Humanicatism?

Many people say that they'd like to live forever. I don't know how true this statement is, as no one has ever tried it (to my knowledge) and therefore cannot prove that it would be a good thing. However it seems to be in high demand, reinforced by surgeries to enhance younger features and escape aging.

Well, what if we came up with a way of making this idea possible? Today, Louisa, Ellen, Suryan and I discovered that if you were to combine humans and cats, we may well extend our average lifespan to roughly 900 years of age.

This is evident in the expression 'Cats have nine lives', to combine these nine lives with our current lifespan of around 100 years, we would be able to live for 900.

This would mean that people could have a substantially long life, without being immortal, you could see everything that you wanted to see, and still have a nice retirement! So, if anyone has the technology to make this happen, please contact us immediately. [we'll give you 0.5% of the profits]

We will make Humanicatism a REALITY.

This idea is also reinforced by the song lyric 'Everybody wants to be a cat, 'cuz a cat's the only cat, that knows where it's at'

Humans have spread this desire to be cats vastly within the different media of the World, including in comics and books; the idea of the superhero 'Catwoman' and in Harry Potter, when Hermione uses Polyjuice Potion to turn herself into a cat. (I realise it was unintentional, but she obviously subconsciously wanted to be a cat).

The Egyptians also worshipped Cats, and this leads me to believe that they came up with this idea long before we did, but since they didn't have the technology to make it happen, they left it to us!

Not to mention, that cats are ADORABLE, fast, loving, and friendly (most of the time), traits that humans need to learn themselves.

And on that note, i see no disadvantages or problems with this idea, so i shall leave you to ponder it yourselves....

Georgie

xx

The Reason My Paintings Look Worse Than a Monkey's

What makes art?

If I spill paint on a canvas by accident is it art? What about if I paint something that looks exactly the same as a splash of paint?

Some philosophers believe that our need for the arts is what makes us human, and separates us from animals. But if we don’t know what art is how can that be true?

A bird can make it’s nest look nice with coloured feathers and stones in order to attract mates, and a monkey when given paints can make a picture that it thinks looks good. Is that art? Something that looks good?

Someone I know commented on modern art, people seem to be able to disagree with it more than they appreciate it, to me that’s what makes it art. It affects people. Although monkeys and birds can’t debate the finer points of surrealism they know when something looks good.

But what I think is art is different to what you think, does this mean we are different kinds of human?

Maybe art has nothing to do with it at all.

What about reading? We’re the only species that does that. And music canmonkeys play the piano if we teach them?

Louisa xx

WANTED- One pet monkey must be good with acrylics and appreciate DalÍ. Bonus points for grade 5 piano and above.

Panic

Panic.

I mean it.

Seriously. In 1987 there was a fire in Kings cross tube station, 31 people died from smoke inhalation and the temperature, all because they we so used to commuting when they smelt smoke they just ignored it.

It’s become a philosophy, keep calm and carry on, stiff upper lip and all that. But sometimes freedom to express yourself is beneficial. Certainly when an escalator catches fire anyway.

Anyway short post but next time you smell smoke don’t ignore it, be concerned even panic a little, although the headless chicken look doesn’t work for anyone, be aware of you’re surroundings, don’t ignore the obvious in favour of the familiar.

Louisa xx

Sloppy Solipsism

Linking back to our robot debate, solipsism is the theory we can only ever be sure of our own minds existence, and one of the easiest ways to explain it was Descartes idea- Cogito Ergo Sum (I think therefore I am). By this he meant because he thinks, he is aware, and therefore must exist.

This seems pretty standard, you know you exist don't you? But like we said before, what if you are a high tech piece of artificial intelligence programmed to believe you are human? Similarly what if you are a child, or someone suffering from mental illness, are you aware of your own existence, do you therefore not exist until you start thinking?

The problem I find is that there are so many possibilities as to what reality really is, that it seems a lot simpler, if more boring to assume, this world we live in is the real one, and you are having thoughts just like my own. But as you guessed this blog isn't about the easy way out. We want you to think about what you know to be real, gloves and melons aside.

In summary I want to leave a hypothetical question (purely hypothetical please don't lock me up from insanity). If this reality is not what it seems to be? If I am a figment of your imagination, or i guess you of mine? Is it our duty to uncover the truth, is it our duty to break free like Neo in the Matrix? This world to me, is real because it feels real, and that is where I'll leave my thoughts for now. But there's that small voice at the back of my brain saying "but what if it's not?"

