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Can there be knowledge that is independent of culture?Good question - We have a go at answering it. We get stuck in to the Voyager spacecraft, music and octaves across cultures, Denis Dutton's The Art Instinct. Get in touch: Email: info@tbdpodcast.org  Twitter: @tbdpod1  Some links you might find useful:Denis Dutton's The Art Instinct:https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/5788390-the-art-instinctThe Voyager Golden Recordhttps://voyager.jpl.nasa.gov/golden-record/Music Across Cultureshttps://www.oh-i-see.com/blog/2013/11/24/culture-smart-the-musical-scale-across-cultures/https://news.mit.edu/2019/perception-musical-pitch-cultures-0919

The r/ToK subreddit voted for our topic, and this was the result.We tackle this question: How can we distinguish between good and bad interpretations? Discuss with reference to the arts and one other area of knowledge.Some very fun chat with some great real world examples. Get in touch: Email: info@tbdpodcast.org  Twitter: @tbdpod1  Some links you might find useful:Misinterpreting The Scream:https://edition.cnn.com/style/article/munch-scream-british-museum-gbr-scli-intl/index.htmlMalcolm Gladwell: The Bomber Mafiahttps://www.nytimes.com/2021/04/25/books/review/the-bomber-mafia-malcolm-gladwell.html Robert McNamara "the hyper-rational executive led astray by numbers"https://www.technologyreview.com/2013/05/31/178263/the-dictatorship-of-data/

We have a good time debating the Paradox of Tolerance.  Source:Karl Popper: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2016/sep/26/100-best-nonfiction-books-karl-popper-open-society-its-enemies

If something demands action, would you help? Or does it depend how many people are there...? We have fun talking about this controversial phenomenon.  Widely accepted to be true, contemporary research brings it into dispute. Sources:Bystander effect in street disputes questioned:https://nscr.nl/en/bystander-blijkt-wel-degelijk-in-actie-te-komen-bij-ruzie-op-straat/Death of Raymond Zack:https://www.firehouse.com/home/news/10722848/family-of-raymond-zack-sues-alameda-city-and-county-in-deathKitty Genovese:https://www.simplypsychology.org/Kitty-Genovese.html#:~:text=This%20term%20was%20coined%20after,intervene%20or%20call%20the%20police.

We have a go at unpacking this classic philosophical paradox, riffing on all the ramifications that flow out of it. As always, an enjoyable conversation about this head scratcher. 

Our second 'mini-sode' -  The focus this time: 'What is Knowledge? Is it simply justified, true belief?

Our first 'mini-sode' -  in which we take a quick, casual approach to answering the question: 'What is Philosophy? A good introduction to students wondering that very thing...

On this episode: “There is nothing more deceptive than an obvious fact” (Arthur Conan Doyle).  Diversions/Explorations include: The snake ripping your throat out is the one to worry about Some great discussion defining ‘obvious facts’ The King of Red  We are not chemists  Barry Schwartz’s Paradox of Choice   Francis Fukuyama and ‘The End of History’ Get in touch: Email: info@tbdpodcast.org  Twitter: @tbdpod1    Sources you might like: Canadian Snow Plow Names https://barrie.ctvnews.ca/plowy-mcplowface-austin-plowers-among-winning-names-chosen-for-barrie-s-snowplow-fleet-1.5306888   Sir Ernest Rutherford https://www.nobelprize.org/prizes/chemistry/1908/rutherford/biographical/  Atomic Structure https://www.arpansa.gov.au/understanding-radiation/what-is-radiation/ionising-radiation/atomic-structure  How Scientists View Quantum Physics https://www.thegreatcoursesdaily.com/how-scientists-view-quantum-physics/   Paradox of Choice https://www.ted.com/talks/barry_schwartz_the_paradox_of_choice?language=en  The End of History - Francis Fukuyama  https://www.embl.de/aboutus/science_society/discussion/discussion_2006/ref1-22june06.pdf   But What If We're Wrong?  https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/533521/but-what-if-were-wrong-by-chuck-klosterman/ 

Is there anything more deceptive than an obvious fact? Catch the fever!@tbpod1info@tbdpodcast.org

