Dr. Jack Dikian | The University of Sydney (original) (raw)

Papers by Dr. Jack Dikian

Our understanding of the quantum world allowed technological advances that continue to transform ... more Our understanding of the quantum world allowed technological advances that continue to transform every aspect of human life. But even though it is now an established physics, very few people have even the rudimentary understanding of the theory or its mysterious philosophical implications.

This book will examine a physical world where it is possible to be in two places at the same time. We will discuss how the act of observation influences the result of that observation.

Misled with unreliable memories, I have come to a serious realization that objectivity is a myth,... more Misled with unreliable memories, I have come to a serious realization that objectivity is a myth, at best a rarity. I think it was a romantic idea from the start that a person should be able to look at facts and see them for what they are.

After all, facts are facts, and they should never fade away on account of prejudice, bias, or the local Mayor.

In my desire to believe in something, someone, a political party, like many, I’ve never been too scared to embrace a propagated falsehood, a myth, or a misleading narrative when they dare.

Pursuing the urge to believe in something, someone, a political party, we're never too afraid to ... more Pursuing the urge to believe in something, someone, a political party, we're never too afraid to embrace a propagated falsehood. In the case of Governments, large swaths of the population can at times buy into what is quite obviously, even demonstrably, a fallacy.

I have come to a serious realization that objectivity is a myth, at best a rarity. I think it was... more I have come to a serious realization that objectivity is a myth, at best a rarity. I think it was a romantic idea from the very beginning, that we can look at a fact and see it for what it is. Facts are facts. They can be numbers, they can be things, objects, even UFOs. They should be easy enough to appreciate and accept as they are. In fact, they may be to the human mind, but hardly to the human person.

Causality is a relationship between causes and effects. It is considered to be fundamental to all... more Causality is a relationship between causes and effects. It is considered to be fundamental to all natural sciences and behavioural sciences, especially physics. Causality is also a topic studied from the perspectives of philosophy, statistics, and logic.

In early 1905 Einstein developed a new theory for light, the conclusions of which earned him the ... more In early 1905 Einstein developed a new theory for light, the conclusions of which earned him the Nobel Prize in physics in 1921. But, according to popular lore, Albert was a poor student, skipped classes and crammed for exams. Others continue to think of Einstein as the main opponent to Quantum Mechanics. We have all read about his disagreements with Niels Bohr and his famous quote "God does not play dice" supposedly rejecting the probabilistic nature of the new physics.

Randomness describes a phenomenon in which the outcome of a single repetition is uncertain, but t... more Randomness describes a phenomenon in which the outcome of a single repetition is uncertain, but there is nonetheless a regular distribution of relative frequencies in many repetitions. Randomness applies to concepts of chance, probability, and importantly, what will be the main topic of this essay - information entropy.

Like a thermodynamic system, an information system has an analogous concept to entropy called information entropy. Here, entropy is a measure of the increase or decrease in the novelty of information. A key candidate-theory potentially explaining life (that is how can the events in space and time which take place within the spatial boundary of a living organism be accounted for by physics and chemistry) and the universe itself.

It was raining and unseasonably cold in Noosaville – it was a perfect afternoon at the cinemas – ... more It was raining and unseasonably cold in Noosaville – it was a perfect afternoon at the cinemas – it was a place half-a-world away from the atrocities being waged between Jews and Palestinians. The movie, One Life.

In 1949, mathematician Kurt Gödel was the first to provide a modern formulation of a rotating uni... more In 1949, mathematician Kurt Gödel was the first to provide a modern formulation of a rotating universe. He used the language of Albert Einstein's theory of general relativity to do so, as a way of honouring his friend and neighbour at Princeton, Einstein himself. Strictly speaking, this process of academic "honouring" went in a different direction than one might suspect, because Gödel used the example of a rotating universe to show general relativity is indeed incomplete.

Australian rationalist, 2016

A very late review of Erwin Schrodinger's 1944 book, What Is Life. The subtitle of the book "with... more A very late review of Erwin Schrodinger's 1944 book, What Is Life. The subtitle of the book "with Mind and Matter and Autobiographical Sketches" it at once half-mystical, half-radical and fully confusing.

The “knowledge society” we live in today presupposes a society where everybody follows the letter... more The “knowledge society” we live in today presupposes a society where everybody follows the letter of the Law, a complete society where there is no place for “misbehaviours”. You should only do what is supposed to be known. In the horizon lies the idea of a total society, each one in their own place, causing no friction, no alarm, doing only what the other knows.

