TED Community » Mitch Skiles

More About Me

I'm passionate about

Neuroscience and Computers. I love the idea of brain computer interaction and look forward to making an impact on the field of neuroprosthetics

Talk to me about

the brain, philosophy, reality, perception, computers, politics, economics, and life!

Comments

• TEDCred score: +1.60 TEDCred reflects your contribution to the TED community.

• A reply on Conversation: Can we look at the past when looking for future solutions to modern problems?

  Aug 26 2012: Thank you. I did indeed look to the past to formulate a solution to the problem which is why I posed the question (and have been playing devil's advocate) However through doing that research I found many examples and studies of the moderates opinions of each other (which constitutes the majority) and found that in reality the "enemies" you talk about are actually a small minority that consume much of the media's attention. So it isn't necessarily accurate to say that a shared state would be impossible (if the extremists were not in control). I do however agree that money and power played an integral part of creating this mess (as they both play parts in the majority of the world's problems) however money can also be used for good when you take power and greed out of the equation. And there are many instances in the past and present that indicate this. Whether or not it is fair to assume such a generalization however is quite controversial (as seen in this discussion)

• A reply on Conversation: Should Science be Considered a Religion?

  Aug 23 2012: I'm sorry perhaps I wasn't clear. Telling woman how to dress is not religion. At least, it's not what religion is supposed to be. And either way, it still answers the why question. Women dress a certain way...why? To honor God. How? by putting the clothes on (which is observable and therefore can be scientifically explained)...You might be onto something that science asks why...but it answers how. Religion asks how (how should I live) and answers with a why. The ten commandements, in the context of when they were given, were not a set of "rules" that answer how to get into heaven...they are a set of standards that present a way to live which yields a better life. Religion might answer the question of why you live by them, why strive for a better life, why does it matter. But the rules themselves aren't the religion-they are guidelines to finding the answer to the questions answered with "why"

• A reply on Conversation: Can we look at the past when looking for future solutions to modern problems?

  Aug 22 2012: Either perspective is appreciated, I meant both, because I think each has its own value
• +1

  A comment on Conversation: Should Science be Considered a Religion?

  Aug 22 2012: I think that science and religion answer too completely different questions. Science answers the How and religion the Why. How do we exist? Well you have fertilization of an egg and than cells multiply and proteins are formed and so on and so forth. Why do we exist? that's a much more difficult question to answer, and nearly impossible to derive empirically. Use this for practically anything in the sciences. How does a car engine work? Any mechanical engineer could answer that. Why does a car engine work? An engineer/scientist's answer to that question would most likely be the same as "How..." In other words, it's nearly impossible to answer scientifically. How was the universe created? (Big Bang, etc) Why was the universe created (God wanted to) How do we adapt to the environment (evolution/survival of the fittest) Why do we adapt to the environment (God needed a tool in the same way that a sculpter uses a tool)

• A reply on Conversation: Can we look at the past when looking for future solutions to modern problems?

  Aug 22 2012: I really enjoyed reading what you had to say! Thanks so much! Just to further present the other side of this: If we focus on learning from the past to prevent it from repeating itself (this has been the case for a long number of years) than why does it continue to repeat itself? Do you think perhaps people are missing something in their studies? Are we not focusing on the right areas in the past which could ameliorate problems which might manifest themselves in the future. I just find it hard to believe that the past holds the answers when thousands of years of history have been written and analyzed and relatively very little has changed when it comes to the core problems of humanity. Maybe its because modern people are too lazy to actually utilize the lessons learned from the past, or maybe its because the past doesn't hold all the answers and we are too lazy or short-sighted to look elsewhere. Just some thoughts

• A reply on Conversation: Can we look at the past when looking for future solutions to modern problems?

  Aug 22 2012: Condoleezza Rice has been quoted saying this: “Today's headlines and history's judgment are rarely the same."
  
  your thoughts?

• A reply on Conversation: Can we look at the past when looking for future solutions to modern problems?

  Aug 22 2012: It was fascinating, especially with most of my family in law enforcement!

• A reply on Conversation: How can young America make a difference?

  Aug 21 2012: This is very good insight that a lot of people don't want to admit exists

• A reply on Conversation: Can we look at the past when looking for future solutions to modern problems?

  Aug 21 2012: "You may get a red delicious when a granny smith is desired." - I really like this and will probably quote you on it! Thanks, great input

• A reply on Conversation: Can we look at the past when looking for future solutions to modern problems?

  Aug 21 2012: Thanks for that addition Fritzie! If you start thinking about complexity theory from the perspective of fractals you can really learn a lot about this world. It's very neat