – Were To Be Dealt With Cautiously – Trust Was Tentative – Conflict Was Frequent – Death By War Was Common
~ M-A-T-MN-150 ~ Morality – And – The – Magic Number – 150
~ LO-SGS-A-RTTCCO-HM-AT-HADEB-ITOT-150-IRTNOLD-C/G/GC-A-PC-WPIFG-AT-B-O-H-G-P ~ ~ Limits On – Social Group Size – Are – Related To The Carrying Capacity Of – Human Memory – And Thus – Have A Deep Evolutionary Basis – It Turns Out That – 150 – Is Roughly The Number Of Living Descendants – Children / Grandchildren / Great-Grandchildren – A – Paleolithic Couple – Would Produce In Four Generations – At The – Birthrate – Of – Hunter-Gather – Peoples
~ WGGL-TSISG-W?-TAI-MD-A-BC-OGE-200P-A-HS-INT-ETROC-A-TDWO-WITSGCBDWT-IPC-A-SP ~ When Groups Get Large – They Split Into Smaller Groups – Why? – The Answer Is – Moral Discipline – And – Behavior Control – Once Groups Exceed – 200 People – A – Hierarchical Structure – Is Needed To – Enforce The Rules Of Cooperation – And – To Deal With Offenders – Who In The Smaller Group Could Be Dealt With Through – Informal Personal Contracts – And – Social Pressure
~ IOTPTGO-R-YNTK-WBNS-A-WYWTTSY-TIIGTTSAOP-MCKA-G-ATO-SC-TC-CN ~ In Order To Play The Game Of – Reciprocation – You Need To Know – Whose Back Needs Scratching – And – Who You Will Trust To Scratch Yours – This Information Is Gathered Through Telling Stories About Other People – More Commonly Known As – Gossip – A Tool Of – Social Control – Through Communicating – Cultural Norms
~ M-S-A-B-WI-CI-ES-B-R-REAT-SS-T-ETROHI ~ Moral – Sentiments – And – Behaviors – Were Initially – Codified Into – Ethical Systems – By – Religion – Religion Emerged As The – Social Structure – To – Enforce The Rules Of Human Interactions
~ W-BAT-GWT-CAS-RDATP-SI-TF-CAG-ITSB-EAAS-D-EGAS-P-COC-A-RTLOCTTGT-SE-S-RR ~ ~ When – Bands And Tribes – Gave Way To – Chiefdoms And States – Religion Developed As The Principal – Social Institution – To Facilitate – Cooperation And Goodwill – It Di So By – Encouraging – Altruism And Selflessness – Discouraging – Excessive Greed And Selfishness – Promoting – Cooperation Over Competition – And – Revealing The Level Of Commitment To The Group Through – Social Events – And – Religious Rituals
~ PC-WPMB-NS-NC-A-MS-WAA-PSB-CS ~ Paleolithic Communities – Were Primarily Molded By – Natural Selection – Neolithic Communities – And – Modern Societies – Were And Are – Primarily Shaped By – Cultural Selection
~ IIAMAPO-HN-TBMAIITB-H/H/J/IL ~ It Is As Much A Part Of – Human Nature – To Be Moral As It Is To Be – Hungry / Horny / Jealous / In Love