Were there not an Israel, the United States of America would have to invent an Israel in order to... more Were there not an Israel, the United States of America would have to invent an Israel in order to protect her interest in the region.”
- Joe Biden, 1986

The US Israel relationship is unlike any other relationship. The state of Israel is by far the biggest recipient of US foreign aid despite constituting about 0.01% of the world population. They have received 30% of all US foreign aid since World War II. They receive about US$4 billion every year but what is more shocking is that this support is unconditional. It goes through every year basically unanimously. Even now when we see Israel committing untold atrocities, when we see the world condemning the massacre (as of 3 November, according to Ministry of Health data, 2326 women and 3760 children have been killed) of Gaza the US government is trying to send more money to Israel.

So, every day, reams of naturally occurring data are produced by users of social media such as Tw... more So, every day, reams of naturally occurring data are produced by users of social media such as Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. And, for researchers, social media is a veritable goldmine of opportunity.

After casting doubt on what we can know about a mind-independent reality, cognitive scientists ar... more After casting doubt on what we can know about a mind-independent reality, cognitive scientists are using aspects of evolutionary theory and evolutionary game theory to legitimise a speculative philosophy that is partway between radical conscious realism, and metaphysical idealism as a solution to the mind-body problem.

It is only residual good manners that has made the Inner Idiot of others less obvious to us – and... more It is only residual good manners that has made the Inner Idiot of others less obvious to us – and hence made our own seem like a freakish exception. Much of wisdom consists in accepting that the Inner Idiot isn’t ever going to go away and realising that we must therefore endeavour to form a good working relationship with it.

A century later the viability of thinking machines was once again a subject of deep philosophical... more A century later the viability of thinking machines was once again a subject of deep philosophical interest. By now a historical battle was starting to take hold in Europe. Enlightened, progressive, objective reason (science) continually advancing against blind ignorance, superstition, and prejudice (religion) with Galileo's trial and condemnation as the central illustration. In 1739, the Scottish enlightenment philosopher, David Hume publishes his “Treatise of Human Nature” – an enquiry concerning human understanding and proposes the epistemological underpinnings for machine learning, a model the application of is arguably more relevant to our current Artificial Intelligence endeavours than during the 1700’s.

Clinical case formulation is a critical component of clinical of practice across disciplines howe... more Clinical case formulation is a critical component of clinical of practice across disciplines however there is great variance in how clinicians undertake this task. This includes the theories and perspectives considered and the extent to which it is a collaborative process.

This guide supports the effectiveness of the Behaviour Support: Policy and Practice Manual which... more This guide supports the effectiveness of the Behaviour Support: Policy and Practice Manual which outlines the Agencies policy and practice in relation to the provision of behaviour support for people with an intellectual disability.

A review of the service system is one way to further enhance the quality of life for individuals within a support structure. As with many things when different strategies are implemented over time for, and by, different people in different contexts there can be unexpected outcomes. A systems review assists in the recalibration of the system

The events of the recent past are arguably better described as fruits of past decisions, and our ... more The events of the recent past are arguably better described as fruits of past decisions, and our options for responses to them can be found in the work of those of our more recent irreligious predecessors. The New Testament (Matthew 11:29) describes the relationship we have (should have) with Jesus as a kind of work. "Take my yoke upon you and learn from me; for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls." As such, the Roman Catholic Church called for people to pray, and it organized religious marches, pleading to God to stop the 1660's pestilence or the bubonic plague. The furtherance of the church's purpose saw a deep religiosity persist even as the plague ravaged a largely Christine Europe.

This book will examine a physical world where it is possible to be in two places at the same time. We will discuss how the act of observation influences the result of that observation.

After all, facts are facts, and they should never fade away on account of prejudice, bias, or the local Mayor.

In my desire to believe in something, someone, a political party, like many, I’ve never been too scared to embrace a propagated falsehood, a myth, or a misleading narrative when they dare.

Australian rationalist, 2016

Consulting psychologist who is best known for developing the principle of non-reciprocity in species

Often a great deal of effort is expended by disability services to mediate challenging behaviours... more Often a great deal of effort is expended by disability services to mediate challenging behaviours of individuals with an intellectual disability. Even when clinical supports are technically sound and well-designed, they may be poorly implemented, not adhered to over time, or suffer from the effect of several other service factors. A growing body of literature stress the importance of other service factors such as staff raining, staff attitudes, resource availability, communication protocols, knowledge, and experience. Understanding the impact these pose on the success of clinical work is an important factor. This book describes six case studies involving support systems and services – all having used the Behaviour Support Systems Review framework also developed by the author of this book.

The principle of non-reciprocity in species