Self & Non-Self; Atman & Anatman
Self and Non-self offer rival metaphysical answers. TST Philosophy asks you to ground public truth and systems in the material world.
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All
Master Timeline
Normalcy, Normal, and Abnormal
Normalcy is not reality itself, but our idea about recurring patterns in reality, shaped by experience, culture, and expectation.
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Schema
Schemas are mental categories across frameworks that simplify life. To think well, challenge them. Keep what fits, update or drop the rest.
Unknowable Dao
The Unknowable Dao reminds us that some of reality may be too deep, too fluid, or too vast to capture fully in words.
Yin and Yang
Stop trying to force the river. Look to the way of nature. Spirituality is learning to move with it—softly enough to bend, clearly enough to endure.
Ziran, Authenticity, or Authentic Self
30 Phil, Chapter 4, Laozi, Touchstone 10: Authenticity. Ziran is often translates to “of its own.” Living in accordance with Ziran means you embrace naturalness. You welcome the spontaneous aspects of existence. With Ziran, you flow with nature while embracing your true self and innate tendencies, your authentic self. Living in accordance with Ziran is you
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Wu-wei or “non-action”
30 Phil, Chapter 4, Laozi, Touchstone 9: Wu-wei or “non-action” The term wu-wei is often translated as “non-action.” It is a general concept. It is the idea that the universe has a flow, and it is better to ride that flow than to fight it. Wu-wei is non-action, effortless action, or inaction, but does not mean
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The First Flowers
Pollen evolved about 350 million years ago, by 130 million years ago, flowers improved pollination by attracting partners like bees.
Opposable Thumb Emerges
Around 60 million years ago, the early ancestors of primates began to develop a crucial adaptation: the opposable thumb. This evolutionary milestone marked the beginning of increased dexterity.
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Human Thumb Evolves
Slightly greater range of movement and precision: Around 2 to 3 million years ago, the evolution of the human thumb reached a pivotal point. Early hominins, such as Australopithecus and later Homo habilis, exhibited a thumb that was more similar to that of modern humans. This thumb was capable of a greater range of movement
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Ape Thumb Evolves
Likely between 25 and 30 million years ago, the evolution of the apes brought about further refinement of the opposable thumb. This period saw the divergence of the lineages that would lead to modern “lesser” apes like gibbons as well as later “great” apes, including orangutans, gorillas, and chimpanzees. The ape thumb evolved to become
Protozoa Evolve
About 2 billion years ago, eukaryotic cells are defined by a membrane-bound nucleus and internal organelles. Their emergence created the structural foundation for complex life.
Protozoa Discovered: Microbiology Founded
Although protozoa evolved from eukaryotes about 2 billion years ago, it was 1674 that humanity saw them for the first time. That’s when Antonie van Leeuwenhoek, using his meticulously crafted microscopes, discovered protozoa—the first microscopic observation of single-celled organisms. His detailed observations and descriptions of what he called “animalcules” in a drop of pond water
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Eradicating Diabetes: A Gene Editing Revolution
Single-gene diseases are the first clear targets for gene editing, but their success may open the path to complex diseases like diabetes.
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First Analog Radio Transmission
In 1906, Reginald Fessenden achieved the first analog transmission of sound over radio waves on Christmas Eve. An analog transmission is like a flowing river that continuously changes its speed and depth to carry things along its path. In analog communication, sounds or images are directly transformed into continuous signals that mimic the original. For
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Electromagnetic Radiation Theory
James Clerk Maxwell predicted electromagnetic waves, but he did not perform experiments to prove their existence. His prediction was based on his work on the classical theory of electromagnetic radiation, which unified electricity, magnetism, and light as different manifestations of the same phenomenon. Maxwell’s equations for electromagnetism predicted the existence of waves of oscillating electric
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Olduvai Gorge Site: A Glimpse into Early Organizational Behavior
The Olduvai Gorge in Tanzania stands as a testament to early human ingenuity and foresight, illustrating a rudimentary form of organizational behavior that predates modern civilization. Utilized extensively over two million years, the site functioned akin to a “factory,” where early humans systematically crafted a variety of stone tools. They strategically selected specific locations that
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Space Station Closed-Loop Life Support
Closed-loop life support is how space habitats begin to live off their own systems instead of Earth’s supply chain.
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Lunar Gateway: Space Station Orbiting the Moon
By 2028, the Lunar Gateway space station will be orbiting the moon with people on it, during the Artemis IV mission. The advanced life support systems are slated to be integrated into the infrastructure of the Lunar Gateway and employed during Artemis program missions. These systems are part of NASA’s broader strategy to facilitate prolonged
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Ancient Spears 350,000 Years Ago
“By 350,000 years ago, early humans crafted javelin-quality spears.” This revelation about ancient spears is profoundly enlightening as it demonstrates the advanced cognitive abilities and social cooperation among early humans. Crafting spears of this quality involves not only selecting the right materials and understanding the physics of balancing and sharpening but also strategic planning for
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