~ TNCWGOWWAATDO-ALLTBEIYABTDY-LANLITBTL ~ The Normal Cues We Give Off When We Are Attempting To Deceive Others – Are Less Likely To Be Expressed If You Actually Believe The Deception Yourself – Liars Are Not Liars If They Believe The Lie
~ T-COMP-EAAFO-SC-TE-TSOIWG-A-TSOHGT ~ The – Codification Of Moral Principles – Evolved As A Form Of – Social Control – To Ensure – The Survival Of Individuals Within Groups – And – The Survival Of Human Groups Themselves
~ TM-O-PE ~ The Myth – Of – Pure Evil
~ TIN-SF-OOTRO-T-KL-O-N-A-HB-TWCC-E ~ There Is No – Supernatural Force – Operating Outside The Realm Of – The – Known Laws – Of – Nature – And – Human Behavior – That We Can Call – Evil
~ TCS-‘E’-DNLUTADUOTCOEB ~ To Call Something – “Evil” – Does Not Lead Us To A Deeper Understanding Of The Cause Of Evil Behavior
~ ITWNH-TWBNE ~ If There Were No Humans – There Would Be No Evil
~ WETB-M-B-HTCTB-I-SOTT-ISC-WSP-WDAOOUTIAGS-WDOA-CAOV ~ We Evolved To Be – Moral – But – Have The Capacity To Be – Immoral – Some Of The Time – In Some Circumstances – With Some People – Which Direction Any One Of Us Takes In Any Given Situation – Will Depend On A – Complex Array Of Variables
~ FW-HUA-A-FW-IFO-D-A-MC-FOTCW ~ Free Will – Holds Us Accountable – Abandon – Free Will – In Favor Of – Determinism – And – Moral Culpability – Flies Out The Courtroom Window
~ FW-AA-UF-WNAAIYDH-FW-GT-EG-A-SB-TGAWI? ~ Free Will – As A – Useful Fiction – Why Not Act As If You Do Have – Free Will – Gaining The – Emotional Gratification – And – Social Benefits – That Go Along With It?
~ CWCAESWR? ~ Can We Construct An Ethical System Without Religion?
~ IIAHLOM-TB-GFIOS-T-FTCIMB ~ It Is A Higher Level Of Morality – To Be – Good For Its Own Sake – Than – For The Consequences It May Bring
~ PMP:AFMPIMCMOTT-Y-FETAFTWDOH-B/C/C ~ Provisional Moral Principles: Applicable For Most People In Most Circumstances Most Of The Time – Yet – Flexible Enough To Account For The Wide Diversity Of Human – Behavior / Culture / Circumstances
~ B-CMBAS? ~ But – Can Morality Become A Science?
~ EUSCSAU ~ Even Unattended Stimuli Can Subtly Affect Us
~MJ-IN-CR-II-IE ~ Moral Judgment – Is Not – Calculatingly Rational – It Is – Intuitively Emotional
~ CB-PAPRIO-MI ~ Cognitive Biases – Play A Powerful Role In Our – Moral Intuitions
~ PE-A-PJ-ATBWCD-ALAHC-STWM-PTIMB ~ Provisional Ethics – And – Provisional Justice – Are The Best We Can Do – As Long As Humanity Continues – So Too Will Morality – Provisional Though It May Be
~ WCAPBM ~ We Can Also Practice Being Moral

