That's put out there by Roger Penrose, and he does seem to have a pretty good understanding of the problems of metaphysics.

Yeah. It's interesting that there is great scepticism of quantum effects in biology, and yet getting them into our phones is a realistic goal.

Generally speaking, people live under the illusion that they have control over their phones, and the paranoia that if they install it into their brains it will have control over them. We are conditioned with an internal /external boundary which supports a "self", but it's also in some ways self-contradicting.

We assume some control over our interactions with the external, and control over the critical aspect, which is what we allow into the internal, from the external (no vaccines please). However, to subsist we must allow the external to penetrate, and the effects of toxicity make us realize that we really have no control over the internal. And that is where "self" becomes "self-contradicting". Once the toxin is internal, it has gained control. That realization may manifest as irrational fear toward the external, paranoia. So the "self" is supported by control over the external, but it's contradicted by lack of control over the internal, and the contradiction is enhanced by the need to allow the external into the internal to enable subsistence. This could produce an unhealthy fear of "the wrong choice", which is lack of self-confidence.

I believe this lack of self-confidence underlies the fear and skepticism toward applying quantum principles to biology, a move which could make GM look like child's play. We see the tip of a huge iceberg of ethical dilemma, and avoid it like the plague.

The majority says stay away, all you scientists ought to just go back to working on nuclear fusion, find the free energy which would make life a breeze, or something else useful like giving my phone more abilities. But there's always a few who want the fountain of youth, and how could you stop them from proceeding?

Scientists are a conspiracy to attract funding? But these are businesses, putting their money where their mouths are - or rather withdrawing their risk coverage from where their mouths are.

Here is a surprising novelty, only 100,000,000 years old.

Chat GPT lays it out for you.

https://www.livescience.com/animals/giant-fungus-like-organism-may-be-a-completely-unknown-branch-of-life

I had never heard of this organism before reading this article, but I found the possibility of an unknown branch of life intriguing.

Happy April 1st to all our reader. Science goes tits up.

To err is human, but to umm is divine.

Some paleoanthropology for your delectation; focussed for a change on China and the far East. A gentle ramble, but with some interesting science and good discussion.

The best thing about Americans is their enthusiasm. Some people find studies in evolution a little dry.

Not this guy; he brings a whole ocean of excitement to the subject.

Yaay :up: :)

A new cancer vaccine just wiped out tumors in mice
^{— University of Florida · Aug 19, 2025}

OK, this is rather interesting to any philosopher of science, but it is mainly a cautionary tale about the social nature of science and the importance of socio-political factors in the progress of science. It is anyway well worth your time to watch, and you might even learn something about plate tectonics and/or US Navy secrecy habits.

Hey, that's some welcome good news. Except not for Americans who think vaccines are a conspiracy.

She’s fantastic.

My favourite science reporter, here explains to me what the f is a 'time crystal' and opens some interesting prospects for future tech.

OK, this is definitely the Woo department, and I'm not sure how far down the rabbit hole I want to fall. But when a chap has to declare some commercial interests at the end of their woo, well that's interesting ...

"Physics is fun." my teacher used to say. But the German Science Guy is super excited about some new chemistry.

Lets take a break, and wander into the beginnings of mathematics ...