down the avenue: Steven Pinker Speaks on Violence in San Francisco

FAVORITE QUOTES

Only Those Who See the Invisible, Can Do The Impossible
The Age of your Heart is the Age of what you Love - Marcel Prévost
Tell me and I'll forget. Show me and I may remember. Involve me and I'll understand.
When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we don't see the one opening before us. -Helen Keller
The sole meaning of life is to serve humanity. -Leo Tolstoy
Nothing makes us so lonely as our secrets. -Paul Tournier
They may forget what you said, but they will never forget how you made them feel. -Carl W. Buechner
Just trust yourself, then you will know how to live. -Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
The foolish reject what they see, the wise reject what they think
Imagination is more important than knowledge - Albert Einstein
When you realize nothing is lacking, the whole world belongs to you - Lao-tzu
The world surrenders to a quiet mind
It is a funny thing about life: If you refuse to accept anything but the best you very often get it - Somerset Maugham
"At the moment of commitment, the universe conspires to assist you." Goethe

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November 04, 2012

Steven Pinker Speaks on Violence in San Francisco

Steven Pinker recently spoke at the Singularity Summit in San Francisco this past October.

His topic amongst a large group of singularians, scientists, authors, thinkers, students and technologists? Violence.

He took is on a journey of the decline of violence over time as a persistent development, showing methods that showed prehistoric violence versus the modern violence of today aka life before states and life after states.

It's obvious that literacy matters for a decrease in violence since it brings reason into the conversation ruling out and winning over superstition, which is still alive in a lot of more primitive cultures today.

See my latest write-up on singularity and the future of technology based on my most recent experience at the Singularity Summit. Below is a short video excerpt from his talk.