Comments on: Down the Rabbit Hole: Alex Bellos' Alex in Numberland http://sites.bu.edu/ombs/2010/07/28/down-the-rabbit-hole-alex-bellos-alex-in-numberland/ Sun, 14 Apr 2013 03:08:56 -0400 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.4 By: Rusty Radosevich http://sites.bu.edu/ombs/2010/07/28/down-the-rabbit-hole-alex-bellos-alex-in-numberland/#comment-564 Rusty Radosevich Mon, 23 Jan 2012 07:11:05 +0000 http://blogs.bu.edu/ombs/?p=451#comment-564 Excellent website. Plenty of useful information here. I'm sending it to several pals ans additionally sharing in delicious. And naturally, thanks on your sweat! Excellent website. Plenty of useful information here. I’m sending it to several pals ans additionally sharing in delicious. And naturally, thanks on your sweat!

]]> By: Kayla Ritchie http://sites.bu.edu/ombs/2010/07/28/down-the-rabbit-hole-alex-bellos-alex-in-numberland/#comment-563 Kayla Ritchie Thu, 29 Jul 2010 17:44:55 +0000 http://blogs.bu.edu/ombs/?p=451#comment-563 Greg makes a good point. However, it seems to me that the need to be in control is more fundamental than the need to rationalize, in terms of human behavior. What is the reason that rationalization comforts us? Why would the ability to recognize patterns improve our sense of well-being, if not because it satisfies the need to feel in control, or at least attuned to the goings-on of the world? The drive to accumulate and organize information about the universe into something which "makes sense" is one of survival. Rationalization, then, is a mechanism which serves this drive. I think a really interesting question that this excerpt brings up is "What does it take for a human to see something as 'random'?". Do we lose track of seemingly organized "repetition" after a certain number of events? Does each type of event have to occur a certain number of times, dispersed throughout the others? Greg makes a good point. However, it seems to me that the need to be in control is more fundamental than the need to rationalize, in terms of human behavior.

What is the reason that rationalization comforts us? Why would the ability to recognize patterns improve our sense of well-being, if not because it satisfies the need to feel in control, or at least attuned to the goings-on of the world? The drive to accumulate and organize information about the universe into something which “makes sense” is one of survival. Rationalization, then, is a mechanism which serves this drive.

I think a really interesting question that this excerpt brings up is “What does it take for a human to see something as ‘random’?”. Do we lose track of seemingly organized “repetition” after a certain number of events? Does each type of event have to occur a certain number of times, dispersed throughout the others?

]]> By: Guitchounts http://sites.bu.edu/ombs/2010/07/28/down-the-rabbit-hole-alex-bellos-alex-in-numberland/#comment-562 Guitchounts Thu, 29 Jul 2010 13:15:55 +0000 http://blogs.bu.edu/ombs/?p=451#comment-562 I would argue that it's not control that comforts as much as rationalization. Seeing patterns (regardless of whether they exist) brings comfort because it allows us to predict the future. This in turn allows us to be in control. But wouldn't you agree that predicting the patterns of the weather - and learning to be in control of it - is different from being in control of your room arrangement and plant? Perhaps the results from the nursing home experiment can also be explained by the differences in overall activity of the subjects (maybe the act of taking care of the plants etc was the causal factor in that group's longevity?). Also, I wouldn't say that most neuroscientists subscribe to the determinism that every decision is an illusion. Some philosophers might, though... And it seems that our love of choices and options is (at least partially) a cultural phenomenon: http://www.ted.com/talks/sheena_iyengar_on_the_art_of_choosing.html I would argue that it’s not control that comforts as much as rationalization. Seeing patterns (regardless of whether they exist) brings comfort because it allows us to predict the future. This in turn allows us to be in control. But wouldn’t you agree that predicting the patterns of the weather – and learning to be in control of it – is different from being in control of your room arrangement and plant? Perhaps the results from the nursing home experiment can also be explained by the differences in overall activity of the subjects (maybe the act of taking care of the plants etc was the causal factor in that group’s longevity?).

Also, I wouldn’t say that most neuroscientists subscribe to the determinism that every decision is an illusion. Some philosophers might, though…

And it seems that our love of choices and options is (at least partially) a cultural phenomenon:
http://www.ted.com/talks/sheena_iyengar_on_the_art_of_choosing.html

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