MICHAEL SHERMER ~ PROVISIONAL RIGHT AND WRONG ~ THE SCIENCE OF GOOD & EVIL ~ 2004

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~ A-FP ~ ASK-FIRST PRINCIPLE
~ TFOWAAIROW-AF ~ To Find Out Whether An Action Is Right Or Wrong – Ask First
~ HP ~ HAPPINESS PRINCIPLE
~ IIAHMPTAWHWSEHIM-A-NSHWILTSEU ~ It Is A Higher Moral Principle To Always Seek Happiness With Someone Else’s Happiness In Mind – And – Never Seek Happiness When It Leads To Someone Else’s Unhappiness
~ LP ~ LIBERTY PRINCIPLE
~ IIAHMPTASLWSELIM-A-NSLWILTSELOL ~ It Is A Higher Moral Principle To Always Seek Liberty With Someone Else’s Liberty In Mind – And – Never Seek Liberty When It Leads To Someone Else’s Loss Of Liberty
~ MP ~ MODERATION PRINCIPLE
~ WIPD-EITDOAINV-A-MITPOEINV ~ When Innocent People Die – Extremism In The Defense Of Anything Is No Virtue – And – Moderation In The Protection Of Everything Is No Vice

NICHOLAS CARR ~ AUTOMATION COMPLACENCY / AUTOMATION BIAS ~ THE GLASS CAGE ~ 2014

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~AC-PBSTOTTTTAOWGOATF-TTO-IAPSCU-TMAB-A-WPMTTRT ~ Automation Complacency – People Become So Trusting Of The Technology That Their Awareness Of What’s Going On Around Them Fades – They Tune Out – If A Problem Suddenly Crops Up – They May Act Bewildered – And – Waste Precious Moments Trying To Reorient Themselves

~ AB-WPGUWTTICTTM-EW-TIIWOM-T-IOD-OSOI ~ Automation Bias – When People Give Undue Weight To The Information Coming Through Their Monitors – Even When – The Information Is Wrong Or Misleading – They – Ignore Or Discount – Other Sources Of Information

NICHOLAS CARR ~ THE GLASS CAGE ~ 2014

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~ AHC-ACTATOO-W/T/L-IC-NOP-A-LOC-ICOUT-SAM ~ Automation’s Human Consequences – Automation Can Take A Toll On Our – Work / Talents / Lives – It Can – Narrow Our Perspectives – And – Limit Our Choices – It Can Open Us To – Surveillance And Manipulation

~ ACB-O-CC-O-FOH-ISWTTACLAEHT-C-WWDAWWA ~ As Computers Become – Our – Constant Companions – Our – Familiar Obliging Helpmates – It Seems Wise To Take A Closer Look At Exactly How They’re – Changing – What We Do And Who We Are

~ HDYT-TI-I-TLOC-IT-R-S-B-S-I-O-AA? ~ How Do You Translate – The Ineffable – Into – Lines Of Code – Into The – Rigid – Step-By-Step – Instructions – Of – An Algorithm?

~ MOTCTWCUH-ITO-AAB-OCGQE-TCBTMOAT-SP-MJ-A-LFE ~ Many Of The Cognitive Talents We’ve Considered Uniquely Human – It Turns Out – Are Anything But – Once Computers Get Quick Enough – They Can Begin To Mimic Our Ability To – Spot Patterns – Make Judgments – And – Learn From Experience

~ ALOTVSTTPD-DARAB ~ A Lot Of The Very Smart Things That People Do – Don’t Actually Require A Brain

~ CAA-W-OAS-IBMBS ~ Creative And Analytical – Work – Of All Sorts – Is Being Mediated By Software

~ TTWAIT-IOGUWWDN-ATCOWWD ~ The Trouble With Automation Is That – It Often Gives Us What We Don’t Need – At The Cost Of What We Do

~ E-HTA-A-O-S-C-KW-ASTWCB-D-SS-TTTMOJIA-D-PR ~ Even – Highly Trained Analysts – And – Other – So-Called – Knowledge Workers – Are Seeing Their Work Circumscribed By – Decision-Support Systems – That Turn The Making Of Judments Into A – Data-Processing Routine

~ BTODOT-CT-O-SRTTLO-TSMIELLTW-EIE-T-TOS-A-GUASO-AAS-ATO-AFUFTWMUFF ~ By Taking Over Difficult Or Time-Consuming Tasks – Or – Simply Rendering Those Task Less Onerous – The Software Makes It Even Less Likely That We’ll – Engage In Efforts – That – Test Our Skills – And – Give Us A Sense Of – Accomplishment And Satisfaction – All Too Often – Automation Frees Us From That Which Makes Us Feel Free

~ DW-A-CROU-DW-A-SUOTMCAFE-TCAHTPD-TPCAEH-HDYMTEO-AEOEAE-O-AWOAAA-O-ASDOS? ~ Deployed Wisely – Automation – Can Relieve Of Us – Drudge Work – And – Spur Us On To More Challenging And Fulfilling Endeavors – The Costs Are Harder To Pin Down – The Personal Costs Are Even Hazier – How Do You Measure The Expense Of – An Erosion Of Effort And Engagement – Or – A Waning Of Agency And Autonomy – Or – A Subtle Deterioration Of Skill?

