Exploring Consciousness: A Non-Scientist's Perspective

[Gary Smith]

Hi,

I am Gary.

I like to stretch the limits of my conceptualizing, and catch up to it with experiential awareness.

This characteristic leads me to write a blog of experiments, realizations and experiences, such as having a conversation with a stone about 'cooperative networks of conscious particles.'

Before anyone reading gags on this, let me assure you my interest in this forum is to balance my ideas with the science community and find ways to objectify as much as possible my experiments. I have no science background, so feedback from the community will be highly valued and appreciated.

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

Welcome to PF Gary! Please see our guidelines on speculation. We are a mainstream science community.
https://www.physicsforums.com/threads/physics-forums-global-guidelines.414380/

 

[Gary Smith]

Thank you, Greg, for pointing me to the guidelines. I see 'If you have a new theory or idea, this is not the place to look for feedback on it or help in developing it.'

Can you refer me to a place that would be for feedback on non-mainstream ideas?

When I post here, I will keep it within the guidelines.

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

Thanks! Honestly there are no quality options for theory development communities. There are science communities that allow them, but the member bases are poor and wouldn't be able to give good feedback.

 

[Gary Smith]

As always, I respect your time and appreciate your response.

It is bewildering to me that there are no quality options for theory development communities.

Isn't this what science is all about? Wouldn't it enrich the whole science community and all of us to have options for theory development from those outside as well as within the culture of scientists? What are the downsides which prevent it? Wouldn't theory development open new opportunities for advancing science? I do not expect answers but ask as an honest inquiry and from an intent to inspire.

Would you consider starting a theory development forum?

 

[berkeman]

(thread moved from New Member Introductions to Feedback)

Would you consider starting a theory development forum?

We did indeed have such a sub-forum for several years (the Original Research forum, I think). In the end it was way more work for the Mentors and Staff than it was worth. Most of the threads were just plain wrong, and many generated heated debates that were rarely rooted in actual science. In the end we shut it down.

 

[Greg Bernhardt]

Wouldn't it enrich the whole science community and all of us to have options for theory development from those outside as well as within the culture of scientists?

Don't you want feedback from scientists? It's the scientists who don't want to participate in an online wild west theory development area. They are busy with their research. Can you blame them? Now if you are ok with feedback from people without technical expertise then there are plenty of places, but of course, wouldn't that then be a waste of time yourself?

 

[Gary Smith]

(thread moved from New Member Introductions to Feedback)

We did indeed have such a sub-forum for several years (the Original Research forum, I think). In the end it was way more work for the Mentors and Staff than it was worth. Most of the threads were just plain wrong, and many generated heated debates that were rarely rooted in actual science. In the end we shut it down.

I suspected as much. It would be quite a task to keep non-scientists on track. I had a long dialog with a scientist and could see the problem that I did not know where my ideas had merit or potentially had merit, and where they were just plain wrong, because I have no training in science. But I want to learn from science and possibly contribute ideas from another perspective where those ideas can be considered. I do see what you are saying. Thank you for your response.

 

[berkeman]

Is there a community college nearby? You might enjoy taking a few introductory Physics classes.

 

[Gary Smith]

Don't you want feedback from scientists? It's the scientists who don't want to participate in an online wild west theory development area. They are busy with their research. Can you blame them? Now if you are ok with feedback from people without technical expertise then there are plenty of places, but of course, wouldn't that then be a waste of time yourself?

Yes, I would like to have feedback from scientists so my ideas can be contained within some reasonable boundaries.

No, I do not want feedback from people without technical expertise. I have had plenty of that!

Perhaps my solution is to simply put out questions, without expressing my ideas. That gives me the feedback I seek, and does no generate debates or waste anyone's time. Scientists who want to, can answer. I have no expectation yet am grateful for any response. I am okay with that. Are you?

 

[berkeman]

Honest questions are usually fine. If you can find links to information about your questions, it also helps to post the links to show what reading you have been doinbgg before posting. Good luck!

 

[Gary Smith]

Is there a community college nearby? You might enjoy taking a few introductory Physics classes.

Great idea, but there is no community college nearby. And, my interest and questions are very specific. Thank you.

 

[Gary Smith]

Honest questions are usually fine. If you can find links to information about your questions, it also helps to post the links to show what reading you have been doinbgg before posting. Good luck!

Good idea. I will post links. Most will be to the blog posts I write, which themselves contain links to what reading I have been doing. When I see my posts here are taking the time of people to respond, I will want to donate what I can. That is meant to say I like this to be a two-way street and not just my taking from the forum, as much as possible. Also, I will do my own research to find what is readily available to answer my questions, first.

 

[Gary Smith]

I have re-printed the Wikipedia article (with attribution and links,) 'List of unsolved problems in physics' with links to the Physics Forums, at top and bottom: << Link deleted by Mentors >>

 

[russ_watters]

I think the question has been answered. Please start new threads for new discussions. Thanks.

 

[Evo]

I will post links. Most will be to the blog posts I write, which themselves contain links to what reading I have been doing

We do not allow links to blogs, and by "links to what you've been reading", we mean mainstream acceptable textbooks and accepted (by us) peer reviewed journals).