authors

"I get that the world may not feel like your oyster. And I’m not going to tell you that everything is going to be okay. But I am going to get specific about the benefits of approaching life with optimism, excitement, humility, and curiosity."

"Your annoying classmate who asked a lot of “stupid” questions—they might just have been strengthening their understanding of the fundamentals and not worried about how it sounded when they ask. Being The Fool in a smaller way at first."

"The Fool is setting out on an adventure, looking up as he steps off of a literal cliff into the figurative unknown. With almost no belongings, no protection, no idea where the journey will take him. Seeing the unknowns not as something to be avoided or controlled but as itself the source of the magic to be found. The essence of The Fool is potential. Just like each of you in this moment."

"Many scientists suspect that the universe can ultimately be described by a simple (perhaps even deterministic) formalism; all that is real unfolds mechanically according to that formalism. But how, then, is it possible for us to be conscious, or to make genuine choices? And how can there be an ethical dimension to such choices? Drescher sketches computational models of consciousness, choice, and subjunctive reasoning—what would happen if this or that were to occur?—to show how such phenomena are compatible with a mechanical, even deterministic universe. Analyses of Newcomb’s Problem (a paradox about choice) and the Prisoner’s Dilemma (a paradox about self-interest vs. altruism, arguably reducible to Newcomb’s Problem) help bring the problems and proposed solutions into focus. Regarding quantum mechanics, Drescher builds on Everett’s relative-state formulation—but presents a simplified formalism, accessible to laypersons—to argue that, contrary to some popular impressions, quantum mechanics is compatible with an objective, deterministic physical reality, and that there is no special connection between quantum phenomena and consciousness."

"Not because things can’t go wrong but because the rest of your life - this thing you’re about to go make - is the ultimate act of creation. And the mindset you bring to that creation process will determine the journey you create and how you experience that journey. Getting your mindset right is the hardest and most rewarding thing you will ever do, and it takes a lifetime to get right."

"Made-Up Minds addresses fundamental questions of learning and concept invention by means of an innovative computer program that is based on the cognitive-developmental theory of psychologist Jean Piaget. Drescher uses Piaget’s theory as a source of inspiration for the design of an artificial cognitive system called the schema mechanism, and then uses the system to elaborate and test Piaget’s theory. The approach is original enough that readers need not have extensive knowledge of artificial intelligence, and a chapter summarizing Piaget assists readers who lack a background in developmental psychology."

"Learning to embrace being The Fool is not all-or-nothing. You can ramp into it, starting with smaller bites if that helps you get started."

"You made it, graduates! You finished the tutorial level! You know how to work the controls. The game of life doesn’t come with a clear mission so you’re in explore mode now. Or survival mode depending on how you’re feeling."

"The schema mechanism learns from its experiences, expressing discoveries in its existing representational vocabulary and extending that vocabulary with new concepts. A novel empirical learning technique, marginal attribution, can find results of an action that are obscure because each occurs rarely in general, although reliably under certain conditions. Drescher shows that several early milestones in the Piagetian infant’s invention of the concept of persistent object can be replicated by the schema mechanism."

"One should never be afraid to take a risk and really just give it a go and try something new, a completely different experience"

"Surround Yourself with Positive People"

"Create Options for Yourself"

"first of all you should never think of yourself as being different from anybody else. And that’s one of the most empowering things that I think that anyone can do, is that you’re entitled to the same opportunities as anybody else and I think that that change in mindset is very empowering"

"You’re making your journey, definitely help other people along the way with their journey. To teach is to lead and to learn, and I think that that’s an important thing that people should always continue throughout their career. Not only are you helping somebody within their journey, but you’re also getting something out if it in terms of developing your leadership capabilities – and that’s a wonderful way to give back to an organization"

"Be a Boss. Think Like an Owner"

"“The technology industry is one of the fastest growing industries in the world. As a result of this fast growth there is the need to attract top talent and that requires a diverse group of resources to attract such talent. Diverse teams are more creative and bring different perspectives on how to solve problems. So it’s not surprising that there is a strong correlation between diverse companies and strong financial results. When the employees of an organization better represent their current users and target users, they will develop better technology for those users.”"

"Embrace your potential, seek out allies, and never underestimate the impact of your presence. Your journey may have its twists and turns, but remember, within every challenge lies an opportunity for greatness"

"“I find it extremely unlikely that God exists. Yet, if he does exist, let him exist! So what? If God exists, it’s not necessary to believe in him, and if he doesn’t, much less.”"

"“We were born atheists. Therefore, it’s normal to be an atheist. If we were born believing in God, that is, knowing that God exists, there would be only one god and everyone would worship him.”"