~ TCWM-O-FTM-AWTWHOTC-A-WTKFO-ANJ-POEC-T-EC-TS-TSOOL-A-TPWMFOITW ~ The Choices We Make – Or – Fail To Make – About Which Tasks We Hand Off To Computers – And – Which To Keep For Ourselves – Are Not Just – Practical Or Economic Choices – They’re – Ethical Choices – They Shape – The Substance Of Our Lives – And – The Place We Make For Ourselves In The World

~WD-HB-M? ~ WD-HB-M? ~ What Does – Human Being – Mean?

~ TRATG ~ The Robot At The Gate

~ TEBSLTGOFTTLF-IAAS-PCWTWCTP ~ The Economy’s Bounties Seem Likely To Go On Flowing To The Lucky Few – In An Automated System – Power Concentrates With Those Who Control The Programming

~ E-TMPS-ENMCT-AH ~ Even – The Most Powerful Supercomputer – Evidence No More Consciousness Than – A Hammer

~ TMEO-AEOS/ADOP/ASOR-SGUAP-A-GC-CABA-CG ~ The Mounting Evidence Of – An Erosion Of Skills / A Dulling Of Perception / A Slowing Of Reactions – Should Give Us All Pause – *A – Glass Cockpit – Can Also Be A – Glass Cage

~ TDE-A-LSD-DJPASFSICOAJ-IATCOTET-IT-R/A/S-O-TPWTPII-ARBWAW ~ The Degeneration Effect – A – Labor-Saving Device – Doesn’t Just Provide A Substitute For Some Isolated Component Of A Job – It Alters The Character Of The Entire Task – Including The – Roles / Attitudes / Skill – Of – The People Who Take Part In It – Automation Remakes Both Work And Worker

~ IBATPI-TER-TC-ABITP-C/L-I ~ In Bringing A Third Party Into – The Exam Room – The Computer – Also Brings In That Party’s – Commercial / Legal – Interests

~ PASBDAP-A-YPDBT ~ Put A Screen Between Doctor And Patient – And – You Put Distance Between Them

~ TGINL-TRTPOHT-TSBOK-B-R-TRIR ~ The Goal Is No Longer – To Replicate The Process Of Human Thought – That’s Still Beyond Our Ken – But – Rather – To Replicate Its Results

~ TSAAEOCC-CM-LAD-IT-UD-NTM-IITDMAT ~ The Speed And Apparent Exactitude Of Computer Calculations – Can Mask – Limitations And Distortions – In The – Underlying Data – Not To Mention – Imperfections In The Data-Mining Algorithms Themselves

~ ALDSHAAOSCAWTRO-INHTBMBMC ~ Any Large Data Set Holds An Abundance Of Spurious Correlations Along With The Reliable Ones – It’s Not Hard To Be Misled By Mere Coincidence

~ TL-O-ODD-WHUSA-MD-MTTBVTO-F/H/W-B ~ TL-O-ODD-WHUSA-MD-MTTBVTO-F/H/W-B ~ The Labors – Our – Obliging Digital Deities – Would Have Us See As – Mere Drudgery – May Turnout To Be Vital To Our – Fitness / Happiness / Well-Being

~ OB-IBE-T-OIOISFOB-LUTDTIOIOWTWOT ~ Our Belief – Intuitive But Erroneous – That – Our Intellect Operates In Isolation From Our Body – Leads Us To Discount The Importance Of Involving Ourselves With The World Of Things

~ TAWT-BTGC-WL-TMBCGU ~ There Are Ways To – Break The Glass Cage – Without Losing – The Many Benefits Computers Grant Us

~ AFTP ~ Automation For The People

~ MSTFOTM-SOL0ETM-AT-W-BD/M/EACOCNA ~ Machines Share The Fallibility Of Their Makers – Sooner Or Later – Even The Most – Advanced Technology – Will – Break Down / Misfire – Encounter A – Cluster Of Circumstances – Never Anticipated

