Thursday, October 1, 2020

871: The End......

 Anyone who reviews the latest findings of psychology and biology, archeology, sociology and history will conclude that man has had a false self-image for millennia. 

  

For a long time we have assumed that man is an egoist, a beast, or worse. For a long time we believed that civilization was a thin layer of varnish.

    

Our tendency to believe in a negative self-image is very persistent. During this project we have seen many examples of the contrary.

     

One of the main causes why we continue to believe that the world is in a bad condition or even getting worse is the news media.

   

They focus mainly on what goes wrong in our world and seldom on what goes right. They often speak in general terms about groups of people: refugees, elites, politicians, racists ...

   

Furthermore you are informed about all disasters, climate change, pollution, accidents, crimes and the like.

  

However, the fundamental premise of this project was that the world is getting better and better and that we must free ourselves from our negative self-image.

   

Although it may be hard to accept, but it is true. The world we live in is getting better day by day.

  

A question is of course what I mean by "better". It means that every person can live a dignified life. 

  

That is to say, a roof over his head, food, safety, good health care and education, the possibility to give meaning to his existence.

  

Some may be inclined to look around and conclude that the world of today is a mess, but put it all in a historic perspective.

   

Then you can see that it is true, for how could it be possible that since 1850 we are able to feed 6 billion new inhabitants of this globe today within a timespan of a hundred years?

   

For this project I used among other things the book of Rutger Bregman with the title "De meeste mensen deugen" (Most people are good / OK).

  

It is a book of 512 pages loaded with examples which confirm the title. The main conclusion is that we have to change our attitude towards ourselves.

   

If you expect to find the answer on page 521, I have to disappoint you. The author comes up with some general and common suggestions, but not with a definite solution.

    

That is not such a big deal. After everything I have presented you in all the lectures of this project there can be only one conclusion: mankind IS making progress.

   

For example, worldwide we ARE talking about climate change and how to stop it. It is not ignored. OK, there still are some people that believe they can ignore it, but they are a minority.

   

This world has an impressive educational system, a huge amount of unbelievable scientific knowledge. We can handle (with a few exceptions) a pandemic due to our medical knowledge.

  

Or look at Europe. France and Germany, historically two archenemies, a war between these two countries is unthinkable today. 

  

A war to create "Lebensraum" (life space), you can't take that seriously anymore anno 2020.

    

In other words, there still is a lot of work to be done to create a better world, but my observation is,

   

that through the centuries the world has become a better place step by step and when I look at my grandchildren of 4 and 5 years old, I am not worried about their future.

    

Thank you for your attention again. This concludes this project....

  



The Discussion

  

[13:24] herman Bergson: Did I take your breath away or did you fall asleep? :-)

[13:25] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): i thought you wanted to say more after the little dots

[13:25] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako):

[13:25] CB Axel: I'm just thinking that as the planet warms and sea levels rise, there will be fights for Lebensraum.

[13:25] herman Bergson: Well...ok....yes....Coming Thursday NO CLASS....:-)

[13:25] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): is the island calling you?

[13:26] herman Bergson: I have to think of a new subject for a new project

[13:26] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): aa

[13:26] herman Bergson: No island.....we stay home due to COVID

[13:26] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): this was a good conclusion of this one for sure

[13:26] herman Bergson: Thank you Bejiita

[13:27] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): and yes id say we somehow move forward despite all happening now, Covid Trump and Putin ect

[13:27] herman Bergson: Why do you assume that there will be fights in the future CB?

[13:27] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): progress will be made

[13:27] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): cause ignoring thise we are all kostly indeed...

[13:27] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): OK!

[13:27] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): mostly

[13:27] CB Axel: As sea levels rise and people migrate inland there are bound to be disagreements.

[13:28] herman Bergson: Might be indeed, but there also is diplomacy as a way to solve problems

[13:29] CB Axel: That doesn't seem to be working so far.

[13:29] herman Bergson: But if you stick to the negative self-image of man...yes his first option is fighting, I guess

[13:29] CB Axel: Look at all the people dying while trying to cross the Mediterranean.

[13:29] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): we could also go live on the water, like we do in the Netherlands already

[13:30] CB Axel: That's a good idea, Beertje. If you can't beat the water, join it! :)

[13:30] herman Bergson: Indeed...:-)

[13:30] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): ah

[13:30] herman Bergson: Floating cities

[13:30] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): we already have houses that float on the water

[13:30] herman Bergson: why not?

[13:30] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): aaa ys ive seen images, like in a tale

[13:30] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): i could live like that

[13:30] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): really cozy

[13:31] Dien (djdien.bailey) is offline.

[13:31] CB Axel: I think I could do. I slept very well on my father's sailboat.

[13:31] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): :))

[13:31] CB Axel: Winters would be difficult, though.

