Less Than Nothing

The Industrial Revolution has created an unprecedented trend in the development of Human society, every second that passes, the world develops, new technologies arise, and the net effectiveness of the Human species increases. We are on an exponentially rising trajectory of advancement. Generally speaking, today, is the greatest day in human history, the day when the most people are living best. Of course, there are issues with today's world, there is still death, and exploitation, and poverty, but as a whole, the Human Species is improving, standards of living are better than they were 100 years ago, we live longer, we know more, and we have vaccines and modern medicines. Historically speaking, this state of perpetual advancement is the outlier in terms of societies, as civilisations rose and fell, their innovations and technologies were often lost. Individuals lived in the shadows of their ancestors, tales of whose societies became legendary. Only since the industrial revolution, ...

c = 299 792 458 m/s The speed of light, c, is one of the most important fundamental constants in the universe, the absolute speed limit across spacetime. Light, as a particle has no mass, thus any amount of energy will accelerate it to the maximum possible speed, having no inertia to resist motion. This, however, raises the question, why doesn't light travel at an infinite speed? And does the question make sense to ask? Should we look for a 'reason' for fundamental constants? Are there certain facets of the Universe which are, simply because they are? The Scientific Method often leads us to believe that everything is linked by cause and effect, however, at the most fundamental level, are there laws and systems which are true, simply because they are true? Both answers to this question are somewhat unsatisfying. It seems illogical that the fundamental laws and systems of the universe simply exist, without any meaningful explanations, is 2.99x10^8 simply a random number, con...

In an age shaped by massive scientific advancement, absolute empirical examination is seen as a standard to be strived for. In an era where so many traditional beliefs and practices are torn apart by rigorous testing, general skepticism is the norm in science and philosophy. This development is undoubtably a good one, humans must base their actions on knowledge which has been proved irrevocably by the most effective methods possible. Objectivity is the only way to truly understand. A core practice of the scientific method is not to take traditionally held knowledge for granted, to examine for oneself every aspect of one's knowledge in order to prove an airtight understanding, it is massively important in any form of education to base one's knowledge on fundamental truths we can prove for ourselves rather than taking at face value, information which is provided by others, no matter how important this knowledge may be in the collective cultural memory, tradition is no substitute ...

Philosophy, like Science, pursues the truth, yet without the empiricism which marks the objective nature of the Sciences. It is from this fact which arises the 'personal philosophy', an individual's conception of reality and their place within it. As living organisms, the self-preservation is perhaps the greatest focus of our minds, thus, humanity is often placed at the centre of an individual's perception of existence. It is incredibly difficult for one to separate their conception of reality from the value they place upon their own being. This is perhaps the origin of theology as a near-constant within the human condition, a universe centred around humanity is easier to live with, and does not come with the extensive existential baggage of a reality in which our entire existence is a spontaneity of mathematical chance upon the universe, surrounded by oblivion. However, to create a true understanding of existence, we must rely only on objectivity and logic, though this...