~ DA-MWGYTRDAT-MOTT-B-IYP-SOS-DFT-PP-YGTBGT-DH-W-TITER-T-RAO-T-CC ~ Doctor Algorithm – May Well Give You The Right Diagnosis And Treatment – Most Of The Time – But – If Your Particular – Set Of Symptoms – Doesn’t Fit The – Probability Profile – You’re Going To Be Glad That – Doctor Human – Was – There In The Examination Room – To – Review And Overrule – The – Computer’s Calculations

~ A-AT-B-MC-A-MI-TPSOFM-VBHTDT-TE ~ As – Automation Technologies – Become – More Complicated – And – More Interconnected – The Potential Sources Of Failure Multiply – Vulnerabilities Become Harder To Discern Too – Tested Exhaustively

~ A-S-E/O-I-SD-A-G-BI-HOTO-LOSC-CSCA-MA ~ A – Small – Error / Oversight – In – System Design – A – Glitch – Buried In – Hundreds Of Thousands Of – Lines Of Software Code – Can Still Cause A – Major Accident

~ P-A-M-M-PWOS-AJT-H-WON-WM-A-PBA ~ People – As – Mere – Monitors – Passive Watchers Of Screens – A Job That – Humans – With Our Notoriously – Wandering Minds – Are – Particularly Bad At

~ YHTDTMTSTW ~ You Have To Design The Machine To Suit The Worker

~ ASBEMC-TP-BI-UL ~ As Society Becomes Ever More Computerized – The Programmer – Becomes Its – Unacknowledged Legislator

~ ITHF-DNRTHF ~ Ignoring The Human Factor – Does Not Remove The Human Factor

~ H-CA ~ Human-Centred Automation

~ WGTPTRC? ~ Who Gets To Program The Robot’s Conscience?

~ IAMATBSLITW-MC-WHTBT-HI-I-SC ~ If Autonomous Machines Are To Be Set Loose In The World – Moral Codes – Will Have To Be Translated – However Imperfectly – Into – Software Codes

~ TFSFTBARWBASHRTW-IWC-W-A-M-S-F ~ The First Shot Freely Taken By A Robot Will Be A Shot Heard Round The World – It Will Change – War – And – Maybe – Society – Forever

~ THBIIOCOTTAO-EGOSAAT-DUAFO-IS ~ The Human Brain Is Incapable Of Concentrating On Two Things At Once – Every Glance Or Swipe At A Touchscreen – Draws Us Away From Our – Immediate Surroundings

~ WCBAWS-A-WIATC-A-HRA-BTSD ~ What Can’t Be Accomplished With Software – And – What Isn’t Amenable To Computation – And – Hence Resists Automation – Begins To Seem Dispensable

~ WWETGC-WRTSMOOB-TDFU-IEU ~ When We Enter The Glass Cage – We’re Required To Shed Much Of Our Body – That Doesn’t Free Us – It Emaciates Us

~ GPPOM ~ Giving People Precedence Over Machines

~ T-CC-ATTOODL-T-AGAC-P-I-F ~ To – Cede Choices – About The Texture Of Our Daily Lives – To – A Grand Abstraction Called – Progress – Is – Folly

JAY LIFTON ~ EIGHT CRITERIA FOR THOUGHT REFORM ~ THOUGHT REFORM AND THE PSYCHOLOGY OF TOTALISM ~ 1961

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~ M(E)C ~ MILIEU (ENVIRONMENTAL) CONTROL

~ COTM-FOI-A-SI ~ Control Over The Members’ – Flow Of Information – And – Social Interaction

~ MAITKAEOTO ~ Members Are Instructed To Keep An Eye On The Others

~ MM ~ MYSTICAL MANIPULATION

~ TGASIWNAP ~ The Group Attributes Supernatural Influences Where None Are Present

~ MATHA-C-LT-IWTAT ~ Members Are To Have A – Child-Like Trust – In Whatever They Are Taught

