Faith, Science, Reason Flashcards

Animal Intelligence and Interaction

• Clever Hans Effect: Animals may respond to subtle cues from trainers rather than demonstrating true understanding or intelligence.
• Washoe: A chimpanzee capable of learning and using up to 175 signs in American Sign Language to communicate.
• Nim Chimpsky: Subject of a study to test animal communication, named after linguist Noam Chomsky; demonstrated less language capability compared to Washoe.

Notable Theories and Figures

• HAL 9000: Intelligent computer from "2001: A Space Odyssey," designed to mimic human emotions and thought processes.
• Kurt Gödel: Mathematician known for incompleteness theorems, asserting there are truths in mathematics that require human intuition rather than computational power.
• Roger Penrose: Physicist who posits that human consciousness and understanding cannot be replicated by machines.
• Laplace: Mathematician advocating for determinism, claiming that the universe operates on predictable physical laws.

Philosophical Concepts

• Determinism: Philosophical theory stating that all events, including human decisions, are dictated by preceding conditions.
• Material and Formal Causes: Aristotle's framework identifying the substance (what something is made of) and form (the nature of what it actually is).
• Efficient and Final Causes: Efficient cause refers to the maker of an object, while final cause refers to the object’s purpose or goal, often linked to achieving happiness.

Physics and Quantum Mechanics

• Max Planck: Discovered the dual wave-particle nature of light, pivotal in founding quantum physics.
• Quantum Physics: Focuses on subatomic particle behavior which is not in line with classical physics interpretations.
• Wave-Particle Duality: The notion that particles can exhibit properties of both waves and particles, challenging traditional physics.
• Heisenberg Uncertainty Principle: Asserts it is impossible to accurately know both the position and momentum of a particle at the same time.

Aristotelian Concepts

• Hylomorphism: Aristotle’s idea that all entities are composed of both matter (substance) and form (essence).
• Substance and Accident: Substance represents the intrinsic reality of an entity, while accidents are temporary traits (e.g., skin color, height) unrelated to the essence.
• Transubstantiation: A theological concept where the essence of bread and wine in Eucharist is transformed into the body and blood of Christ, while their accidental properties remain unchanged.