TED Community » Fionn tolster

More About Me

I'm passionate about

Theoretical physics,pseudoscience and particle physics are my main passions.
Philosophy is also a minor one.

Talk to me about

Everything.

Comments

• TEDCred score: +10.60 TEDCred reflects your contribution to the TED community.

• +3

  A comment on Conversation: Biracial Identity

  Oct 14 2011: Personally ,for me (Libyan and Irish all in one) its an asset.
  Having experienced both Arabic culture in Libya and Irish (come English) culture in good old Eire i find it actually gives me a very unique view point.
  Where one college professor profess' the idiocracy of the Arab world i contradict with the fact we/they invented the modern number system ,conquered near all of Europe and currently have the worlds largest growing and practicing religion Islam (im atheist).
  It also gives me a better view-point on democracy ,politics ,war ,drugs (hashashins etc. being a good reference point), corruption, music and a boat-load of other things.
  Same applies if one bashes Ireland.
  
  Just remember that despite how others (and possibly consequentially you) view a certain culture, race etc ,you can't say sh*t till you've experienced it.
  Be proud of what you have and give the royal finger to those who suppress you because of it.
  
  
  And BTW ,you can label yourself under one group "Mixed" :P

• A reply on Conversation: In the actual society, all can´t be material consumption. We must replace the material consumption by spiritual consumption.

  Apr 13 2011: You contradict yourself.Economics is all about the sale of recourses intellectual, physical or otherwise.You can't grow an economy without something to sell.

• A comment on Conversation: In the actual society, all can´t be material consumption. We must replace the material consumption by spiritual consumption.

  Apr 13 2011: I'm going to make the point that poetry is still material,it's just seen to be less tainted by society as its imagined to be something pure,from the heart etc.,when in fact it is benign but banal.
  Poetry preaches a message,a story,a moral,or to put it in different terms poetry has a message,a story,a moral.
  That taken into account can you then say that things in the world are material and dampening or degrading to the metaphorical soul?
  No,You can't,That box that your washing machine came in,It came from a tree in the Congo basin,The metal that compromises the components of your washing machine came from Russia,That metal went through a lot of sore and painful experiences to reach you,So did the poets poem,That wood went through separation form its siblings and essentially murdering of it offspring to get to you,Can you still consider it a material possession solely?
  No you can't.Society does not need to move away from material things it needs to learn to read a book rather than just glance its cover,to read between the lines,under the lines,above the lines and sideways across the lines.
  Essentially to grasp the idea that despite appearances this world is beautiful and that inspiration is all around us,if we would just open our eyes.

• A reply on Conversation: How can we empower kids to reshape the education system? *A TEDActive Education Project Question*

  Apr 13 2011: Yes,i strongly believe it is.
  You can't teach an old dog new tricks,but you can teach old tricks to a young dog.

• A comment on Conversation: How can we empower kids to reshape the education system? *A TEDActive Education Project Question*

  Apr 13 2011: The education system,Or rather the method of teaching used right now in schools is ,in my opinion,near flawless it's the subjects that need to be changed.
  Hypothetically lets say as an 8 year old you wanted to become a vet,you end up becoming a failed writer,why?
  Because at 8 you where and are not given the option to study veterinary studies.You're given the "option" of studying poetry and all the other non-nonsensical ,arbitrary,banal things that come with it.
  Having a method like this dis-interest's those its directed at,it ultimately leads to dissatisfaction with school.
  What i propose is something rather like Ireland's way of schooling ,But with -again- changes to it,the change being offering them the samples and choices at an earlier age then that of secondary school level students ,13-15.
  Offer the flowers that are growing minds samples of certain courses,have the teachers etc. bring up main points which the teacher themselves find interesting about X topic and which the teacher themselves think the students might find interesting,So as to provoke a natural reaction of curiosity.
  If they like X subject they may continue it,if not they discontinue it and take a course they did like.
  The hope being that they end up with a subject that they have a deep love of and learn and study it not out of legislative compulsion but out of dopamine/seratonin fueled enjoyment.
  While yes their are easier ways to engage students in school they still do not fulfill a vital element.An actual yearning for an education.Presenting students with complex games which are enjoyable and at the same time teach students does not provoke this,neither does music etc.,it provokes a liking for the music/game etc itself.Which,from my point of view,is not the aim.
  Perhaps a combination of both,The students still go through the trial & error stage of choosing which subjects to pick and therefore have a natural interest in X but with the addition of games to it then becomes more rooted /seeded.
• +1

  A reply on Conversation: إستخدا� ا�ت����ج�ا �ا�تص��� �� ح�ظ ا�أر�اح

  Mar 17 2011: طىبغان ,غير كلمني ما تحتاج

• A comment on Conversation: What would you use as a totem to differentiate between dreams and reality? Based on the concept of a totem in the film Inception

  Mar 17 2011: Do remember that Inception is a movie,And like all movies is fake.
  The idea of a "totem" included.
  Using a totem to differentiate reality and illusion is impossible,The human mind is conditioned to debunk and discredit anything it views as extremely harmful to itself directly.
  If reliance upon said totem is developed it can lead to severe mental conditions such as split-personality disorder etc.
  If you where to go through an extremely traumatic even such as a parent dying,A car crash etc when you go back to your "totem" you will imagine it displaying characteristics of it being fake,of it being not real,of it being an impostor and develop a disbelief of the situation,You will be utterly convinced it is a dream,a "trip" etc.
  I've seen it happen myself,My advice to you if you currently do use a "totem" to differentiate between reality and illusion is to stop.
• +1

  A comment on Conversation: إستخدا� ا�ت����ج�ا �ا�تص��� �� ح�ظ ا�أر�اح

  Mar 17 2011: There is no doubt that weapons, smoking, and Road traffic are the most deadly things to human life,but however they do not need the level of attention they are getting at current.They are given the same level of importance as problems such as global warming and the economic collapse and other international problems that need immediate and effective solutions.
  For these three killers, the solution is simple,modern technology and design.After the correct understanding and analysis of the etiology steps can be taken,
  Lethal weapons can be replaced with technology that perform the same military mission, but without killing,such as electroshock weapon's -"tasers"- with much extended ranges etc.
  Working to eliminate smoking requires a lot of time and pressure on the cigarette factories around the world to reduce their produce and the dissemination of drugs to treat smoking addiction, whether with industrial means or pills -nicotine patches etc.-or anything else.
  For traffic accidents we need to standardize vehicles controlled by on-board computers and the speed limit for cars needs to be changeable.It needs to constantly change on any given street based on variables such as the amount of traffic,it is considered a radical solution to the problem if it is applied on a broad level.
  
  Translated to best of my abilities,Message me if i have made any misinterpretations etc.
  
  قمت بترجمة إلى أفضل من إمكاناتي، رسالة لي إذا كنت جعلت أي تفسيرات