~ MF-‘C’-A-T-TAAPOSVIAU ~ Members Feel – “Chosen” – And – That ­– They Are A Part Of Something Very Important And Urgent

~ DFP ~ DEMAND FOR PURITY

~ UR-A-US-AIUTM ~ Unreasonable Rules – And – Unreachable Standards – Are Imposed Upon The Members

~ C ~ CONFESSION

~ TIGAY-CBUAY ~ The Information Gained About You – Can Be Used Against You

~ SS ~ SACRED SCIENCE

~ T-TOTG-AVA-T-U/U-T ~ The – Teachings Of The Group – Are Viewed As – The – Ultimate / Unquestionable – Truth

~ TLOTG-I-LAC ~ The Leader Of The Group – Is – Likewise – Above Criticism

~ LTL ~ LOADING THE LANGUAGE

~ TGL-STPO-CTT-A-SDCA ~ The Group’s Language – Serves The Purpose Of – Constructing Their Thinking – And – Shutting Down Critical Thinking Abilities

~ ‘GS’-FMTCEASDSBOCOOI ~ “Groupspeak” Forces Members To Censor, Edit And Slow Down Spontaneous Bursts Of Criticism Or Opposite Ideas

~ DOP ~ DOCTRINE OVER PERSON

~ AMRTOPHOII-TASTTIRTTGCAITOEAFATC ~ As Members Rewrite Their Own Personal History Or Ignore It – They Are Simultaneously Taught To Interpret Reality Through The Group Concepts And Ignore Their Own Experiences And Feelings As They Occur

~ DOE ~ DISPENSING OF EXISTENCE

~ TG-TE-ETTMAPOA-E-O-SG-OACUOU ~ The Group’s – Totalistic Environment – Emphasizes That The Members Are Part Of An – Elite – Or – Special Group – Outsiders Are Considered Unworthy Or Unenlightened

CHARLES FISHMAN ~ THE BIG THIRST ~ 2011

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~ EH-IMB-CIW ~ Every Heartbeat – Is Medicated By – Chemicals In Water

~ WWGAASNS-TCIOEEATSFIW ~ When We Gaze At A Starry Night Sky – The Cells In Our Eyes Execute All Their Seeing Functions In Water

~ TAW-R-NFWW ~ Thinking About Water – Requires – Neurons Filled With Water

~ TST-WTWFG-I-ISW-TGUTMC-WDTWFGBWDNIETTIFG ~ To Say That – We Take Water For Granted – Is – In Some Ways – To Give Us Too Much Credit – We Don’t Take Water For Granted Because We Don’t Notice It Enough To Take It For Granted

~ TWWITPWUEDATVTPRIITU ~ The Way Water Infuses The Products We Use Every Day And The Volumes Those Products Require Is Invisible To Us

~ TOACOWII ~ The Ownership And Control Of Water Is Invisible

~ ISP-YDAOTWTFOYROIYY ~ In Some Places – You Don’t Actually Own The Water That Falls On Your Roof Or In Your Yard

~ T-NCOM-WABTHA-I-AM-TO-P/BCP/A-HLBI-ETC-UVR;YCCTITIYWB-L/D-TIOTMOOH-IA-MRIFY-A-MBAITPOT ~ The – New Class Of Micropollutants – We Are Beginning To Hear About – Infinitesimal – Almost Molecular– Traces Of – Plastics / Birth Control Pills / Antidepressants– Have Literally Been Invisible – Even To Chemists – Until Very Recently; You Certainly Can’t Tell If They’re In Your Water By – Looking / Drinking – The Impact Of Those Micropollutants On Our Health – If Any – May Remain Invisible For Years – And – May Be Almost Impossible To Predict Or Trace

~ OVSWWHAUTBWI ~ Our Very Success With Water Has Allowed Us To Become Water Illiterate