"“The gods of religions are ridiculous, there is no evidence, let alone convincing, that God exists and, in and of itself, the idea of God doesn’t even make sense. Believing in God is, therefore, a tremendous waste of time (and, if you are a church member, money).”"

"“Where there is no reflection, there is manipulation.”"

"“In addition to torture (the scourge of Christ) and cannibalism (drinking the blood and eating the flesh of Christ, the ritual known as the Holy Communion), it’s indisputable that Christianity is founded on human sacrifice and filicide. What is the Son’s death on the cross, if not human sacrifice to placate the Father’s wrath?”"

"“There is no greater pleasure than to be a freethinker.”"

"“Next to the history of Christianity, the scariest horror movie is comedy.”"

"“I’m not against God existing. I just have no reasons to believe that he exists. Believing is not a virtue. I’m not able to accept incoherences, nor do I know why I should. If what is incoherent deserves to be rejected, how much more what is perverse!”"

"“Isn’t it ironic that religious freedom comes precisely from secularism, that is, from vetoing the intrusion of religion into politics?”"

"“Any ideology that threatens with punishment those who reject it is perverse and deserves to be rejected.”"

"“If life on Earth is evidence of God’s existence, the absence of life on seven planets and five dwarf planets wins 12 to 1 as evidence of his nonexistence.”"

"“To exist, religions need religious freedom, but religious freedom can exist only where what religions fight against is permitted: disbelief. After all, believers too are disbelievers: they disbelieve other religions. Religions combating disbelief is, therefore, schizophrenia and self-destruction. Instead of threatening them with Hell and trying to convert them, Christians should thank God for the existence of skeptics, doubters, disbelievers, infidels, blasphemers and atheists.”"

"“Either God is love or he is not. If he is love, he cannot punish his creatures just for not believing in him.”"

"“Unless we are children, or retards, when we are told a story we instinctively feel whether it’s plausible or fanciful. Instinctively, Christians feel that the stories told by the holy books of other religions are fantastical. Yet, as incredible as it seems, they don’t sense the smell of fantasy of the stories told by their own holy book, more or less like someone who is used to his own foot odor.”"

"“One of the principal reasons why so many people believe the evidently fantastic stories of the Bible is the fact that it’s an ancient book. If it had been written these days, an overwhelming majority would not think twice before considering it a work of fiction.”"

"“Those who believe in a supernatural being can’t have difficulty believing in other supernatural beings, such as angels, demons, witches, spirits, ghosts, apparitions and hauntings, nor in superstitions, conspiracy theories and folkloric figures, such as the Headless Mule, by the way a legend based on a woman who supposedly was cursed by God. Those who believe in God cannot find it wrong to believe in the existence, for example, of the Werewolf and Chupacabra, since they can very well be diabolical manifestations. Christians and Muslims are fully convinced that demons exist. On what rational basis could they, then, contest the existence, for example, of vampires? In contrast, a person who doesn’t believe in deities and demons is immune to all kinds of old wives’ tales.”"

"“Yahweh is comparable to the powerful boss of a mafia clan who spreads fear through threats, violence and murder in order to gain power, control and respect. Of what value are worship and obedience out of fear? Taking pleasure in this kind of devotion is typical of dictators.”"

"“Some more than others, but all religions are dictatorships of thought, because they dictate how their adherents must think, what they can accept and what they must reject.”"

"“Religion is the illusion of having answers to questions to which no one has answers.”"

"“If Humanity can be saved and this Pale Blue Dot transformed into a really good place to live, at least without poverty and wars, then not by people who see life as worthless and spend it dreaming of mansions of gold in an imaginary world, but by people who don’t flee from reality and are guided not by primitive mythological beings, but by reason: freethinkers.”"

"“I don’t want to believe, I want to know.”"

"“How many pieces of evidence are needed to recognize that the Creator of the Universe either doesn’t exist or doesn’t give a damn about his creation? For me, one is sufficient: churches that collapse on believers during worship service.”"

"You can't lead unless you know other people around you. You can't lead unless you know who you are."

"Leadership is like a candle. One can light many without losing its glow, but together they create more light."

"I was born a village girl, but I did not become a village woman"

"Africa has positive stories to tell the world. We need to document those stories."

"How far you go into the world is determined by your attitude."

"Everyone has their own baggage, but we can't bring our baggage to the table as leaders."

"If I had proper guidance, support networks and self belief, my journey would have been simpler and better."

"Many times, we do things, but we don't realize how many people we touch. Reflect on this question, “Who will cry when you die?”"

"Your background doesn't shape your destiny. You have the power to design the future you want."

"The greatest injustice facing Africa is the failure of the education system to empower our people as leaders."

"If you know who you are as a person, that's the beginning of getting what you want in life."