Dan Dennett: Cute, sexy, sweet, funny

http://www.ted.com Why are babies cute? Why is cake sweet? Philosopher Dan Dennett has answers you wouldn't expect, as he shares evolution's counterintuitive reasoning on cute, sweet and sexy things. For a topping, try his introduction to a new theory by Matthew Hurley on why jokes are funny.

TEDTalks is a daily video podcast of the best talks and performances from the TED Conference, where the world's leading thinkers and doers give the talk of their lives in 18 minutes. TED stands for Technology, Entertainment, Design, and TEDTalks cover these topics as well as science, business, development and the arts. Watch the Top 10 TEDTalks on TED.com, at http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/top10

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[doGoNsIylbaborPerehT]

@Airlightf "Since one species cannot...breed with a differente species and produce fertile offspring, it is imposible for a new species to come into Existence"

Just because you didn't undestand bcgonynor's explanation of speciation does not mean that it's impossible.

If new species can not come into existence then all the currently living (and already extinct) species must have lived simultaneously - humans and the various dinosaur species for example. But that's not the case.

[doGoNsIylbaborPerehT]

@Airlightf "JUST because the milk of a cow was found in you doesn't mean you are a cow or that you and your ancestors came from "a cow""

Wow...that didn't really make any sense at all.

"HAHAHAHAHAH"

Yes. It was ridiculous. I agree.

"omg"

My thoughts exactly!

[TotalImplosion]

We perceive our universe as expanding and we are sure that "for every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction". My question is simple "While the universe expands, what is contracting?" If you want the answer from the man who picked up Einstein's equations and solved the mystery of a unified field, then study the work of Nassim Haramein. Like Einstein, he quit school at age 16 because it was interfering with his education.

[ashburnhouse]

great.

[Joeofiowa]

Came for the 2:13.

Stayed for the lucid intellectual discourse.

[Airlightf]

"god is not great"

[Airlightf]

@doGoNsIylbaborPerehT That's how evolutionists reason.

[Airlightf]

@doGoNsIylbaborPerehT The currintly living species were created by God. A knew species can only come into existence if God creates them.

[lutecore]

anyone know if this book he was talking about is out now?

[GuitarNoob101]

@matt605 "Evolution and its advocates have a long and sordid history of shameful service to the worst ideas in humanity."

It's funny that you say that, since racism and the horrible atrocities that result from it have existed for many thousands of years BEFORE the Darwin was even born, most often endorsed by religious beliefs. Now the studies resulting from Darwin's theory have been used to debunk the very racism you accuse him of. What world are you living in?

[GuitarNoob101]

@matt605 "Scientific Racism" is a very unscientific term made by unscientific people obscuring scientific knowledge to advance an unscientific belief - a lot like "Intelligent Design", in that regard. "Social Darwinism" was never anything advocated by Darwin OR science, and Darwin specifically spoke out against eugenics, which a lot of people like to pin on him. Social Darwinism is another distortion and poisoning of science to advance a predisposition some have towards racism.

[GuitarNoob101]

@matt605 I don't hold anything as blasphemous. I find dogma of any sort shallow and weak, as any idea with any validity should be able to stand up to critical scrutiny. That's why science works, and religion doesn't.

I repeat, nobody studies his writings as gospel. His understanding of evolution was simplistic, but it created a new field of study that has since been expanded upon in brilliant detail and to the benefit of ALL of us, especially in the fields of medicine and psychology.