~ T-GAOW-IRCTAE-NA/S/C-TISB/TIWB-WIFARS ~ The – Golden Age Of Water – Is Rapidly Coming To An End – Naturally Abundant / Safe / Cheap – That It Should Be / That It Will Be – We’re In For A Rude Shock

~ WAEANEO-WS-NJITDOH-PP-B-IPWTOAWW ~ We Are Entering A New Era Of – Water Scarcity – Not Just In Traditionally Dry Or Hard-Pressed Places – But – In Places We Think Of As Water Wealthy

~ WMWGDF-TGAOW-T-TROW ~ We May Well Go Directly From – The Golden Age Of Water – To – The Revenge Of Water

~ AL-1.1B-DHAT-C/S-DW-EY-1.8MC-D-EFLOWOFDTGFTDW

~ At Least – 1.1 Billion – Don’t Have Access To – Clean / Safe – Drinking Water – Every Year – 1.8 Million Children – Die – Either From Lack Of Water Or From Diseases They Got From Tainted Drinking Water

~ ATTITUOCC ~ And Then There Is The Unpredictability Of Climate Change

~ WF ~ Water Footprint

~ WS-IOTDRO-BWM ~ Water Scarcity – Is Often The Direct Result Of – Bad Water Management

~ WIIBMS-IS-DFPWPHBATFI-A-RSE ~ Water Itself Isn’t Becoming More Scarce – It’s Simply – Disappearing From Places Where People Have Become Accustomed To Finding It – And – Reappearing Somewhere Else

~ YCMC-SQOWAIS ~ You Can’t Move Community-Size Quantities Of Water Around In Ships

~ WP ~ Water Poverty

~ PFPATWSHQOW-AUT-TOATWPU ~ Poor Farming Practices Around The World Squander Huge Quantities Of Water – Agriculture Uses Two-Thirds Of All The Water People Use

~ W-WP-B-WC-TCRSL ~ When – Water Problems – Become – Water Conflict – The Consequences Rarely Stay Local

~ T-W-UR ~ The – Water-Use Revolution

~WEIOL ~ Water Expressions Infuse Our Language

~ W-U-T-F-H-A-D-ATW-STSA-IBVHTBB ~ When – Universal – Twenty-Four-Hour-A-Day – Access To Water – Starts To Slip Away – It Becomes Very Hard To Bring Back

~ WTOS-A-BOW-IF-CWIQC ~ We Think Of Space – As – Barren Of Water – In Fact – Cosmic Water Is Quite Common

~SDAOTPAOWOE-B-IC-4.3-4.5-BYO-WWGIWBH-L-F ~ Scientists Don’t Agree On The Precise Age Of Water On Earth – But – It’s Certainly – 4.3 – 4.5 – Billion Years Old – What We’ve Got Is What’s Been Here – Literally – Forever

~ U-PW-I-FNOE-B-WOITW-I-CF-P/O/T-T-FWIIAP ~ Ultra-Pure Water – Is – Found Nowhere On Earth – Because – Water Out In The World – Is – Constantly Flowing – Past / Over / Through – Things – From Which It Is Absorbing Particles

~ OW ~ Ostentatious Water

~ WUWIWTAWAS-TDAGRVOOTWA-TSWCOCBPMATHWUW ~ We Use Water In Ways That Are Wasteful And Shortsighted – That Don’t Actually Get Real Value Out Of The Water Available – That’s Something We Can Only Change By Paying More Attention To How We Use Water

~ B-WACRF-TSOTW-A-TWRTDI ~ But – We Are Completely Removed From – The Source Of The Water – And – The Work Required To Deliver It

~ A-SL-I-S-A-BR-ITLTWTWR-A-WIL-LBALO-DAD ~ A – Scum Line – Is – Simply – A – Bathtub Ring – It’s The Level To Which The Water Rose – And – Where It Lingered – Leaving Behind A Line Of – Dirt And Debris

~ B-WI-TD-WAO-TE-B-PTA-PSIR? ~ But – What If – The Drought – Wasn’t A One-Time Event – But – Prelude To A – Permanent Shift In Rainfall?

