I don't know how many are interested in the hard problem of consciousness which explores the mystery of how physical brain matter and electrochemical interactions at synapses can produce conscious experience.
The physicalist approach is generally that consciousness emerges from the incredible complexity of the brain neurological system. And there is plenty of evidence of correlation between brain activity and conscious experience. But that evidence provides no explanation for how this occurs. There are some looking at quantum processes in the brain as a possible source for discovering an explanation. But it is all very dubious at the moment.
However, there are some such as David Chalmers who look at things a different way. Chalmers proposes that consciousness is a fundamental property of the universe similar to gravity and other physical laws. Chalmers proposes that any organised system will have some fragment of consciousness, and we are the pinnacle of that expression.
The problem is that, if we follow Chalmers logic through, even a light switch is to some small degree, conscious.
However, I have just been studying the work of Donald Hoffman. Hoffman is
a professor in the Department of Cognitive Sciences at the University of California, Irvine, with joint appointments in the Department of Philosophy, the Department of Logic and Philosophy of Science, and the School of Computer Science.
So, he is definitely more than an eastern mystic.
Hoffman goes further than Chalmers. Hoffman is proposing that consciousness creates reality rather than the other way around, and that this has been the result of evolutionary processes. He is trying to prove that through predictive mathematical models at the moment. Here is a really interesting Ted talk he has given on the subject. And, for those who haven't got the time for a 20 minute video, here is a transcript of an interview with him in Quanta Magazine.
Definitely very controversial, and not mainstream theory. But fascinating nonetheless.
If anyone wants to go further down this wormhole in a way that is scientific rather than fringe, there is a fantastic series called Closer to Truth on youtube in which qualified neuroscientist, Robert Kuhn explores the topic of consciousness with leading experts from a wide variety of fields. Some great stuff there, including an interview with Donald Hoffman.
[10 or more links trigger Auto-Moderation that requires a Moderator to review and approve. This is because a large number of hyperlinks is a common characteristic of spammers. For robust debate, political or other, less is more, generally speaking – Incognito]
One thing. you could try is putting a second comment with the references in the clear. eg where you said,
I don't know how many are interested in the hard problem of consciousness which explores the mystery of how physical brain matter and electrochemical interactions at synapses can produce conscious experience.
This works for websites like wikipedia, because their URL tells you what the link is about. For those that don't, use the TS comment editor to put your own title in and then the link button for the link so we can see where it goes (esp helpful for people reading on phones). eg,
How do you explain consciousness? | David Chalmers
My main problem with the Fermi Paradox is it conflates likelihood of intelligent life, with possibility of interstellar travel / communication. To me, extraterrestrial life (and occasionally, intelligent life) seems very likely. But it could be that there simply is no solution to the problem of interstellar travel over astonishingly large distances, no matter how advanced / intelligent you are.
So lack of observed aliens isn't strong evidence of lack of extraterrestrial life, to me.
Yes, the problem is, the alternative explanation, that conscious experience springs out of essentially just complex electrochemical interactions is a bid hard to accept as well. The normal explanation that "the brain is incredibly complicated" doesn't really seem to make sense to me.
You would probably find that "Closer to Truth" site really interesting. He interviews some of the best minds in the world, and asks incredibly good questions.
But it could be that there simply is no solution to the problem of interstellar travel over astonishingly large distances, no matter how advanced / intelligent you are.
Possibly. But the number of possibilities even in our own galaxy must be huge. And we are talking about potentially billions of years to colonise space.
Another explanation I have heard is that it might just be that complex life to our level is incredibly rare, and there may just be no-one around to visit in the relatively small window of our civilisation, which in the context of the universe, is incredibly short.
Perhaps all the intelligent life that appeared elsewhere were like us as represented in the Isaac Asimov short story "Silly Asses" and they very shortly wiped themselves out? If you haven't read it a vey brief summary of the story is here.
That life eventually reaches a technological point where it has the ability to wipe itself out, and usually does. Hence, noone survives long enough to pay us a visit.
It was much shorter than that. In fact the whole story is about 400 words on one page. The basis is that anyone who would test nukes in the atmosphere of their own planet isn't going to survive. It was written in about 1956 when such tests were going on.
Major supermarket chain Woolworths, owners of Countdown, says it cannot offer large scale wholesale supply at present but is working on delivering what the government wants.
From what I have seen they have got hardly any of these anyway, and they have major reliability problems. In fact, that was the tank that broke down recently in a military parade.
I think David Fisher is one of the better journalists and this is well researched on why the abuse on Jacinda matters. And amazing that the Herald allowed his publication! No wonder her tenure was so fraught:
There is an unfortunate neatness to the online abuse faced by Jacinda Ardern.
She tried to fix social media and it ate her alive.
Ardern was the instigator of the Christchurch Call, the multi-national effort to try and establish basic standards by which social media companies will operate.
The Call stemmed from the livestreaming of the attack in Christchurch in 2019 – the same event that supercharged the baseline abuse of Ardern that began when she took office.
I only have the Herald paywall because my son's business account allows it.
However this should not diminish David Fishers researched column. David Fisher and Kate Hannah, director of The Disinformation Project. Some more:
Those small pockets include those oft-described as alt-right who pursue similar or connected issues but operate at the edge of the envelope.
In the rumble-tumble uncertain times of the pandemic those issues coalesced and the lines blurred as people stayed home and reached out online. Social media algorithms played matchmaker, linking the extreme to the mainstream and poisoning our discourse.
What people stood for gave way to what they stood against and Ardern became the figurehead on which that anger, fear and resentment could be focused.
That’s not to say there weren’t issues with Ardern’s government. There are issues with every government – that’s why they all eventually get voted out.
But the issues which arose became intermingled with that figurehead to the point where they were the same.
