Science Quote

The hallmark of the modern betrayal of reason is the intellectual attack on the objective epistemological value of the exact sciences. I regard this modern betrayal of reason as criminal.

Imre Lakatos, in "The Intellectuals' Betrayal of Reason", in For & Against Method, edited by Matteo Motterlini

What I've Been Up To

Well, this last month has been pretty busy for me. Presented at the Canadian Undergraduate Math Conference here at McGill. Been working on the development of a metaecosystem model with my colleague from France. Attempting to have some sort of social life worth living. So, all in all, I have been working, going out and sleeping... that and cleaning my apartment. Therefore, this blog (and my other writings) have been neglected for quite some time. However, I am sure that I will be able to churn out the paragraphs soon as I have been reading actual books instead of the crap that passes for 'writing' on blogs and newspapers. Not to say that op-ed columnists and their blogger dopplegangers are all horrible as there are some talented writers out there (looking specifically at Billmon right now). Nevertheless, the shit that gets posted or reported these days is complete crap for the most part and with a new war on (yay, more bloodshed! Now we can fill two oceans with blood instead of one), things can only get worse.

Not so Daily Science Quote...

Teacher: (...) But let us close our discussion for the time being: we shall discuss this new stage some other time.
Sigma: But then nothing is settled. We can't stop now.
Teacher: I sympathise. This latest stage will have important feedbacks to our discussion. But a scientific inquiry 'begins and ends with problems'. [Leaves the classroom.]
Beta: But I had no problems at the beginning! And now I have nothing but problems!

p.104-105 of Imre Lakatos's greatest book, Proofs and Refutations.