~ TCO-NW-IHT-IOM-IA-B-CIRT ~ The Cost Of – No Water – Is Hard To – Imagine Or Measure – In Advance – But – Crippling In Real Time

~ WWTFGITWI-OC-SMA-TWATM-NTP-I/S-W ~ What We Take For Granted Isn’t The Water Itself – Of Course – So Much As – The Work And The Money – Necessary To Provide – Instant / Safe – Water

~ VWC ~ Virtuous Water Cycle

~ EFC-TA-UWD-TAW-S-ID-IN ~ Even For Companies – That Are – Utterly Water Dependent – Thinking About Water – Strategically – In Detail – Is New

~ INA-SW-PS-IA-UHYUW-WTCA-A-RT-WTVI-A-PT ~ It’s Not About – Saving Water – Per Se – It’s About – Understanding How You Use Water – Where The Costs Are – And – Reducing Them – Where The Value Is – And – Preserving That

~ YHTTASB-A-LAT-WC-AAW ~ You Have To Take A Step Back – And – Look At The – Water Cycle – As A Whole

~ WC-HAKOIQ-A-US-IW-BWM-SOAKOBTRTOITTAW ~ Water Consciousness – Has A Kind Of Infectious Quality – An – Upward Spiral – In Which – Better Water Management – Spins Off All Kinds Of Benefits That Reinforce The Original Impulse To Think About Water

~ BW-HBT-IP-IOLAOC-WWBABOW-OC-WWOBI-TB-I-AMATW-WBTC-B-WABTASTWCTUATW:WICF/HHII/WISAU-M-OC-OOOSPITW-HN-D/S-DW ~ Bottled Water – Has Become The – Indispensable Prop – In Our Lives And Our Culture – When We Buy A Bottle Of Water – Of Course – What We’re Often Buying Is – The Bottle – Itself – As Much As The Water – We’re Buying The Convenience – But – We’re Also Buying The Artful Story The Water Companies Tell Us About The Water: Where It Comes From / How Healthy It Is / What It Says About Us – Meanwhile – Of Course – One Out Of Six People In The World – Has No – Dependable / Safe – Drinking Water

~ BW-I-T-FFOTOWC-TMHCVPSFWPTDE-EFTFASFRWP ~ Bottled Water – Is – The – Final Flowering Of The Old Water Culture – The Market Has Created Very Persuasive Solutions For Water Problems That Don’t Exist – While Failing To Find Any Solutions For Real Water Problems

~ WDKHCTWNTB ~ We Don’t Know How Clean The Water Needs To Be

~ -WSTWSIOW-TSDEAHYA ~ We’ve Started To Wash Substances Into Our Wastewater – That Simply Didn’t Exist A Hundred Years Ago

~ BD ~ Big Dry

~ DTUR-O-WS-AABR-D-B-LI-AO-WTWWCF-A-WIWBN-NF-NA ~ Despite Their Utter Reliability – Our – Water Systems – Are Anything But Robust – Durable – But – Locked Into – Assumptions Of – Where The Water Will Come From – And – Where It Will Be Needed – No Flexibility – No Adaptability

~ II-CAE-T-TPTUTWTAH-M-CAP-TTBM-D/DP/P ~ It Is – Cheaper And Easier – To – Teach People To Use The Water They Already Have – More – Carefully And Productively – Than To Build More – Dams / Desal Plants / Pipes

~ TNIAATMTHAW-JSLAWS-T-F-GP-SLAEHATWFTBNATLPC ~ There’s Nothing Immoral About Allowing The Market To Help Allocate Water – Just So Long As We Solve – The – First-Glass Problem – So Long As Everyone Has Access To Water For Their Basic Needs At The Lowest Possible Cost

~ TIN-GWC-TA-ATWC-ED ~ There Is No – Global Water Crisis – There Are – A Thousand Water Crises – Each Distinct