I hold my nose and pay to get through the paywall in order to read David Fisher's and Simon Wilson's articles, plus one or two others, though I simply ignore all the blatantly rightwing pieces by the usual suspects. I have cancelled my subscription before and will so again if their ongoing campaign of support for the National Party gets further traction this year.
The media have this awful habit, which may be a mandatory Editorial directive, not to cite/link primary sources. This dogmatic stance goes against any rules of open & transparent journalism and reporting.
Facts about Health? Dr Shane Reti gets plenty of publicity, the sober, considered, experienced word. Telling us how terrible it all is.
Of course in the last couple of years the likes of his colleague Todd McClay have chimed in about with lack of resources in their regions.
Simon Wilson in The Herald this week:
"On the right, though, there’s an obsession with debt. John Key and Bill English, in power 2008-2017, made eliminating it their number-one goal.
Here’s one example of what that meant in practice. In the five years to 2017, National budgeted a total of only $781 million for “health infrastructure”: mainly, the maintenance and replacement of hospitals. In both 2015 and 2016, the figure was zero.
The result was that from Whangārei to Middlemore, the Hutt Valley to Dunedin, hospital buildings throughout the country were allowed to decay. Many, we have since discovered to our horror, are rotting, dangerous and urgently need replacing.
In Labour’s five years from 2018, they allocated $5.8 billion to addressing this. But to make good on the years of neglect, there is still much more to do."
I found this interesting (not really politics) but I really cannot see why the ANZ should be responsible for this 'prominent kiwi entertainer's loss of $100k. Yes I know banks make excess profits, but they shouldn't have to pay for other people's decisions.
"A member of the bank’s international team advised him to check the beneficiary was legitimate, and if he was unsure, not to proceed."
The ANZ even asked again "When questioned again if he was comfortable sending the large sum of money to the offshore beneficiary, the entertainer told ANZ: “My financial adviser tells me it’s a perfectly legitimate company.”
This person with an ovarian tumor is not "male". They should not be called so in medical literature.
We wonder if all gender confused female patients are explicitly warned by “gender doctors” about the risk of ovarian cancer prior to administering testosterone?
This is a massive harmful medical experiment on our children.
Such a depressing read. One paragraph split into salient points to consider:
"1. The presence of a sex hormone-sensitive cancer is a contraindication to testosterone therapy, but there are no formal recommendations for the use of testosterone in patients with SBT.
It is known that testosterone increased the likelihood of this person getting cancer, however, given that there are no formal dosages in place for adolescents who have already got cancer, this knowledge will not affect future prescription.
2. Given the importance of gender-affirming therapy, which has been shown to reduce suicide risk and improve overall well-being,14 our multi-disciplinary team carefully weighed the risks and benefits of restarting testosterone therapy and, in the context of a completely resected tumour and ambiguous risks associated with endogenous steroids, ultimately recommended restart.
Reference to a limited and biased study on suicidal risk and well-being, means that along with ignoring the development of cancer in this particular individual, we can collectively absolve ourselves of the responsibility of restarting the exogenous hormone therapy, and point the finger elsewhere if another tumor develops.
3. Appropriate tumour surveillance was also unclear as there is no data to guide management in this area.
We don't know how to monitor this person's ongoing health, or determine what to look for.
4. The team recommended at least 5 years of periodic transvaginal ultrasounds of the contralateral ovary unless oophorectomy was completed sooner.
We can fall on the standard in regards to ovarian tumors, but given the transgender status of this seventeen-year old, a successful approach will be the removal of the remaining ovary. Which will ensure infertility and lifelong dependence on medication, but that is not our purview. We just do oncology.
5. While transvaginal ultrasounds were deemed of higher sensitivity, transabdominal were prioritised given patient preference."
Given the uncertainty surrounding monitoring: the what and the when, although the how is more effective when done as prescribed, we will cater to the patient's desire for another method, which adds to the uncertainty of effectiveness.
A seventeen year old woman, who has only been on exogenous hormones for a few months has developed a cancer not usually seen in adolescents, which may be a result of testosterone. She is being treated by medics whose primary focus is to maintain affirming hormone treatment, not critically assess and determine what the best option are for prolonging life, maintaining health and/or fertility.
The Central Interceptor will fix a lot of that in relation to the isthmus beaches, but in the meantime there are things we can all do.
Install a rain tank. You can get a detention/retention tank that fits under your eaves or under your driveway. It holds back the first flush of stormwater in rain events, which is the cause of wastewater overflows where the WW/SW pipes are not separated. It gives you non-potable water for your garden, and – with the required building consent – water for flushing toilets and for the first rinse of your washing machine. It will save you $$$ on your water bill as well as saving water.
Br careful where you wash your car. If you wash it somewhere that drains to the street you are putting a dose of particulates, heavy metals, etc straight into the ocean as the street drains usually go to the nearest watercourse. If you would not throw the soapy water into the sea or the river, don't put it in the gutter.
Pick up that dog poo. If you kick it into the gutter, or leave it on the berm which drains to the gutter, you are contributing to the fecal coliform count in the harbour through the gutter drains.
There is a lot that goes into keeping our beaches and harbours clean and very little of it is cheap. That is why we need 3 Waters.
A Guardian opinion article makes a very salient point about the inherent classist nature of non-means tested pension age entitlements. UK pension age is shifting from 66 to 68, the pension is inflation-proofed, comes from the general tax fund or National Insurance (I think; go! Cullen Fund).
The classist nature comes in with data on UK 'healthy life expectancy'.
"Men in Richmond-on-Thames will, on average, live healthily until the age of 71, while for men in Blackpool, a healthy life expectancy is just 53 years, meaning they will wait in bad health, unable to work for 13 years, before qualifying for their pension at 66.", and
" 'If 68 becomes the new pension age, 60% [of UK men] reach that age with a disability that prevents them working' ".
Plus, richer, healthier people get the pension for longer, of course.