[13:32] herman Bergson: If you look at everything from a historical perspective, you can have a positive attitude towards the future

[13:32] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako):

[13:33] herman Bergson: homo sapiens is a resourceful individual

[13:34] herman Bergson: this isn't a perfect world, but neither is it a dystopia

[13:34] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): and when we can easily desalinate seawater no freshwater issues either, the problem is the high pressure pumps required to push through those osmosis filters rquire huge amout of power, but i guess u could solve that

[13:34] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): sea based wind turbines generate lot more and stable power then land based ones

[13:35] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): more and more stable wind to sea

[13:35] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): that could power these

[13:35] herman Bergson: problem solved...thnx Bejiita ^_^

[13:35] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): on the islands here they make already drinkingwater from seawater

[13:35] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): ah

[13:35] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): and good beer from that same water:))

[13:35] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): YAY! (yay!)

[13:36] herman Bergson: I like that...:-)

[13:36] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): Texelse schuimkoppen:)

[13:36] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): now THAT is important! cant be without beer for long fir sure

[13:36] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): yummy!

[13:36] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako):

[13:36] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): lol Bejiita

[13:36] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): im in my IPA period now in autumn

[13:37] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): hmm

[13:37] CB Axel: :)

[13:37] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): don't like IPA

[13:37] CB Axel: Stout, for me, please. :)

[13:37] herman Bergson: what is IPA?

[13:37] CB Axel: India Pale Ale

[13:37] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): dat is beer met een heel hoog hopgehalte

[13:37] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): wat blijft langer goed

[13:37] CB Axel: Hoppy beer.

[13:37] herman Bergson: NEver heard of

[13:37] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): is nogal bitter

[13:37] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): its having a very rich quite bitter and full taste

[13:38] herman Bergson: I see :-)

[13:38] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): more intense then the lighter lagers

[13:38] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): ja

[13:38] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): more to slowly enjoy then gulp down as a thirst quencher

[13:38] CB Axel: Belgian tripels are good, too.

[13:38] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): spaciaal gemaakt voor de export

[13:38] herman Bergson: It costs a fortune in Sweden, I guess  :-)

[13:39] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): im drinking something called Trappist beer, a fav is La Trappe quadrupel

[13:39] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): its sweet and alcohol rih, its more like a drink then beer

[13:39] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): :))

[13:39] herman Bergson: But I think that we have left the philosophical thoughts behand us now :-)

[13:39] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): it does NOT taste beer really but still soes

[13:39] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): does

[13:40] CB Axel: Is there a philosophy of beer?

[13:40] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): YES!

[13:40] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako):

[13:40] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): must be CB:)

[13:40] herman Bergson: bejiita seems to be our beer philosopher :-)

[13:40] herman Bergson: and there is a beer drinker in your Supreme court :-))

[13:40] CB Axel: I was just thinking that if marijuana was legal across the US our politics probably wouldn't be so contentious.

[13:40] CB Axel: A crying beer drinker, Herman.

[13:41] herman Bergson grins

[13:41] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): who is that?

[13:41] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): you should really know about this because it is from netherlands

[13:41] CB Axel: Kavanaugh, Beertje.

[13:41] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako):

[13:41] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): ah ok:)

[13:42] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): La trappe is basically a monk brewed beer from Netherlands, one of few versions I've tried of "monk beer"

[13:42] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): love them

[13:43] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): there are so many beers here in the Netherlands

[13:43] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): https://media.martinservera.se/image/upload/w_525,h_525,c_pad,b_white,q_auto,f_auto,d_ingen-bild.png/prod/galatea/produkt/1624-01_01_produktbild.jpg

[13:43] herman Bergson: I'd better end this class now, for it begins to look like a Beer stube :-)

[13:43] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): aaa you are good at beer i know in general

[13:43] CB Axel: :)

[13:43] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): next project! The philosophy of beer!

[13:43] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako):

[13:43] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): hehe

[13:43] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): yay

[13:43] CB Axel: So, we'll meet again next Tuesday?

[13:44] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): ok now i want a beer so gonna get me some

[13:44] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): een Herfstbok Bejiita?

[13:44] herman Bergson: We'll meet next Tuesday with a new project CB :-)

[13:44] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): cu then

[13:44] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako):

[13:44] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): take care Bejiita

[13:44] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): próóst

[13:44] herman Bergson: enkoy your beer, Bejiita ^)^

[13:44] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): proost

[13:44] CB Axel: See you next week, everyone. Bye.

[13:44] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako): and cu

[13:44] Particle Physicist Bejiita (bejiita.imako):

[13:45] .: Beertje :. (beertje.beaumont): lol, nice class today

[13:45] herman Bergson: Made me thirsty indeed :-)