Posts Tagged ‘Scientific’

what do these art works have to do with the scientific revolution?

Friday, February 3rd, 2012

Question by : what do these art works have to do with the scientific revolution?
I have to write a “exhibition label” where you describe the theme of “scientific revolutions in modern art” and it has two be 1-2 pages long (double spaced) but im having soooo much trouble with it D: someone please help me. Here are the four pictures.

Death of Marat, by Jacques-Louis David

A Philosopher Giving a Lecture, by Joseph Wright

Iron Bridge, built by Abraham Darby & Thomas Pritchard

Improvisation 28 (second version), by Wassily Kandinsky

Best answer:

Answer by redunicorn
Death of Marat, by Jacques-Louis David Murat was a leader in the French Revolution.

A Philosopher Giving a Lecture, by Joseph Wright
This shows how scientists became excited over discoveries.

Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!

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What do these pictures have to do with the scientific revolution?! helpp?

Saturday, January 21st, 2012

Question by : What do these pictures have to do with the scientific revolution?! helpp?
I have to write a “exhibition label” where you describe the theme of “scientific revolutions in modern art” and it has two be two pages long (double spaced) but im having soooo much trouble with it D: someone please help me. Here are the four pictures.

Death of Marat, by Jacques-Louis David

A Philosopher Giving a Lecture, by Joseph Wright

Iron Bridge, built by Abraham Darby & Thomas Pritchard

Improvisation 28 (second version), by Wassily Kandinsky

Best answer:

Answer by Bilbo
Marat was murdered by Charlotte Corday – but had aduistunguished career as a Doctor and Scientist. He was caught up in the French Revolution – probably the more influuential of his woirks was Discoveries on fire, electricity and light, published in 1779. There are plenty of potted biogs online – you may be able to find a more ‘revo;utionary’ legacy.

The Wright piece is describing an orrery – a model of the solar system and carried out in his characteristic candle-lit style. A huge contrast of the almost medieval technology with the space age implications of the subject.

Ironbridge at Coalbrookdale was the first arched bridge structure in the world to be made from cast iron. It helped make Abraham Darby famous and fuelled the Industrial revolution – an intersting thing about it is that its construction uses timber technology – it is put together with mortice and tenon joints as if it were wooden. Heaps on line about this. The fact that Darby had come up with a cheap way of producing the material was a significant factor in building the bridge (which is not huge by any standards), but its impact was phenomenal.

The Kandinsky piece is an abstraction of a horseman amotif which has apocolyptic ovetones almost a prophest of the Great War which was to come – the end of an era and the hope for anew beginning.

Know better? Leave your own answer in the comments!

Autism: Unexpected Scientific Discoveries and the Metaphysics Behind Them

Wednesday, October 19th, 2011

An article on the Discover web site and the publisher’s print magazine revealed that the traditional views of autism as a genetic disorder originating in the brain are changing. New discoveries reveal that autism is possibly a neuroinflammatory disorder that is also linked to the immune system and “the gut”.

Autism, as you may have heard, is on the rise at an alarming rate. So are many other disorders, including those no one knows about until commercials for the wonder drugs that manage those disorders are aired on television. Is it a coincidence that we are plagued with so many diseases and disorders? No. As we continue to pollute our bodies (and the planet) with increasingly toxic food, air, water, politics, cultural habits, etc, I hardly see the great mystery behind our exploding health crisis. In a piece I posted some years ago on our country’s Disorder Disorder – the disorder of having many disorders – I touched on the need for us to start addressing the larger health issues (including emotional and spiritual health issues) that surely underly our crises.

Interestingly, the new findings on autism may open that door. From a physical perspective, pieces of the autism puzzle could open the health industry’s eyes to the interconnectedness of seemingly unrelated disorders and potentially (fingers crossed) take the world down a new path and approach to medicine. The link between “the gut” and autism in terms of Energy Medicine is a very interesting and revealing bit of information. The subtle or spiritual anatomy of the gut is involved with the processing of emotion. Metaphysically speaking, in a society where members have become largely disengaged from one another at the spiritual and emotional levels, and in which attention is frequently focused on the negative and the destructive (which often makes people want to disengage), it does not surprise me that a condition like autism would manifest and be on the rise at this particular point in time.

Look at this summary of the behavioral characteristics of autistic disorder from the Cambridge Center of Behavioral Studies web site:

1. significant difficulties with social interactions – does not pay attention to other people; does not play with other children; does not reciprocate

2. significant difficulties in verbal and nonverbal communication – grabs what is wanted or leads to get what is wanted; copies or parrots words (echolalia); if has words, does not converse

3. significant difficulties in the development of play – uses only parts of toys; lines up or stacks objects; no imaginative play

4. highly restricted, repetitive and stereotyped patterns of behavior and interests. May talk continuously about one topic or repeat the same questions; may spin and stare at objects; may flap fingers or pieces of string; mouth or hit self

5. highly resistant to even slight changes in routines

If you read that summary with your spiritual eyes, do you not see in it a description of how our society behaves? I certainly do.

