Thought of the Day

Philosophical Transactions A

I’ve just begun reading some of the articles in the 350th anniversary edition of Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society A and am reminded that the field of science was originally indistinguishable from philosophy in that most observers attempted to answer questions about the world through deductions derived from simple observations and, by today’s standards, crude experiments. I also find it amusing that those who hold science in high regard (myself included) will use such subjective terms to describe their relationship to it; they are passionate about their field of study and find beauty in its reflections in the world. In a way, I guess we are all philosophers at heart who have just found as much (if not more) joy in discovering how things work as opposed to why.

I occasionally come across organizations that I would have a hard time imagining on my own, like the well-known international organization for ornamental fish growers, the OFI. Think about it. There is an international organization for fish growers. I’m sorry, not all fish growers are allowed, only ornamental fish growers. They even have a code of ethics.

Maybe if I were more interested in koi, I’d see nothing surreal about this group of business owners and hobbyists, but I think I’ll stick with the International Aphid Genomics Consortium.

I had the thought one day that it would be entertaining to create my own branch of numerology that revolved around the number ‘42′ and Douglas Adams.

Much to my dismay, I find that I’ve been beaten to it. More than once. Even by folks who (apparently) seriously believe it.

I guess it’s much harder than I thought to be an original and successful conspiracy theorist.

You: Internet surfer who searched ‘edd mudville tavern’

Me: Blogger, site owner, and virtual barkeep now overcome by curiosity. Why did you search those three words in particular? Is there a tavern run by a person named Edd Mudville somewhere? Google didn’t find it for me. Was it a typo? Have I referenced Mudville somewhere and it’s slipped my mind? Please leave a comment below if you are also interested in blogger/bloggee relationship.

In the event that you’ve noticed some discrepancies in the style or content of my posts/thoughts, I’ll have you know that I am a fervent believer in the virtues of moderation – everything in moderation, including moderation (stolen from Robert Guillaume’s introductory SNL monologue dredged from the misty recesses of memory). In other words, I reserve the right to hold myself to no standards but my own, which will change according to my unpredictable whims.

Sometimes I dream of a perfect virtual neighborhood where I’m good friends with all my virtual neighbors, I’m invited to all the coolest virtual bar-b-ques, and the neighborhood anti-spam program is top notch. Sigh. Like real life, however, my tastes, moods, and temperament are anything but static and even the best of neighbors are not permanent fixtures.

Anyway, what do you look for in an online community?

Chores! Fighting entropy from the comfort of home.