Physicist: From the point of view of the free-energy formulation there is no need to recourse to any other principles. Of course, one might find that one’s favorite principle emerges from a particular application of the free-energy principle; however, the whole point of the free-energy principle is to unify all adaptive autopoietic and self-organizing behavior under one simple imperative; avoid surprises and you will last longer.

Philosopher: The “free-energy principle” (see e.g., Friston and Stephan, 2007; Friston, 2010a) suggests that all biological systems are driven to minimize an information-theoretic (not thermodynamic, though the two are mathematically close) quantity known as “free energy.” Free energy, as here defined, bounds surprise, conceived as the difference between an organism’s predictions about its sensory inputs (embodied in its models of the world) and the sensations it actually encounters. In this discussion, surprise is used explicitly as a measure of improbability from information theory. This is also known as surprisal or self information.

↪Nicholas Mihaila
Try Camus. Absurdism is probably the best path out of nihilism :) — I like sushi

That's what I'm trying to do. I'm currently in a cafe enjoying some coffee. The existential dread is like background noise, and the coffee tastes good. :) — Nicholas Mihaila

A mathematical proof for a target statement is a series of statements which logically/deductively show that statement. It can't show something 'like' the target statement, or even make the target statement almost certainly true, it has to show that the target statement is true. The standard is pedantically high. — fdrake

My problem is that I see almost everything as completely pointless and this has profoundly affected my happiness. — Nicholas Mihaila

The pain in my life far outweighs any joy and I'm not sure how to change this. — Nicholas Mihaila

I really can't see why a sexist put down of human experts enjoying what they study is the position to have. Yes, we could eliminate the word impressive from our vocabulary, but it seems to me their passion and cooing is informative. Many other humans will react similarly when they too experience the subtlties and patterns that experts notice and find.
Informative about what many of us will experience, that is.
..........I don't see why scientists need to cut out their own limbic systems or pretend they are not in awe when they are. — Bylaw

... including Ligotti (I'm a fan). :mask: — 180 Proof

:rofl: :up: — TheMadFool

"What are the odds?" is clearly a mathematical question and I've given some hints on how we might be able to actually get our hands on a number to anyone who has the information. — TheMadFool

I'm surprised at the answers though - people seem surprisingly confident of their answers despite the fact that no one posted a figure/number and showed their work. — TheMadFool

“One cringes to hear scientists cooing over the universe or any part thereof like schoolgirls over-heated by their first crush. From the studies of Krafft-Ebbing onward, we know that it is possible to become excited about anything—from shins to shoehorns. But it would be nice if just one of these gushing eggheads would step back and, as a concession to objectivity, speak the truth: THERE IS NOTHING INNATELY IMPRESSIVE ABOUT THE UNIVERSE OR ANYTHING IN IT.” — Thomas Ligotti

I am talking about this at the highest degrees of status/power/influence rather than across the entire social strata simply because those that are stupid and in possession of greater status/power/influence can cause untold damage to themselves and many others whilst remaining oblivious to the fact. — I like sushi

That's the answer you deserve. :cool: — James Riley

:up: — James Riley

I would have liked to have heard more on what the yes would entail, but I'd be happy to put a bullet in this thread. :lol: — James Riley

This OP badly needs an example — bert1

Should any accommodation be made for those who decline to avail themselves of X in defense of needs? — James Riley

Would you mind explaining your reasoning for this since it is obvious that China seeks to expand it's economic and military power and the US instead wishes to do everything in it's power to limit the ability of any country that is seeking to becoming a country that can rival it? — dclements

That my fears are clearly not unfounded. — Manuel

I fear some mistake could trigger a nuclear war, which is not at all some crazy imagining of mine. — Manuel

What are the odds... — dclements

Go figure eh. — Book273

Oh oh. Now you went and done it. You hinted he may have made a mistake. To which, of course, invites the response that you, rather, may have not understood. — Mww

A first cause would be an alpha. .....What I conclude is that an alpha must logically exist. — Philosophim

Does the conclusion make sense, or do you see a flaw somewhere? — Philosophim

That doesn't follow. Meaning is built - it is what you do. And what you do, you do together with other people. Creating meaning is inherently a communal activity. — Banno

Yikes. — Mww

Don't treat meaning as if it were something you find. It's not. It's something you build. — Banno

It's interesting to watch her wander around the coop; she's never not had company. One wonders what, if any, sense of absence is there when she doesn't have to compete for the grain thrown on the floor, or when she finds herself alone on the perch at roost. — Banno

That implies that he says a lot in a small space. My impression is rather that he says very little, but in the most obtuse fashion. So: — Banno

*A fox got in to the hen house and played "shake the chook" last night, with only one survivor, who (not 'which'...) as a result is getting unusual attention and sympathy, including being elevated from "it" to "she". — Banno

but I'd better shut up before I start copping abuse again. — Wayfarer

But then Sartre could write. — Banno