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RE: Consilience (long)



>> “The biology we are also very familiar with also. The condition of the mechanical portions of t our biology: the cochlea, tympanic membrane and such, but also the neural pathways into the brain.” <<

The problem with that statement, Unclestu, is that people THINK that we are familiar with the biology of the areas you have mentioned, but the reality is that there is still much unknown !!!!!

The thinking about the hearing mechanism has changed maybe three times since I have been seriously interested (some 30 years) !!!!!

>> “Less known and obvious is the function of the brain itself. Here the works of Oliver Sachs are quite interesting in an analysis of the role of the brain and its sections in the interpretation of sound and the role of certain parts of the brain. His book "Musicophilia" is highly recommended although I do admit others on this forum have long been aware of his writings. Here, May Belt seems to be particularly interested, especially when she makes the claim that her devices are ac ting upon the human brain ( consciousness, is how I interpret the statements).” <<

I first became interested in Oliver Sachs very, very many years ago after he had written his book “The man who mistook his wife for a hat”

I am currently reading an extremely interesting book “The Tell-Tale Brain” by the eminent neuroscientist V.S. Ramachandran.

I read E O Wilson’s book “Consilience” some years ago and even earlier than that his book “Sociobiology”.

I will give, later, my ‘slant’ on his book. But, the striking differences I find between the way E O Wilson writes and the way V.S. Ramachandran writes I will outline now.
In my (next) answer to you regarding E O Wilson’s book I refer to anomalies which scientists come across and how these anomalies are ‘coped with’ by different scientists. Thomas Kuhn was extremely good on describing different people’s reactions to anomalies and just HOW those different REACTIONS can shape science !!!!!

I found, as you mention, that yes, E O Wilson can refer to anomalies in what you call
>> “his multi faceted approach to any subject” <<.


But, in comparison with V.S. Ramachandran’s approach, E O Wilson refers to anomalies ( or other people’s findings in general) and then leaves them in the background and continues with his genetic determinism

You see, Unclestu, when certain scientists come across or are faced with anomalies and those anomalies point them in a different direction, they find that THEY, then, cannot go back to how they thought before – and certainly cannot continue to write a book in the way they had thought before !!!!

For example. Many. Many years ago, when some scientists believed ( and wrote) that the spread of cholera was caused by the foul smell (the Miasmata), when it began to be pointed out to them how one Doctor (Dr Jon Snow) had shown that in one particular street the incidences of cholera were extremely high on ONE side of the street only (when everyone in that street (both sides) obviously breathed the same foul air!!!!) and Dr Snow insisted in having the handle removed from the communal water pump – and the spread of cholera was halted in that street. After such a realization that things were not as those particular scientists had thought, they then could no longer continue to write in the same way they had before !!! The world, for them, had changed. But, unfortunately, only for some of them. Many many years LATER, when the Panama Canal was being built, the contractors asked the funders for money to provide clean water for the workers because there was a serious outbreak of cholera. They were told NO, because the spread of cholera was caused by the ‘foul smell’ – the Miasmata – not by contaminated water, so NO money to clean up the water supply !!!!!

But, I found that E O Wilson could do just that – i.e continue writing in the same manner even AFTER referring to other’s concepts and other things which were giving clues which should have been given far more serious thought !! As I pointed out before – just as David Bohm (and others) have been giving serious thought to !!!!

And, as VS Ramachandran.says (as one of those scientists who DOES LOOK SERIOUSLY at the clues which present to him) :-

>> “It is a fundamental element of the scientific process that when data are scarce or sketchy and existing theories are anaemic, scientists must brainstorm.
We need to roll out our best hypotheses, hunches and hare-brained, half- baked intuitions and then rack our brains for ways to test them. You see this all the time in the history of science.” <<

Now, regarding your reference to how I view audio matters.

>> “she claims her devices are acting upon the human brain ( consciousness, is how I interpret the statements).” <<

I do not claim that our devices and techniques work DIRECTLY on the human brain !!! Watch my lips carefully. I say that they work on the environment – on things in the environment - the things which we (human beings) are reacting to. The ‘things’ are adverse - not because they are adverse in themselves (such as plastics, chemicals etc) but because we (human beings) cannot resolve them enough to be able to sign off our environment as ‘safe’ !! And, evolution has dictated that if we cannot sign off our environment as ‘safe’, then we must remain on alert (under tension) until we can !! And, what might that ‘tension’ be creating ? Stress chemicals in the brain ?? And what might those stress chemicals be doing in the brain ?? To the hearing mechanism and to the way the musical information is ‘handled’ on it’s journey to the working memory ??? Where that information has to be identified by the working memory so that the working memory can present a ‘sound picture’ to the brain ??

I suggest you stand back and look at the extremely long discussions going on regarding crystals and the observed effect on the sound of the presence of various crystals in the listening room !! Which people are having difficulty in explaining !!!
And to look again at V S Ramachandran’s approach to looking at anomalies.

>> “It is a fundamental element of the scientific process that when data are scarce or sketchy and existing theories are anaemic, scientists must brainstorm.
We need to roll out our best hypotheses, hunches and hare-brained, half- baked intuitions and then rack our brains for ways to test them. You see this all the time in the history of science.” <<

Changing the subject slightly, I find V S Ramachandran’s thought process on such as the “phantom limb” syndrome absolutely fascinating !!

YOU will already be aware that what the crystals are doing or NOT doing (with regard to sound) are presenting some anomalies !!!!!

Why not look at the anomalies in a different way ? Looking at them in a different way does NOT alter the actual PRESENCE of electromagnetism, RF, microwave activity etc in any way - nor does it lessen the STRENGTH of the electromagnetism, RF, microwave activity etc in any way - but it can change the way one understands why the anomalies are happening !!

I have greater respect for such as the neuroscientist A V Ramachandran when he can humbly state :-

>> “ I’ve learned, over the years, to listen to what people say” <<

Than I have for such as Jim Austin who can dismiss others’ observations and experiences with :-

>> “(some reviewers) seem eager to prostitute themselves for the latest preposterous product.” <<
and
>>“some prominent industry folks have consistently failed to maintain a sufficiently skeptical posture”<<.

I have said, over and over, to you that I do not challenge your many observations regarding you hearing changes in the sound. What I challenge is your desire (insistence ???) to explain everything as “having an effect on the audio signal” or “having an effect on the acoustic air pressure waves and vibrations in the room”

Some of the anomalies cannot be explained within those narrow contexts, so one is left with – surprise, surprise – anomalies !!
THOSE are the challenges !! facing the world of audio, and as you well know, dismissing people’s experiences as merely “auto-suggestion”., “the placebo effect”, “bias” etc is the lazy way out !!

When you make the following statement, Unclestu, you sound as though you are suggesting that E O Wilson is the main person to ‘read’ – don’t bother with the others

>> “When you write something better than the time conversion trash you post on the internet maybe you may approach 1% of Wilson's intellect. The man's no Velikosvky. At any rate, it is quite apparent that his ideas are too far above your level.” <<

Especially when you quote E O Wilson’s book as being subtitled “The Unity of Knowledge”.

And this when so many other scientists are so obviously struggling to try to explain ‘what on earth is going on’ Why are THEY bothering if the Unity of Knowledge has already been written.

Like E O Wilson’s concepts and writing, listening experiences in audio seem to fit conventional thinking – until, that is, anomalies appear !!!!!!! It is HOW those anomalies are dealt with which is interesting !!

Regards,
May Belt,
Manufacturer.


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