I was interested in this article because I had been thinking of the equivalent in NZ with pension age rise, regarding the poorer health outcomes and life expectancy for Māori.
Also, having long ago read a biography of MJ Savage's importance in the set up of the NZ Welfare state, he was extremely forceful on the 'no means testing' and universal entitlement of benefits like the Family Benefit and Pensions. His reason was, as an Aussie who lived through the 1880s depression, when up to 40% of Victorian men were longterm unemployed, he had felt the injustice in barring those who owned their own homes from social support, and who consequently lost them. Plus the humiliation of hoop-jumping to receive social help.
So I support the principle of universal entitlement, kinda. But is my support for this fair? was it fair to replace Family Benefit with Working for Families? One argument for universal entitlement is that political damage is more often done at policy level, with smaller hoops and more red-tape used to strangle social support for our neediest citizens (and residents). Another is that rich people like getting free stuff too, and are less likely to vote for, and politically fund, dismantlement of social benefits (cunning man, Savage).
Readers, I'm confused. Shouldn't we be strengthening our core social support network, rather than more and more targetted legislation like Employment Insurance? But I do know that raising pension age in NZ will definitely disdvantage Māori more. And I'm against policies where taxpayers' dosh goes straight into the pockets of banks and landlands (Accommodation Supplement).
And how does universal entitlement protect against the injustice of pension age limits? There would need to be parity between the pension and minimal hoop-jumping for longterm disability that precludes employment.
Universal Basic Income sounds like a great idea. Until you see UBI in the UK being mostly a direct taxpayer subsidy to the employers of workers on zero-hours contracts and under-paid jobs.
I'm flattered my scattered musing caught your eye, weka. With minor edits, I'd be happy for that. I realised after a short think that the crux is, what model is replacing/has replaced the underpinning philosophy and political message of the Welfare State (or post-war Social Contract, I think it's called, in the UK), so I'd add that.
With Nicola Willis competing for Ōhāriu now (see Stuff), it could be an interesting electorate – Wellington Central that is. I think James Shaw (assuming he's still stands for Wellington Central) will be looking forward to the upcoming election.
When that was reprted in RNZ, it was followed by the observation that this move would make it easier for Robertson to retire if Labour do not get elected.
Microsoft knows about the concerns of their major demographic:
A new global survey illustrates the depth of anxiety many young people are feeling about climate change.
Nearly 60 percent of young people approached said they felt very worried or extremely worried.
More than 45 percent of those questioned said feelings about the climate affected their daily lives.
…
The survey across 10 countries was led by Bath University in collaboration with five universities. It was funded by the campaign and research group Avaaz. It claimed to be the biggest of its kind, with responses from 10,000 people aged between 16 and 25.
…
Tom Burke from the think tank e3g told BBC News: "It's rational for young people to be anxious. They're not just reading about climate change in the media – they're watching it unfold in front of their own eyes."
"But Soper believes there’s another politician that offers a tenure more analogous to that of Ardern – and he comes from the ranks of the Labour party: David Lange."
Now that is more analogous in the sense that Lange also had a drama filled term in office. I refer in particular to the nuclear free legislation and the Rainbow Warrior bombing.
I'm currently reading (at least re-reading after 20 years) Lange's book "Nuclear Free" where he dissects exactly what happened, and why the stand-off with the US and Britain became so fraught… culminating in NZ being tossed out of ANZUS. A fascinating story of misunderstandings, wrong interpretations and a head-in-sand attitude towards NZ and NZers.
Lange also resigned as PM before the end of his second term and probably for the same reason as Ardern. He was exhausted.
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A Tai Rāwhiti mill that ran for 30 years before it was shut down in late 2023 is set to re-open in the coming months, which will eventually see nearly 300 new jobs in the region. A new report from Massey University shows that pensioners are struggling with rising costs. ...
As support continues to fall, Luxon also now faces his biggest internal ructions within the coalition since the election, with David Seymour reacting badly to being criticised by the PM. File photo: Lynn Grieveson / The KākāLong stories short, the top six things in Aotearoa’s political economy around housing, climate ...
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Three weeks in, and the 24/7 news cycle is not helping anyone feel calm and informed about the second Trump presidency. One day, the US is threatening 25% trade tariffs on its friends and neighbours. The reasons offered by the White House are absurd, such as stopping fentanyl coming in ...
This video includes personal musings and conclusions of the creator climate scientist Dr. Adam Levy. It is presented to our readers as an informed perspective. Please see video description for references (if any). Wherever you look, you'll hear headlines claiming we've passed 1.5 degrees of global warming. And while 2024 saw ...
Photo by Heather M. Edwards on UnsplashHere’s the key news, commentary, reports and debate around Aotearoa’s politics and economy in the week to Feb 10 below. That’s ahead of live chats on the Substack App and The Kākā’s front page on Substack at 5pm with: on his column in The ...
Is there anyone in the world the National Party loves more than a campaign donor? Why yes, there is! They will always have the warmest hello and would you like to slip into something more comfortable for that great god of our age, the High Net Worth Individual.The words the ...
Waste and fraud certainly exist in foreign aid programs, but rightwing celebration of USAID’s dismantling shows profound ignorance of the value of soft power (as opposed to hard power) in projecting US influence and interests abroad by non-military/coercive means (think of “hearts and minds,” “hugs, not bullets,” “honey versus vinegar,” ...
Health New Zealand is proposing to cut almost half of its data and digital positions – more than 1000 of them. The PSA has called on the Privacy Commissioner to urgently investigate the cuts due to the potential for serious consequences for patients. NZNO is calling for an urgent increase ...
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Let us not dance daintily around the elephant in the room. Our politicians who serve us in the present are not honest, certainly not as honest as they should be, and while the right are taking out most of the trophies for warping narratives and literally redefining “facts”, the kiwi ...
The Government’s newly announced funding for biodiversity and tourism of $30-million over three years is a small fraction of what is required for conservation in this country. ...