Discuss this article at www.HealingSpirit.com

Holding a doctorate in metaphysics and pursuing a second in metaphysical psychology, Antonia M, Ph.D. — “The Inner Power Doctor”—has helped an international audience of adults and youth to break through their walls and create positive, radical change in their lives. For nearly 15 years, her work as a spiritual health professional, personal growth expert, and holistic program consultant, has focused on creating personalized programs for spiritual awakening, development and rehabilitation. Through her company, Conscious Enterprise, Inc., Dr. M also specializes in holistic staff, leadership and personal development, including wellness, work/life balance, and spirituality in the workplace. Dr. M is the host of the Inner Power Hour on Evolve Radio and is the author of The Self Mastery & Fulfillment Workbook. Explore her site at www.HealingSpirit.com.

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Scientific Research Studies on Spiritual Science and Philosophy

Wednesday, July 13th, 2011

Today’s era predominates with a high intellect. Every aspect of our life is fully influenced by the modern scientific principle of proof and sound logic. As a result world humanity requires both proof and logic as far as philosophy is concerned too. Only after testing it thus will they deign to accept its usefulness. Truth and Reality will be imbibed only after it is tested via logic and scientific proof. This insistence of ‘proof’ has greatly challenged the very existence of Spiritual Sciences. Man’s glory and social arrangement has its roots in high leveled faith that encompasses both sacred ideals and principles. Sheer intellectualism with its emphasis on direct proof has truly harmed man’s faith potential. Logic and proof says that faith is ‘blind’. Hence today’s need of the hour is to test Spiritual Values like faith, trust, ideals etc on the basis of scientific logic and principles along with its utility and proof of its very existence. For this those very scientific research need to be deployed which are today being used by Modern Material Science.

Today everyone fully accepts the importance of Material Science. Its utility and importance have always remained in vogue because it tests itself on the basis of logic, experimentation and research. In addition to this it never wavers when it is required to give up beliefs that are not scientifically sound and rational. Of course it is a well known fact that scientific findings do tend to change every now and then. If for the first time some proof is found it is not necessary that it will remain eternally correct. This is because when newer discoveries and inventions unfold the previous conclusions are renounced. Thus scientific findings at a particular point in time are accepted as true only until new findings later disprove their veracity. Hence the previous finding henceforth does not hold true as it did previously. It is this yearning for truth that helps Modern Science retain its importance and utility.

The attainments of Spiritual Science are infinitely more than those of Material Science. Hence its importance too is n-fold more than modern science. Thus it is most required that greater attention be paid to it. Since in ancient times Spiritual Science was given a lot of importance man’s overall glory too reached high peaks. But later the more man’s soul force weakened the more he headed towards both a material and spiritual degradation. Hence if we wish to herald in a radiant future in the 21st century optimum usage of soul principles are the need of the hour. Thus keeping this in mind it is most required that Spiritual Sciences be researched in a modern scientific manner and place them in front of all so as to imbibe them in their pristine purity.

It is Spiritual Philosophy that is the foundation stone of human thought/viewpoint. It is the very life force of spirituality. Man’s wholesome thinking or otherwise is totally dependent on the beliefs of social norm that are in vogue at a particular time. The basis of high leveled thought flow during the Rishi Era was Spiritual Philosophy that was in vogue. It ceaselessly inspired human beings to strive for supremacy as far as wholesome thought and activity was concerned. As a result heavenly situations manifested and divinely human beings took birth. Serious questions regarding the soul, God’s existence, God’s glory, fruits of ones past/present/future actions, creation of this world and the aim behind it can only be answered by Spiritual Philosophy.

During varying times and circumstances great Rishis of yore gave us philosophical tenets to suit those times and requirements. As long as the Rishi Yuga existed, this tradition continued thus creating heavenly situations for world beings. But later during the Middle Age a fairly long time span of darkness and gloom prevailed. Since in this dark period unruliness and anarchy took over philosophy, righteousness and spirituality were totally ignored by one and all. During such dire times it is most required that one is alert enough to gauge what is apt and what is not apt. Thus we should develop an intellect which leans towards research so as to understand what is true and what is its day to day usefulness.

Ancient and very useful spiritual principles need to be put forth to world humanity in such a way wherein there remains no room for doubt as far as its utility and veracity is concerned especially in today’s Jet Age.