Louisa xx

PS. Energy cannot be created or destroyed, if the matrix was true the robot/alien race would be better off burning all organic matter than using use to 'create' energy.

Whether 'tis nobler for the mind to suffer....

Insanity in individuals is something rare - but in groups, parties, nations and epochs, it is the rule. Friedrich Nietzsche 

The definition of insanity is widely up for debate; people call statistically anomalous people insane, people who are mentally ill are often the normal definition of insanity, but I’ve heard poems and people say love is insanity.

My quote above shows Nietzsche’s views, that insanity is rare in people, very few people are actually declared clinically insane. But as a nation or group of people our choices can be insane, people voting in Big Brother in “1984” by George Orwell, spring to mind. Who would ever think a political party that said “ignorance is power” would ever in any parallel universe be a good idea. But then again people voted in Hitler, I’m sure it seemed like a good idea at the time.

But seriously, it’s easy to sit here and say I make wise choices that will not lead to a madman in power, but have you ever sat there being bombed? Hell, I can’t make a decision if someone’s speaking to me at the same time, let alone a war happening.

This led me to the conclusion that no one can classify anyone as insane, unless you have been in the exact same state of mind or position and done something better.  

Ellen xxx

WHAT IS THE SELF?! and ARE WE ROBOTS OR ZOMBIES?!

Okay, so before I begin this next post, I would like to start by saying something very important.

Last Friday I wrote a blog post about the Borrowers and kindly asked them to return my music. As it happens, they did and now I must officially thank them, they even put it into my music folder for me. Given, it was my old music folder. BUT A MUSIC FOLDER NONETHELESS.



So, Thank you Borrowers. Much Appreciated. <3



Annnndddd, back to business:



As we were sitting in Philosophy today, we were discussing the problem of humanity. What defines a human? Is it behaviour? Or consciousness? Or self awareness?

This lead us to the question: What if a robot is programmed to have these characteristics? If it behaves in the correct way, is able to answer questions, learn from its mistakes and take a step back from certain situations? Does this make it a human? Because if any of these features are what make a human being, then surely an animal could also be seen as human?



Just at this moment, my brain imploded. And then Louisa and I had an epiphany. WE ARE ROBOTS. We have been programmed to think in a certain way. You can't disprove that we're robots, so therefore we are robots. If you think like Rene Descartes. And if we say that the definition of a robot is that it is a machine built by someone, then surely all those religious people are complying with this belief, because a God made us?


Another important question was brought up during these Philosophical times, what if Louisa and I were to build a robot, cover it with real skin cells, hair cells etc, give it characteristics and a consciousness, and self awareness, would it be a robot, or would it be a zombie?

And what is a zombie? Are we zombies? Or are we robots? Or are we humans?

Let me know in the comments, and give reasons to support the statement you make!



Georgie :Dxx



[I had so much fun looking for pictures to accompany this article xD ]



Our Philosophy notes and debates.



What a Pigeon and Aristotle Have in Common

Something lots of people seem to have forgotten…as they run around with homework and planning for the future.

 

Aristotle’s key ideas can be summarized to;

Pleasure is good.

Pain is bad.

Seek pleasure.

Avoid pain.

And that’s all you need to do to lead a good, and moral life. Of course this gets a little more complicated when you factor in other people, as you have to allow for causing them pain or joy. But the principle remains the same even after all these years, in modern life its more about compromise than the two extremes but Aristotle’s theories can’t be denied.

Walking across the park the other day, thinking of all the things on my list of stuff to do, we saw a pigeon snuggled up on the grass, in the sun. Doing nothing. I think we’ve forgotten how to do that, if you see someone staring into space you wave your hand in front of their face. And teachers will yell at you for wasting study periods by sitting doing nothing that appears to be constructive.

I think we all need a little time set aside to do nothing but think, to concentrate on what makes us happy, and separate ourselves from all that other stuff we had to do.

We’re not pigeons, and life is certainly a little more complicated than it was in ancient Greece, but why not give it a try? Make a little time for the basics.

Louisa xx

Make like a pigeon and you’re halfway there.