The Government's sudden cancellation of the tertiary education funding increase is a reckless move that risks widespread job losses and service reductions across New Zealand's universities. ...
National’s cuts to disability support funding and freezing of new residential placements has resulted in significant mental health decline for intellectually disabled people. ...
The hundreds of jobs lost needlessly as a result of the Kinleith Mill paper production closure will have a devastating impact on the Tokoroa community - something that could have easily been avoided. ...
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Nicola Willis’ latest supermarket announcement is painfully weak with no new ideas, no real plan, and no relief for Kiwis struggling with rising grocery costs. ...
Half of Pacific children sometimes going without food is just one of many heartbreaking lowlights in the Salvation Army’s annual State of the Nation report. ...
The Salvation Army’s State of the Nation report is a bleak indictment on the failure of Government to take steps to end poverty, with those on benefits, including their children, hit hardest. ...
New Zealand First has today introduced a Member’s Bill which would restore decision-making power to local communities regarding the fluoridation of drinking water. The ‘Fluoridation (Referendum) Legislation Bill’ seeks to repeal the Health (Fluoridation of Drinking Water) Amendment Act 2021 that granted centralised authority to the Direct General of Health ...
New Zealand First has introduced a Member’s Bill aimed at preventing banks from refusing their services to businesses because of the current “Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) Framework”. “This Bill ensures fairness and prevents ESG standards from perpetuating woke ideology in the banking sector being driven by unelected, globalist, climate ...
Erica Stanford has reached peak shortsightedness if today’s announcement is anything to go by, picking apart immigration settings piece by piece to the detriment of the New Zealand economy. ...
Our originating document, theTreaty of Waitangi, was signed on February 6, 1840. An agreement between Māori and the British Crown. Initially inked by Ngā Puhi in Waitangi, further signatures were added as it travelled south. The intention was to establish a colony with the cession of sovereignty to the Crown, ...
Te Whatu Ora Chief Executive Margie Apa leaving her job four months early is another symptom of this government’s failure to deliver healthcare for New Zealanders. ...
The Green Party is calling for the Prime Minister to show leadership and be unequivocal about Aotearoa New Zealand’s opposition to a proposal by the US President to remove Palestinians from Gaza. ...
The latest unemployment figures reveal that job losses are hitting Māori and Pacific people especially hard, with Māori unemployment reaching a staggering 9.7% for the December 2024 quarter and Pasifika unemployment reaching 10.5%. ...
Waitangi 2025: Waitangi Day must be community and not politically driven - Shane Jones Our originating document, theTreaty of Waitangi, was signed on February 6, 1840. An agreement between Māori and the British Crown. Initially inked by Ngā Puhi in Waitangi, further signatures were added as it travelled south. ...
Despite being confronted every day with people in genuine need being stopped from accessing emergency housing – National still won’t commit to building more public houses. ...
The Green Party says the Government is giving up on growing the country’s public housing stock, despite overwhelming evidence that we need more affordable houses to solve the housing crisis. ...
Before any thoughts of the New Year and what lies ahead could even be contemplated, New Zealand reeled with the tragedy of Senior Sergeant Lyn Fleming losing her life. For over 38 years she had faithfully served as a front-line Police officer. Working alongside her was Senior Sergeant Adam Ramsay ...
Green Party co-leader Marama Davidson will return to politics at Waitangi on Monday the 3rd of February where she will hold a stand up with fellow co-leader Chlöe Swarbrick. ...
Te Pāti Māori is appalled by the government's blatant mishandling of the school lunch programme. David Seymour’s ‘cost-saving’ measures have left tamariki across Aotearoa with unidentifiable meals, causing distress and outrage among parents and communities alike. “What’s the difference between providing inedible food, and providing no food at all?” Said ...
The Government is doubling down on outdated and volatile fossil fuels, showing how shortsighted and destructive their policies are for working New Zealanders. ...
Green Party MP Steve Abel this morning joined Coromandel locals in Waihi to condemn new mining plans announced by Shane Jones in the pit of the town’s Australian-owned Gold mine. ...
The Green Party is calling on the Government to strengthen its just-announced 2030-2035 Nationally Determined Contribution (NDC) under the Paris Agreement and address its woeful lack of commitment to climate security. ...
Today marks a historic moment for Taranaki iwi with the passing of the Te Pire Whakatupua mō Te Kāhui Tupua/Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Bill in Parliament. "Today, we stand together as descendants of Taranaki, and our tūpuna, Taranaki Maunga, is now formally acknowledged by the law as a living tūpuna. ...
The Government’s commitment to get New Zealand’s roads back on track is delivering strong results, with around 98 per cent of potholes on state highways repaired within 24 hours of identification every month since targets were introduced, Transport Minister Chris Bishop says. “Increasing productivity to help rebuild our economy is ...
The former Cadbury factory will be the site of the Inpatient Building for the new Dunedin Hospital and Health Minister Simeon Brown says actions have been taken to get the cost overruns under control. “Today I am giving the people of Dunedin certainty that we will build the new Dunedin ...
From today, Plunket in Whāngarei will be offering childhood immunisations – the first of up to 27 sites nationwide, Health Minister Simeon Brown says. The investment of $1 million into the pilot, announced in October 2024, was made possible due to the Government’s record $16.68 billion investment in health. It ...
New Zealand’s strong commitment to the rights of disabled people has continued with the response to an important United Nations report, Disability Issues Minister Louise Upston has announced. Of the 63 concluding observations of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), 47 will be progressed ...
Resources Minister Shane Jones has launched New Zealand’s national Minerals Strategy and Critical Minerals List, documents that lay a strategic and enduring path for the mineral sector, with the aim of doubling exports to $3 billion by 2035. Mr Jones released the documents, which present the Coalition Government’s transformative vision ...