On this episode: Why is it so difficult to identify a clear line between accepted and disputed knowledge within a discipline?  Diversions/Explorations include: A Guest! The fantastic robot legged, Irish Khaleesi Aoife Abushaqra Some feedback from a loyal listener Art world controversy Avril Lavigne conspiracy theories  Cognitive dissonance   Power and knowledge Get in touch: Email: info@tbdpodcast.org  Twitter: @tbdpod1  Aoife’s podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/talk-the-tok/id1537824943  Sources you might like: McCafe statistics: https://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/food/food-warnings/maccas-crushes-coffee-snobs-in-reply-to-advertising-complaint/news-story/8de5da54428e08ae13a7660ad4158b85  https://qsrmedia.com.au/research/news/mcdonalds-mccafe-most-visited-coffee-shop-report-says  Marcel Duchamp’s urinal: https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/duchamp-fountain-t07573  Was math invented or discovered? https://www.sciencefocus.com/science/was-maths-invented-or-discovered/#:~:text=This%20is%20true%20for%20all,is%20both%20invented%20and%20discovered.  Banana Art  https://www.sbs.com.au/news/man-eats-120-000-piece-of-art-a-banana-taped-to-wall  Avril Lavigne clone https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/shortcuts/2017/may/15/avril-lavigne-melissa-cloning-conspiracy-theories   Cognitive Dissonance Theory https://www.apa.org/pubs/books/Cognitive-Dissonance-Intro-Sample.pdf 

Episode 4 breaks new ground...a guest this way comes. A professional Theory of Knowledge expert takes on the TBD crew...next episode 

On this episode: Personal knowledge. Is it powerful or problematic? Diversions/explorations include: The ethical limits of anvil pushing  Crazily...Hitler’s Mein Kampf   Cognitive bias snowballs  Everything you need to know about Brazil can be learned from The Simpsons  Some advice to NBA coaches: don’t throw the plan out if you’re losing  We don’t always have to be Best Friend’s Club.  Get in touch: Email: info@tbdpodcast.org  Twitter: @tbdpod1   Sources you might like: Opinion | Study finds cognitive bias in how medical examiners evaluate child deaths   Can We Rely on Our Intuition?   BU Research: A Riddle Reveals Depth of Gender Bias | BU Today   The Blame Game: How Outcome Bias Fools NBA Coaches (and Their Bosses)  Thinking, Fast and Slow — By Daniel Kahneman — Book Review 

A teaser trailer for our next episode. Yikes - things come in threes. 

On this episode: statistics conceal as much as they reveal… or do they? Diversions/Explorations include: ·        Why is Aaron obsessed with how many people are smiling in his compound? ·        What do the other 20% of dentists think about Colgate? ·        Why are medians and means confusing? ·        Speaking of confusion, John confuses everyone about P values ·        John and Aaron both sign up to eat cheeseburgers every 5 minutes for 50 years. ·        An actual poignant examination of the serious subject of statistics and cancer survival rates. ·        John and Aaron both learn that statistics matter.   Get in touch: info@tbdpodcast.org   Sources you might like:   The Median Isn't the Message: https://www.semanticscholar.org/paper/The-median-isn%27t-the-message.-Gould/c3cc80440cf7b15a2c069252ae287e58dfed8073   Planet Money’s Modal American: https://www.npr.org/2019/08/28/755191639/episode-936-the-modal-american   By the numbers - the average Australian doesn't exist ... not a single one of us is 'normal': https://www.smh.com.au/national/by-the-numbers--the-average-australian-doesnt-exist--not-a-single-one-of-us-is-normal-20150124-12xlh0.html   Colgate: https://marketinglaw.osborneclarke.com/retailing/colgates-80-of-dentists-recommend-claim-under-fire/

A teaser trailer for our next episode. Wow-- we actually made a second one...!

In our first episode we address the following prompt taken from the May 2021 IB Theory of Knowledge essay questions:“Accepting knowledge claims always involves an element of trust.” Diversions/Examples include:- The flat earth guy- A duplicitous professor from John's past- Going blind from drinking moonshine- Aaron distrusts cats. Get in touch: feedback.tbd@gmail.comSources (of varying quality) on moonshine: https://www.reddit.com/r/firewater/comments/cv4bu8/methanol_some_information/ https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/factcheck/2020/06/30/fact-check-u-s-government-poisoned-some-alcohol-during-prohibition/3283701001/    https://slate.com/technology/2010/02/the-little-told-story-of-how-the-u-s-government-poisoned-alcohol-during-prohibition.html