Great Rishis elucidated various behavioral depending on each circumstance and its requirement. Smritis clearly depict such differences in norms laid down. The different norms laid down by great seers during various points in world history were not because there was hatred, differences etc amongst these seers. In fact they were forced to lay down different social norms simply because the requirements during various phases of world history required specific norms for each and every phase.

The basis of past progress, analysis of downfall and goal setting for the future is an intellect which yearns for facts and reality. In spiritual parlance it is called Ritambhara. According to Brahman scriptures this is what Prajapati says while elucidating Divine Wisdom or Self Realization: When during cosmic annihilation (Pralaya) everything in this world is destroyed at that time too one Rishi remains alive to reveal the truth. His name is ‘Tarka’. Over here Tarka is not some dry and superficial argument but it is a divine intellect full of profound wisdom. It is with its help that one can attain Self Realization. An intellect that is open to accept truth shies away from prejudiced fanatical beliefs. The wheel of time is such that situations faced by us all are bound to change again and again. And it is because of this that the methods of solving various problems too change when situations change. No doubt we revere saints and seers of the past and the spiritual endeavors demarcated by them. And yet it is not necessary that these endeavors can help in today’s times since situations of those times and today differ a great deal. Hence it is most required that spiritual practices of those times that can be used today be imbibed wholeheartedly and renounce those which are not suitable for modern times (but were apt for past times).

As mentioned previously in the Middle Age of darkness and ignorance a lot of distortions plagued the spiritual arena. Such disparity was seen in the principles, methods and social execution of Spiritual Philosophy that even a common thinking intellect would refuse to trust its veracity and utility. In the dark Middle Age sacred scriptures got ‘adulterated’ so as to say. This resulted in the degradation of the lives of so called religious and spiritual “leaders”. Thus majority of world humanity rightly refused to trust them and follow in their footsteps.

There was a time many centuries back when Rishis’ speech and the sacred gospel of our scriptures were thought to be beyond doubt. Today because intellectualism and logic/proof is the in thing, scriptural precepts will not be gulped down solely on the basis of faith. The philosophy of faith can only be reinstated today on the firm foundation of its utility, proof and veracity. Today the need of the hour is that the principles and day to day execution of Spiritual Science be put forth in a form that is wholesome and acceptable to this present generation of the Computer Age. Those very spiritual tenets faithfully and wholeheartedly imbibed by seers of yore must be presented today in a manner that is acceptable to the highly intellectual human beings of modern times. The gist of the teachings of great thinkers and sages of ancient times is unanimous wherein human beings love each other selflessly, imbibe the wealth of sacred thinking, grow the flowers of wholesome actions and develop a great character. How will al this happen? The answer is one without a second and that is faith towards Spiritual Sciences be imbibed deeply in ones psyche.

For this a 2-pronged effort has been designed wherein distortions that have entered Spiritual Science are being rooted out and to prove with sound scientific arguments the futility to pursue materialism that does not have a firm substratum of spiritual values. For this in the gigantic library of the Brahmavarchas Research Institute’s highly experienced scholars are re-analyzing every religious scripture in a scientific manner. Every scripture is scrutinized minutely for its useful tenets and without any prejudice or bias renounce all precepts that are not useful/applicable in today’s 21st century. We must have deep faith that just as when the mythological churning of the ocean took place and 14 jewels emerged from it so too our scientific research will definitely unearth those spiritual jewels that will be acceptable the world over.

It is also the need of the hour to combat the rat race like material pursuits (one could say it is a by product of Modern Science) devoid of spiritual and human values. The very foundation of ethics has been shattered because of laying emphasis solely on direct visible proof and material utility. Die hard materialists refuse to accept the existence of the soul and God. As a result the attitude of ‘why even deign to think about good deeds/merits, spiritual goals, renunciation, sacrifice etc’? Charvak said: Rinam Kritvaa Gridham Pibait. It means keep borrowing money and thus eat, drink and be merry. He also said: Yena Kena Prakaarena, Yaavajjeevait Sukham Jeevait. It means beg, borrow or steal and continue to live a life of sense merriment. If one looks around and analyzes the life style of the highly materialistic intellectual class it certainly appears as though they are

Why is metaphysics important for understanding modern scientific theories?

Monday, May 24th, 2010

A Metaphysics for Scientific Realism: Knowing the Unobservable

Sunday, March 28th, 2010

Product Description
Scientific realism is the view that our best scientific theories give approximately true descriptions of both observable and unobservable aspects of a mind-independent world. Debates between realists and their critics are at the very heart of the philosophy of science. Anjan Chakravartty traces the contemporary evolution of realism by examining the most promising strategies adopted by its proponents in response to the forceful challenges of antirealist sceptics, res… More >>

A Metaphysics for Scientific Realism: Knowing the Unobservable