Firstly I want to thank OceanaGold for hosting our event today. Your operation at Waihi is impressive. I want to acknowledge local MP Scott Simpson, local government dignitaries, community stakeholders and all of you who have gathered here today. It’s a privilege to welcome you to the launch of the ...
Racing Minister, Winston Peters has announced the Government is preparing public consultation on GST policy proposals which would make the New Zealand racing industry more competitive. “The racing industry makes an important economic contribution. New Zealand thoroughbreds are in demand overseas as racehorses and for breeding. The domestic thoroughbred industry ...
Business confidence remains very high and shows the economy is on track to improve, Economic Growth Minister Nicola Willis says. “The latest ANZ Business Outlook survey, released yesterday, shows business confidence and expected own activity are ‘still both very high’.” The survey reports business confidence fell eight points to +54 ...
Enabling works have begun this week on an expanded radiology unit at Hawke’s Bay Fallen Soldiers’ Memorial Hospital which will double CT scanning capacity in Hawke’s Bay to ensure more locals can benefit from access to timely, quality healthcare, Health Minister Simeon Brown says. This investment of $29.3m in the ...
The Government has today announced New Zealand’s second international climate target under the Paris Agreement, Climate Change Minister Simon Watts says. New Zealand will reduce emissions by 51 to 55 per cent compared to 2005 levels, by 2035. “We have worked hard to set a target that is both ambitious ...
Nine years of negotiations between the Crown and iwi of Taranaki have concluded following Te Pire Whakatupua mō Te Kāhui Tupua/the Taranaki Maunga Collective Redress Bill passing its third reading in Parliament today, Treaty Negotiations Minister Paul Goldsmith says. “This Bill addresses the historical grievances endured by the eight iwi ...
As schools start back for 2025, there will be a relentless focus on teaching the basics brilliantly so all Kiwi kids grow up with the knowledge, skills and competencies needed to grow the New Zealand of the future, Education Minister Erica Stanford says. “A world-leading education system is a key ...
Housing Minister Chris Bishop and Associate Agriculture Minister Mark Patterson have welcomed Kāinga Ora’s decision to re-open its tender for carpets to allow wool carpet suppliers to bid. “In 2024 Kāinga Ora issued requests for tender (RFTs) seeking bids from suppliers to carpet their properties,” Mr Bishop says. “As part ...
Associate Education Minister David Seymour has today visited Otahuhu College where the new school lunch programme has served up healthy lunches to students in the first days of the school year. “As schools open in 2025, the programme will deliver nutritious meals to around 242,000 students, every school day. On ...
Minister for Children Karen Chhour has intervened in Oranga Tamariki’s review of social service provider contracts to ensure Barnardos can continue to deliver its 0800 What’s Up hotline. “When I found out about the potential impact to this service, I asked Oranga Tamariki for an explanation. Based on the information ...
A bill to make revenue collection on imported and exported goods fairer and more effective had its first reading in Parliament, Customs Minister Casey Costello said today. “The Customs (Levies and Other Matters) Amendment Bill modernises the way in which Customs can recover the costs of services that are needed ...
By Caleb Fotheringham, RNZ Pacific journalist, in Avarua, Rarotonga More than 400 people have taken to the streets to protest against Cook Islands Prime Minister Mark Brown’s recent decisions, which have led to a diplomatic spat with New Zealand. The protest, led by Opposition MP and Cook Islands United Party ...
In the second episode, Brynley Stent and Kura Forrester unearth some truths about dating on a dance floor in South Canterbury. Bryn & Ku’s Singles Club is a brand new documentary series for The Spinoff following award-winning comedians and friends Brynley Stent and Kura Forrester as they embark ...
The first half of a billion-dollar pipe that will drastically reduce wastewater overflows in the Auckland isthmus is now in operation. As I biked south, I thought about all the poo sloshing beneath my wheels. Tubes of it disgorging from U-bends, into wastewater pipes laid under our streets that become ...
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Founder, journalist and author Tim Burrowes joins Duncan Greive to discuss a torrid decade in Australian media and whether there are reasons to be optimistic amid the carnage. Tim Burrowes is the author of a book and a Substack called Unmade, which are truly essential guides to media in ...
The self-appointed apostle says he could be to Christopher Luxon what Elon Musk is to Donald Trump, and his track record speaks for itself.Who is New Zealand’s answer to Elon Musk? The Herald’s tech insider, Chris Keall, put the question to his LinkedIn acolytes the other day. “If Luxon ...
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For something completely different…
I don't know how many are interested in the hard problem of consciousness which explores the mystery of how physical brain matter and electrochemical interactions at synapses can produce conscious experience.
The physicalist approach is generally that consciousness emerges from the incredible complexity of the brain neurological system. And there is plenty of evidence of correlation between brain activity and conscious experience. But that evidence provides no explanation for how this occurs. There are some looking at quantum processes in the brain as a possible source for discovering an explanation. But it is all very dubious at the moment.
However, there are some such as David Chalmers who look at things a different way. Chalmers proposes that consciousness is a fundamental property of the universe similar to gravity and other physical laws. Chalmers proposes that any organised system will have some fragment of consciousness, and we are the pinnacle of that expression.
The problem is that, if we follow Chalmers logic through, even a light switch is to some small degree, conscious.
However, I have just been studying the work of Donald Hoffman. Hoffman is
So, he is definitely more than an eastern mystic.
Hoffman goes further than Chalmers. Hoffman is proposing that consciousness creates reality rather than the other way around, and that this has been the result of evolutionary processes. He is trying to prove that through predictive mathematical models at the moment. Here is a really interesting Ted talk he has given on the subject. And, for those who haven't got the time for a 20 minute video, here is a transcript of an interview with him in Quanta Magazine.
Definitely very controversial, and not mainstream theory. But fascinating nonetheless.
