h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

I've realised this is the way I need to go in much more. I've been far too emotional on this place of late.

The truth is we're all just chemicals. Emotions just come about because of brain chemistry. Nothing more or less.

If you take pleasure in things or love someone..it's just to do with chemicals in your brain.

How silly is it to get so het up..when you can just say to yourself its just to do with sodium and potassium ions moving across membranes in nerve axons...neurotransmitters at synapses. That's entirely what all this stuff is about.

It can always all be reduced to that.

I'm going to be thinking much more about this from now on.

And what does it really matter about pollution?

Again more chemicals. Nature will eventually evolve to deal with it. What does it really matter how many species die out?

My pathetic attempts in my garden to do with indiginous wild plants are a total joke.

If I burned my garden today..what iota of difference would it make to the English countryside?

Absolutely nothing. Its a lot of emotional rubbish.

I'm going to get back into being a lot more rational again.

And that cat just came round again. The thing *only* comes for food. If I didn't feed it, it would stay away.

Its good to face facts.

Its actually becoming a damned nuisance. It likes clawing at carpets.

And I'm starting to think that relationship was all concocted in my head...well of course all relationships are really concocted in people's heads via potassium and sodium ions, neurons, and neurotransmitters.

I'm a shameless reductionist. I like reductionism, it's how we take science forward isn't it?

I know consciousness and emotions are just a bodily function, like farting. But that doesn't stop me enjoying them when they are good and feeling affected when they are bad. The knowledge that emotions are just chemicals, which can be overidden by conscious thoughts helps me turn them off at work and on at home.

I have quite a lot of conflict about it. But I remember in my childhood when I was unhappy, and I had got big into science...I couldn't get enough of it..it helped me cope with thinking people were scaring me. That is my scaredness was just chemicals in my brain. And then when I first got a manic psychosis they explained all about brain chemistry.

I have a degree in both a science, (biology) and Fine Art...which indicates the conflict I think.

I fundamentally think in patterns but can do both...well both are creative.and reductionism is about patterns at the low level.

anhaga recently posted this link from Bronovski's Ascent of Man...when I spoke about my visit to Auchwitz concentartion camp in the past. Its the same pond I found. But its what Bronovski says about the importance of science. I think its very moving.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0jl2w3xYFHQ

I really encourage you to watch that link...and it isn't very long.

They should be showing things like that on the tv more...rather than all the celebrity rubbish. People will forget...and it'll happen again.

it was tricky to watch. I'm on a train from London to Edinburgh at the moment, just using my iPhone.

Having both degrees must give a really unique perspective. I'm rather jealous of that actually.

I'm in a similar situation, but I think I might be a bit more on the sciency end. . .

My academic time was English Lit (and Classics). But my peers were surprised that I went into Arts rather than Science, and I've always kept up the Science learning. And now I seem to be 'doing' art, but today I was off to interview the Chief of Pediatric Surgery here for an article I'm writing.

To me this mixing of arts and science seems normal. I wish everyone did it.

To be really honest I was feeling quite cross and cynical when I started this thread.

And reductionism doesn't really help me anymore to cope with emotional problems. It feels like I'm dehumanising when its to do with trying to turn something like 'love' into that. I prefer poetry and something that feels a bit 'spiritual' for that.

That's not to say I deny the truth of it.

More brilliant stuff from Bronowski...to do with western civilsation...and his sheer honesty about what would make him sad if it disintegrated.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dYq4p3z_WXA&feature=related

Quite prescient as well. I get so very emotional as well listening to him. His delivery is amazing.

(But it is a little bit funny the way his glasses keep catching the light. They don't make stuff like this anymore).

I couldn't help but slip over to this after Bronowski's warning: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmlP_cFOoAM&feature=related

A little far from Bronowski, but Ms. Mirren sure outclasses what's his name who interviews him.

Yeah I'll watch the Helen Mirren later. I can always watch her with pleasure.

But I watched the Bronowski again about western civilisation and it almost got me crying. He does look quite a lot like that jewish guy I was so in love with for years..which probably accounts for some of it.

And he was a neuroscientist but so big into the arts. He didn't seem to have a problem dealing with those 2 ways of thinking.

And he got me into Yeats as well. This may belong on my new Art thread..but I'll post here.

An Irish Airman forsees his death

http://www.poets.org/viewmedia.php/prmMID/19414

anhaga you've done something to me since you posted that Bronowski link of that pond at Auchwitz..and he's picking up that stuff of bone fragments like I did...and what he's saying...

Oh in case you're worried. A good thing.

Oh and this is the full version of the Auchwitz clip which is more complete I think. Not much longer but it really is important for me.

I will get over this thing..and not wallow. But I need to really feel it because it was a very important part of my life...which you've brought alive again..if that doesn't sound overly dramatic...which it probably does.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dkgkook5jro&NR=1

I watched the Helen Mirren interview..yes she handled his sexist unpleasantnist very well. Amazing to see her so young looking. I found her far more sexy since she got older though..if I'm not being sexist?

Returning to that Jewish guy I had a relationship with, I found a thing on the internet where a lot of questions are put to him by the British medical journal, The Lancet. This is the last question and his answer.

What was your first experiment as a child?

Aged 7, I tried, and failed, to find proof of God's existence.