Empirical knowledge is a great learning tool whereby people learn from their errors - like touching a farm's electric fence and not wanting to do that again.
"Once bitten, twice shy" is a saying relating to this or, as we joked in 3P class:
"Nihil est in intellectu quod non prius fuerit in sensu (nothing is in the intellect which has not first been in the senses)."
No doubt the 3Gers would have said something like:
"Don't cut off your nose despite your face" or some such.
Is society becoming dumber? Certainly the overuse of social media and computer apps and programmes that take away knowledge requirements - like spellcheck are adding to this and this is before AI and all its developments have properly taken hold. Common Sense is becoming something of the past.
Do you remember those Jackass programmes on TV? These featured stupid, painful and embarrassing stunts that the idiots performed on each other and the public, with the consequence that even-lower IQ fans copied them and ended up immolating, drowning, blowing up and otherwise injuring themselves sort of like the Darwin Awards' real-life tragedies.
This occurred to me yesterday when reading of a woman tourist in the Caribbean who had both hands bitten off by a bull shark while she was trying to take a selfie with it in shallow waters.
Also, yesterday I read of two cars that skidded off the main road out to our bays here - one ending up in a ditch and the other in the sea. We had two days of rain after a long fine period but some people don't change their driving styles and speeds on wet roads. I guess empirical knowledge might make them think better next time.
Robert (Rob) has deleted all of his posts again. I wonder if empirical knowledge was in play there?
This (an AI overview) came from the web:
Empirical knowledge is knowledge based on observation, experimentation, and direct experience. It's also known as a posteriori knowledge.
How is empirical knowledge gained?
Observation: Using the senses to perceive phenomena
Experimentation: Repeatable experiments to test and verify knowledge
Measurement: Using calibrated scientific instruments to gather data
Why is empirical knowledge important?
It's grounded in real-world experience
It's invaluable for research and business strategies
It can help us make better decisions and understand the world around us
How does empirical knowledge compare to other types of knowledge?
It's often contrasted with a priori knowledge, which is derived from reasoning, logic, or intuition
Science is a method for ascertaining the accuracy of empirical knowledge.
OK, but when those other bloggers read that they'll no doubt misinterpret 'a posteriori knowledge' as being 'posterior' knowledge which, when you think about it is apt.
3 comments:
I'd better comment because no one else will.
No need for thanks.
I read Rob's last post, before it disappeared. It was evidently on a cello site on Facebook. I think he was telling them how ro get into Heaven and avoid Hell. Poor buggers just wanted to play the violoncello.
There you go, it didn't matter that I flushed the blogs. I always feel better after doing that.
I was wondering too, yesterday actually, about how daily social media corrupts our minds. So instead of reading all the news and blogs (if there were any), I just sat in the semi dark and sipped my coffee for an hour. It was jolly pleasant. We have the world's best supercomputer sitting on our shoulders and often typing thoughts into a blog is just an excuse for thinking it over further. It's like tourists who are so busy taking photos on their cell phones that they miss the whole experience.
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