If anyone wants to go further down this wormhole in a way that is scientific rather than fringe, there is a fantastic series called Closer to Truth on youtube in which qualified neuroscientist, Robert Kuhn explores the topic of consciousness with leading experts from a wide variety of fields. Some great stuff there, including an interview with Donald Hoffman.
[10 or more links trigger Auto-Moderation that requires a Moderator to review and approve. This is because a large number of hyperlinks is a common characteristic of spammers. For robust debate, political or other, less is more, generally speaking – Incognito]
Mod note
Thanks for that. Will bear that in mind in the future. Just trying to be thorough
.
One thing. you could try is putting a second comment with the references in the clear. eg where you said,
the first link in the second comment would be,
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hard_problem_of_consciousness
This works for websites like wikipedia, because their URL tells you what the link is about. For those that don't, use the TS comment editor to put your own title in and then the link button for the link so we can see where it goes (esp helpful for people reading on phones). eg,
That also functions to stop the YT embed.
Interesting post – consciousness is one of the big mysteries remaining.
That seems a bit presumptuous, given the size and age of the universe. On this planet, perhaps.
Yes, I should have added "on earth". There may well be more intelligent life elsewhere. But then there is the Fermi Paradox. LOL.
I view all of this sort of stuff with interest and skeptisism, which is probably the right way to go.
Skepticism yes, but unbelievably interesting!!
My main problem with the Fermi Paradox is it conflates likelihood of intelligent life, with possibility of interstellar travel / communication. To me, extraterrestrial life (and occasionally, intelligent life) seems very likely. But it could be that there simply is no solution to the problem of interstellar travel over astonishingly large distances, no matter how advanced / intelligent you are.
So lack of observed aliens isn't strong evidence of lack of extraterrestrial life, to me.
Yes, the problem is, the alternative explanation, that conscious experience springs out of essentially just complex electrochemical interactions is a bid hard to accept as well. The normal explanation that "the brain is incredibly complicated" doesn't really seem to make sense to me.
You would probably find that "Closer to Truth" site really interesting. He interviews some of the best minds in the world, and asks incredibly good questions.
Possibly. But the number of possibilities even in our own galaxy must be huge. And we are talking about potentially billions of years to colonise space.
Another explanation I have heard is that it might just be that complex life to our level is incredibly rare, and there may just be no-one around to visit in the relatively small window of our civilisation, which in the context of the universe, is incredibly short.
Perhaps all the intelligent life that appeared elsewhere were like us as represented in the Isaac Asimov short story "Silly Asses" and they very shortly wiped themselves out? If you haven't read it a vey brief summary of the story is here.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silly_Asses
Yes, that is another more sobering theory.
That life eventually reaches a technological point where it has the ability to wipe itself out, and usually does. Hence, noone survives long enough to pay us a visit.
Haven't read it, but I assume a variation on the theme that there is a common recurring process in the universe:
1) Life
2) Intelligent life (with various problematic and inevitable traits resulting from common evolutionary pressures / history)
3) Discover nukes
4) End Life with nukes
It was much shorter than that. In fact the whole story is about 400 words on one page. The basis is that anyone who would test nukes in the atmosphere of their own planet isn't going to survive. It was written in about 1956 when such tests were going on.
https://www.sffaudio.com/silly-asses-by-isaac-asimov/
And I would say the duopolists move….VERY slowly..kicking and struggling to not change.
"supermarkets".A major component of NZers fixed expenses. Everyone needs food and other associated items. Could Labour make a difference ?
There also is another alternative to the greedy gougers….
Cmon Labour..there are people struggling here….Make a difference. Could be votes in it ?
Keystone-cops style tank manouvering from the Russians. LOL.
lots of fun all round Smithfield, if thats your thing
lol
https://www.businessinsider.com/isis-destroying-us-tank-active-protection-2016-11
According to the British Ministry of Defense intelligence update the Russians are planning to send some T-14 Armata tanks to the Ukraine.
That is interesting – to me it is far to high risk a move to do unless you were getting desperately short of serviceable vehicles.
Likely if they do they'll be a high priority to be knocked out, recovered by the Ukraine and shipped to the USA before Easter.
https://twitter.com/DefenceHQ/status/1615955854724943873?cxt=HHwWgsC-2bjSg-0sAAAA
From what I have seen they have got hardly any of these anyway, and they have major reliability problems. In fact, that was the tank that broke down recently in a military parade.
I think David Fisher is one of the better journalists and this is well researched on why the abuse on Jacinda matters. And amazing that the Herald allowed his publication! No wonder her tenure was so fraught:
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/david-fisher-dont-believe-it-matters-if-jacinda-ardern-was-abused-well-you-need-to-read-this/GHZ5ZVYZ2ZBHDOD77T6U2TYBCQ/
Paywalled. Some of us will go to our cremation without paying a dime to The Herald.
I only have the Herald paywall because my son's business account allows it.
However this should not diminish David Fishers researched column. David Fisher and Kate Hannah, director of The Disinformation Project. Some more:
I hold my nose and pay to get through the paywall in order to read David Fisher's and Simon Wilson's articles, plus one or two others, though I simply ignore all the blatantly rightwing pieces by the usual suspects. I have cancelled my subscription before and will so again if their ongoing campaign of support for the National Party gets further traction this year.
The media hang wringing over how it is possible for disinformation to become widespread doesn't involve a mirror…
https://twitter.com/paultudor/status/1618687482262077441
The media have this awful habit, which may be a mandatory Editorial directive, not to cite/link primary sources. This dogmatic stance goes against any rules of open & transparent journalism and reporting.
Facts about Health? Dr Shane Reti gets plenty of publicity, the sober, considered, experienced word. Telling us how terrible it all is.
Of course in the last couple of years the likes of his colleague Todd McClay have chimed in about with lack of resources in their regions.
Simon Wilson in The Herald this week:
"On the right, though, there’s an obsession with debt. John Key and Bill English, in power 2008-2017, made eliminating it their number-one goal.
