TED Community » Wouter Donders

More About Me

I'm passionate about

Medical Engineering, music, free and global information exchange

Talk to me about

Anything you might think worth talking about. I will listen.

People don't know that I'm good at

Ballroom dancing!

Comments

• TEDCred score: +12.00 TEDCred reflects your contribution to the TED community.

• +4

  A reply on Talk: Diane J. Savino: The case for same-sex marriage

  Aug 22 2010: I'm from the Netherlands, and recently I read (though I can't remember the source, so don't put too much credit on the following assertion) that the Netherlands is the most "gay-friendly" country in the world. I can tell you for certain that we were the first country to legalize same sex marriage (2001) - quite recent, really. There is still some animosity towards homosexuals in the Netherlands, but on the other hand there are many public figures who don't hide their homosexuality.
  
  I can only speak for myself and my close friends when I say that "we" find the U.S. debate tiring. It's one step forward, one step back every time. I was happy to read the recent outcome in the Perry v. Schwarzenegger case, but at the same time I am anxious to see what will happen when it is once again appealed.
• +3

  A reply on Talk: Diane J. Savino: The case for same-sex marriage

  Aug 22 2010: Indeed, genetic pre-disposition doesn't mean you have to follow through on that disposition. However, in the cases that it does no harm to anyone (i.e.: when the involved parties are consenting adults), why shouldn't it be legalized?
  
  I don't think anyone in who in favour of gay marriage does so by pointing at other species in which homosexuality occurs and then inferencing some imperative to copy that behaviour. They point at these other species in which homosexuality occurs to counter the assertion that homosexuality is "unnatural". You can interpret "unnatural" in many ways, and that's why I steer clear of it. Even if it is "unnatural", who cares? It is a naturalistic fallacy in any case.

• A reply on Talk: Stephen Wolfram: Computing a theory of everything

  May 1 2010: I agree, the talk was a bit messy. When he was giving examples he wasn't explaining what he was showing (other than "an example"). By not explaining what the audience was seeing, the examples did not contribute to a better understanding of what he was talking about.
  
  Furthermore, Galileo didn't invent the telescope, he just took the concept and improved it and used it in a novel fashion (namely, to look at the sky). But perhaps you knew that already.

• A comment on Talk: Stephen Wolfram: Computing a theory of everything

  May 1 2010: Could someone explain what Wolfram means with "the set of all computational universes"? What is such a computational universe?
  
  It seems like he has a view of the universe that is in essence mathematical. Should I take his computational universe to mean a set of (mathematical) rules which govern the computational domain, which corresponds to fundamental rules (as found in physics) a universe like ours operates by?

• A reply on Talk: Hans Rosling on HIV: New facts and stunning data visuals

  May 13 2009: Why would you suggest changing our methods of prevention? Roslin did not talk about prevention methods in at all, and condoms and health training are proven, effective methods - unless, of course, you mean trying to find ways in which this information can add to already established HIV infection prevention.