scientificflair: (pic#3588366)
Jean Descole ([personal profile] scientificflair) wrote2012-12-08 12:39 pm

007. [Audio/also a couple of other things.]

[AUDIO]

[More violin music over Descole's feed today; it's an incredibly simplified version of Song of the Stars - although really, someone ought to teach him the Jeopardy theme, considering how much that instrument gets whipped out when he's feeling like bombarding the network with both the fact that he can't hold all his feels, and he has something best described as "pseudo-philosophical what" to say.

As before, he plays for a while before the melody fades and shifts into something long and drawn-out, idling while he speaks; the sound is quieter, as though the violin has been directed away from the 'Gear a bit.]


There's a famous thought experiment that poses the following:

Imagine yourself standing outside a large field; you see, in the distance, what looks to you to be a specific animal - for simplicity's sake, let's say a bull. You then form the belief that there is a bull in the field. And you are correct - there is, indeed, a bull in the field. However, the bull is lying down behind a hill, just outside your line of vision; you can't see it from your current position. Moreover, what you actually saw was a tarp that had gotten tangled over a bush; from outside the field, it looked like a bull, but actually wasn't anything of the sort.

Again, you were factually correct, and you had a well-justified true belief that there was a bull in the field. However, can you really say you knew?

[He pauses for a moment, continuing to play quietly while he thinks.]

And if you were to find yourself in such a situation - where a belief is true and well-justified, and yet the proof of it being true isn't where you believe it is - would you say that your belief was any less valid?

[And with that, the feed cuts off.]


[PRIVATE TEXT TO FLUTTERSHY]

Miss Fluttershy,

I have something to ask you, should it not be an inconvenience.



[PRIVATE TEXT TO COLONEL ARCHER]

There's something that we need to discuss.

Now.
reallybeloved: (Tuning in)

[Audio]

[personal profile] reallybeloved 2012-12-10 07:02 pm (UTC)(link)
A lot of people will state those beliefs anyway. It depends on whether that person is quiet and doesn't want any confrontation, or they're willing to challenge something instead of going along with it. They're the ones that protest, start arguments, and start new things.

There's a lot where we have to all sit down and really figure out whether the disagreement is a good or bad thing, ultimately. Especially when both sides see the other as immoral and doing abusive things to the people they reign over. Wars start over things like that, after all.
icansolvethemtoo: (pleasant)

[voice]

[personal profile] icansolvethemtoo 2012-12-11 03:20 am (UTC)(link)
I'd like to hope so!

[She chuckles softly.] Yes. We've spoken a bit before. Your questions remind me of puzzles, and I'm trying to practice solving them.

I... don't get my daily puzzles anymore, so I jumped on the first opportunity I had one to solve.
grapecape: (insert irrelevant factoid here)

[voice]

[personal profile] grapecape 2012-12-11 03:30 am (UTC)(link)
[.....operation figure out what this means: commence]

Truth is distinct from fact. In this case, you couldn't be blamed for honestly expressing what you believed to be true, even if it turned out to be fact only by technicality.

As for the validity of beliefs...well, that's simply how perception works, isn't it? By nature, we assume a lot about the parts of the world we can't perceive. The authenticity of a grazing bull, for instance, but also the dangers that might be encountered around corners, or the intentions of the people around us, or things far more mundane than that. It's important to allow for variable perception when considering anything so steeped in perception as "belief" and "truth".


This isn't really related, but do you own many books? [extremely subtle gift-related questions]
Edited 2012-12-11 03:33 (UTC)
seetheflower: (let me see what spring is like)

[Audio]

[personal profile] seetheflower 2012-12-11 12:59 pm (UTC)(link)
Yeah! All animals look cute when they sleep after all! [ That's what every conversation with her turns into... ]

I'm Menma! Let's be friends, ok?
Edited 2012-12-11 12:59 (UTC)
grapecape: (sighs)

[voice]

[personal profile] grapecape 2012-12-11 10:29 pm (UTC)(link)
[(Secondary mission accomplished!)]

...So it's one of those situations. [He's not unfamiliar with them, himself.] Well, nature's a harsher judge than man or monster could hope to be, and the self harsher yet. But you don't need me to tell you that...

["Hmmm."

See, what he usually does is run to Kuruna to share his concerns, and the two of them come to a decision about what to do. And if the outcome isn't the best...well, they'd share the guilt. That's one of the benefits of having a time-tested friendship.

Whatever problem Descole's having, that method likely isn't going to be an option.]


Just how serious a set of consequences are we talking about?
grapecape: (please calm down kuruna)

[private voice]

[personal profile] grapecape 2012-12-11 11:40 pm (UTC)(link)
[Actually he got a decent amount from that. Mainly: AHAHAHAHSHS oh hell that's the worst kind of anything yep sure is

gonna casually private this]


I think I have a general sense of what you're talking about. Mm...might you be able to enlist some help with this problem of yours? To gather more information, or give you a fallback plan in case of emergency...whatever's most appropriate to the situation.
seetheflower: (carry on smiling)

[Audio]

[personal profile] seetheflower 2012-12-12 03:53 pm (UTC)(link)
[ There's no stopping the friendship train!! ]

I would really be happy if we become friends! I see no reason why not!
for_realsies: (Love my Weirdness!)

[personal profile] for_realsies 2012-12-13 04:29 am (UTC)(link)
Back at home? Whatever I felt like, eventually I wanna be an architect.

At least, that's the most recent what I wanted to do in college. It'd probably win because there was very little time for me to develop an interest in underwater basketweaving.

But I paint, draw, sing, dance, make jewelry, take photographs, and confuse everyone I go to school with!
for_realsies: (I like this Plan!)

[personal profile] for_realsies 2012-12-17 09:45 pm (UTC)(link)
Conformity is boring.

I've never been good at boring.

So what are some of these cool interesting skills you've picked up?
icansolvethemtoo: (waving goodbye)

[voice]

[personal profile] icansolvethemtoo 2012-12-18 08:04 pm (UTC)(link)
His set...? Well, I never thought of it that way but yes, I'd imagine I do belong in that category. My name is Flora Reinhold.

Are you an acquaintance of the Professor, sir?
grapecape: (proud remnants of the univir)

[private voice]

[personal profile] grapecape 2012-12-19 04:05 am (UTC)(link)
[....oh nooooo...]

Ah. For what it's worth, I would readily offer my aid...but even if it were requested, and whatever the exact details are, I fear I'd be of little help. [Shitty team, lack of useful contacts. Ondorus chuckles apologetically.] The best I can offer is moral support.

What about the aforementioned person, the one receiving the consequences - is there any way of explaining the situation to them, or are they already aware?

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