Here’s one example of what that meant in practice. In the five years to 2017, National budgeted a total of only $781 million for “health infrastructure”: mainly, the maintenance and replacement of hospitals. In both 2015 and 2016, the figure was zero.
The result was that from Whangārei to Middlemore, the Hutt Valley to Dunedin, hospital buildings throughout the country were allowed to decay. Many, we have since discovered to our horror, are rotting, dangerous and urgently need replacing.
In Labour’s five years from 2018, they allocated $5.8 billion to addressing this. But to make good on the years of neglect, there is still much more to do."
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/simon-wilson-chippy-vs-the-donors-de-luxe/76LVB2BAA5HD5B5GREONLV7J2I/
(Paywalled)
I found this interesting (not really politics) but I really cannot see why the ANZ should be responsible for this 'prominent kiwi entertainer's loss of $100k. Yes I know banks make excess profits, but they shouldn't have to pay for other people's decisions.
"A member of the bank’s international team advised him to check the beneficiary was legitimate, and if he was unsure, not to proceed."
The ANZ even asked again "When questioned again if he was comfortable sending the large sum of money to the offshore beneficiary, the entertainer told ANZ: “My financial adviser tells me it’s a perfectly legitimate company.”
Prominent Kiwi entertainer loses $100k in sophisticated investment scam – NZ Herald
Imagine if the ANZ had refused to transfer the funds for entertainer. They would have complained about the bank then too. .
Maybe his financial advisor could cover some of the loss
Yes he should but he wont as sounds like he was more of a friend. The advise given was terrible.
This person with an ovarian tumor is not "male". They should not be called so in medical literature.
We wonder if all gender confused female patients are explicitly warned by “gender doctors” about the risk of ovarian cancer prior to administering testosterone?
This is a massive harmful medical experiment on our children.
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41416-020-01129-4
Such a depressing read. One paragraph split into salient points to consider:
"1. The presence of a sex hormone-sensitive cancer is a contraindication to testosterone therapy, but there are no formal recommendations for the use of testosterone in patients with SBT.
It is known that testosterone increased the likelihood of this person getting cancer, however, given that there are no formal dosages in place for adolescents who have already got cancer, this knowledge will not affect future prescription.
2. Given the importance of gender-affirming therapy, which has been shown to reduce suicide risk and improve overall well-being,14 our multi-disciplinary team carefully weighed the risks and benefits of restarting testosterone therapy and, in the context of a completely resected tumour and ambiguous risks associated with endogenous steroids, ultimately recommended restart.
Reference to a limited and biased study on suicidal risk and well-being, means that along with ignoring the development of cancer in this particular individual, we can collectively absolve ourselves of the responsibility of restarting the exogenous hormone therapy, and point the finger elsewhere if another tumor develops.
3. Appropriate tumour surveillance was also unclear as there is no data to guide management in this area.
We don't know how to monitor this person's ongoing health, or determine what to look for.
4. The team recommended at least 5 years of periodic transvaginal ultrasounds of the contralateral ovary unless oophorectomy was completed sooner.
We can fall on the standard in regards to ovarian tumors, but given the transgender status of this seventeen-year old, a successful approach will be the removal of the remaining ovary. Which will ensure infertility and lifelong dependence on medication, but that is not our purview. We just do oncology.
5. While transvaginal ultrasounds were deemed of higher sensitivity, transabdominal were prioritised given patient preference."
Given the uncertainty surrounding monitoring: the what and the when, although the how is more effective when done as prescribed, we will cater to the patient's desire for another method, which adds to the uncertainty of effectiveness.
A seventeen year old woman, who has only been on exogenous hormones for a few months has developed a cancer not usually seen in adolescents, which may be a result of testosterone. She is being treated by medics whose primary focus is to maintain affirming hormone treatment, not critically assess and determine what the best option are for prolonging life, maintaining health and/or fertility.
Black alert at 11 Auckland beaches due to wastewater overflows https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/national/483196/black-alert-at-11-auckland-beaches-due-to-wastewater-overflows
If only there was a party trying to fix our poor water systems. 💧 oh right there is. I hope there isn't too much of a back down on 3waters.
The Central Interceptor will fix a lot of that in relation to the isthmus beaches, but in the meantime there are things we can all do.
Install a rain tank. You can get a detention/retention tank that fits under your eaves or under your driveway. It holds back the first flush of stormwater in rain events, which is the cause of wastewater overflows where the WW/SW pipes are not separated. It gives you non-potable water for your garden, and – with the required building consent – water for flushing toilets and for the first rinse of your washing machine. It will save you $$$ on your water bill as well as saving water.
Br careful where you wash your car. If you wash it somewhere that drains to the street you are putting a dose of particulates, heavy metals, etc straight into the ocean as the street drains usually go to the nearest watercourse. If you would not throw the soapy water into the sea or the river, don't put it in the gutter.
Pick up that dog poo. If you kick it into the gutter, or leave it on the berm which drains to the gutter, you are contributing to the fecal coliform count in the harbour through the gutter drains.
There is a lot that goes into keeping our beaches and harbours clean and very little of it is cheap. That is why we need 3 Waters.
A Guardian opinion article makes a very salient point about the inherent classist nature of non-means tested pension age entitlements. UK pension age is shifting from 66 to 68, the pension is inflation-proofed, comes from the general tax fund or National Insurance (I think; go! Cullen Fund).
The classist nature comes in with data on UK 'healthy life expectancy'.
"Men in Richmond-on-Thames will, on average, live healthily until the age of 71, while for men in Blackpool, a healthy life expectancy is just 53 years, meaning they will wait in bad health, unable to work for 13 years, before qualifying for their pension at 66.", and
" 'If 68 becomes the new pension age, 60% [of UK men] reach that age with a disability that prevents them working' ".
Plus, richer, healthier people get the pension for longer, of course.
