M0 (emm-zero) named as parasite responsible for humanity's malfunctions

[The Last Conformist]

In short, most of humanity suffers from high dopamine levels imposed by M0, as described in the bolded quote above. The makes them addicts to rituals, less perceptive, less focused. Those with low dopamine levels (the herein considered natural state) will question the existing ruleset and rebel against the system that M0 has imposed.

Is it just me, or does it seem perverse to describe the minority state as the natural one?


Anyway, let's assume that M0 exists as an approximately discrete phenomenological entity. It then seems clear that most people in recorded history have been infected. Since the same period has been a very successful one for humanity in evolutionary and technological terms, one is tempted to conclude that M0 is a good thing.


I don't think the "all the people who did it before us surely can't be wrong" attitude really merits of an explanation, but for this who wonder, here it is: Among hunter-gatherer groups, the resources that can be gambled on experiements are very limited. A genetically conditioned preference to sticking to tried and tested ways have an obvious survival value in such situations. Today, the possibility of pooling resources makes the trade-off more favourable to experimentation, but our genes haven't had time to adapt to that, with the result that people's instincts are often contraproductive.

 

[Xenocrates]

This article reminded me of the postmodern generator. This was hosted by Monash University, but it's gone now.

It generates essays of PURE BS, so pure that pretentious sods lap it all up. There's some examples here: http://www.elsewhere.org/pomo

I don't know whether there's any truth in the OP, but I get suspicious when pompous language is used.

 

[JoeM]

Time for me to 'fess up.

And thank heavens you did. I spend hours 'debating' with those in love with pseudo-science, it nevers gets anywhere as they want to believe, and that's all that matters.

You're comment about dangerous ideas is correct, any ideology is dangerous which says "you really are different from everyone else, and there's a special reason too!" - see Al Qaeda for more.

But on the whole it just prevents reason, which really annoys me. And once I'm annoyed, I can't convince anyone to change their mind, Catch-22!

 

[The Last Conformist]

This article reminded me of the postmodern generator. This was hosted by Monash University, but it's gone now.

It generates essays of PURE BS, so pure that pretentious sods lap it all up. There's some examples here: http://www.elsewhere.org/pomo

I don't know whether there's any truth in the OP, but I get suspicious when pompous language is used.

Reminds me of the Chomskybot.

 

[Xenocrates]

Reminds me of the Chomskybot.

Nice - I wonder if someone will take the trouble to develop a BushBot

Sorry to deviate from topic BTW.