I was interested in this article because I had been thinking of the equivalent in NZ with pension age rise, regarding the poorer health outcomes and life expectancy for Māori.
Also, having long ago read a biography of MJ Savage's importance in the set up of the NZ Welfare state, he was extremely forceful on the 'no means testing' and universal entitlement of benefits like the Family Benefit and Pensions. His reason was, as an Aussie who lived through the 1880s depression, when up to 40% of Victorian men were longterm unemployed, he had felt the injustice in barring those who owned their own homes from social support, and who consequently lost them. Plus the humiliation of hoop-jumping to receive social help.
So I support the principle of universal entitlement, kinda. But is my support for this fair? was it fair to replace Family Benefit with Working for Families? One argument for universal entitlement is that political damage is more often done at policy level, with smaller hoops and more red-tape used to strangle social support for our neediest citizens (and residents). Another is that rich people like getting free stuff too, and are less likely to vote for, and politically fund, dismantlement of social benefits (cunning man, Savage).
Readers, I'm confused. Shouldn't we be strengthening our core social support network, rather than more and more targetted legislation like Employment Insurance? But I do know that raising pension age in NZ will definitely disdvantage Māori more. And I'm against policies where taxpayers' dosh goes straight into the pockets of banks and landlands (Accommodation Supplement).
And how does universal entitlement protect against the injustice of pension age limits? There would need to be parity between the pension and minimal hoop-jumping for longterm disability that precludes employment.
Universal Basic Income sounds like a great idea. Until you see UBI in the UK being mostly a direct taxpayer subsidy to the employers of workers on zero-hours contracts and under-paid jobs.
Readers, I'm confused.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/jan/26/britain-rich-pensioners-state-pension-age-68-poor
[Link added – Incognito]
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2023/jan/26/britain-rich-pensioners-state-pension-age-68-poor
Incognito,tThanks for the tidyup, please remove now superfluous posts. Ta muchly
Huh??
the two extra copies of the links.
Hadn't seen the 2nd copy @ 12:21 pm but will delete it; the other one can stay to show exemplatory self-moderation by tWiggle
Great word!
Never come across that one before
I know many words that you have never come across and never will, some don’t even exist yet. You seem to think that you are alone in the Universe

What an exemplary person you are , gracing me (so alone in the Universe) with your wisdom.
this would make a good post. How would you feel about me putting it up as a Guest Post?
I'm flattered my scattered musing caught your eye, weka. With minor edits, I'd be happy for that. I realised after a short think that the crux is, what model is replacing/has replaced the underpinning philosophy and political message of the Welfare State (or post-war Social Contract, I think it's called, in the UK), so I'd add that.
Grant Roberson goes list-only: Grant Robertson to retire from electorate, run on party list (NZH)
With Nicola Willis competing for Ōhāriu now (see Stuff), it could be an interesting electorate – Wellington Central that is. I think James Shaw (assuming he's still stands for Wellington Central) will be looking forward to the upcoming election.
When that was reprted in RNZ, it was followed by the observation that this move would make it easier for Robertson to retire if Labour do not get elected.
Triggered by energy efficiency.
https://twitter.com/Dexerto/status/1618068373950332930
Microsoft knows about the concerns of their major demographic:
https://www.rnz.co.nz/news/world/451490/climate-change-young-people-very-worried-survey
And stickies.
https://twitter.com/randysharpswife/status/1618366220876779520
https://twitter.com/randysharpswife/status/1618453435661291521
Grant Robertson going list only for Labour says to Hipkins get your Shadow Minister of Finance lead ready now in case you lose in October.
At least English had the courage to go leader after Key left.
Robertson. This better not be a BAU budget. It's the last big roll of the dice we have "in the tank".
If ever there was proof that Barry Soper is as nutty as a fruitcake this is it:
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/the-front-page-barry-soper-on-the-legacy-of-jacinda-arderns-political-career/BCOUHBNZZVHRPMVRJTPSFEFVIM/
Now how did I guess in advance, which former PM Barry believes Jacinda Ardern is the most reminiscent of… 🙄
Hilarious.
Before clicking on the link, I said to myself "Rob Muldoon!", to pick the most absurd and ridiculous choice I could think of.
….low and behold! Soper really has no clue whatsoever.
"But Soper believes there’s another politician that offers a tenure more analogous to that of Ardern – and he comes from the ranks of the Labour party: David Lange."
https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/politics/the-front-page-barry-soper-on-the-legacy-of-jacinda-arderns-political-career/BCOUHBNZZVHRPMVRJTPSFEFVIM/
Yes. I didn't quite get to the end of the item.
Now that is more analogous in the sense that Lange also had a drama filled term in office. I refer in particular to the nuclear free legislation and the Rainbow Warrior bombing.
I'm currently reading (at least re-reading after 20 years) Lange's book "Nuclear Free" where he dissects exactly what happened, and why the stand-off with the US and Britain became so fraught… culminating in NZ being tossed out of ANZUS. A fascinating story of misunderstandings, wrong interpretations and a head-in-sand attitude towards NZ and NZers.
Lange also resigned as PM before the end of his second term and probably for the same reason as Ardern. He was exhausted.
The system allows for the posting of an mp4 file using the image button.
If you don't like it perhaps you can have Lprent disallow it rather than blaming users.
Trying to alert this forum of the seriousness of the situation but you decided to censor that…
…just delete the whole thing for god’s sake.
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
take a breath and a step back eh? Your sharing of the airport situation was good, I just needed to change the format.
Please don't gaslight me.
I didn't post that tweet and don't agree to you replacing what I did post with it.
Take it down, please.
[TheStandard: A moderator moved this comment to Open Mike as being off topic or irrelevant in the post it was made in. Be more careful in future.]
that’s fair enough, will do.
Ignore the mod bold comment, it's automated. I move this comment to OM so you would see my reply. Have deleted the other thread.