While I have not before heard Sheldrake speak, nor read anything of his, I confess some flavor of ill reputation had somehow come to my awareness.
However, after watching his presentation I cannot complain of any lack of reason on his part. Indeed, his criticisms of science are spot on. While uninformed as to his assertions regarding lightspeed and it's constancy (which I find alarming, as that would unmoor my ship of physics from it's comforting bounds of constancy and a sense that I have some little grasp of how the universe actually works, quite entirely), I can but say if he speaks truthfully, it is indeed a fundamental flaw revealed at the most basal level of not only our present understanding, but our methods of gaining that understanding.
I have much to process after being so jolted out of my smug hubris, and thank you profusely for restoring my much more appropriate sense of humility regarding matters beyond my ken, and far above my pay grade.
We all think we are experts until we realize we may be missing something major - provided we are humble enough and willing to keep an open mind, which is so tough to do because we have never really learnt it. I had to come down from my high horse so often, realizing that I had always held the same viewpoints as self-evident that I have started to look past. Just look at all those people who really belief all the contradictory and unfactual claims about the cov-ID hype out there. without question. What will it take to shake them from their trance? It really is hard to say...
Contrary to what we have been told though the great thing is: It's not a contest. It's great realizing everyone might have a major piece to the puzzle. Even people who make side comments that show great lack in understanding in one area, might just have the missing piece for an area I am interested in or even versed in, stumbling upon it from their (uninformed) reamrks. In this way anyone can become a great teacher without quite realizing it.
I do not agree with Sheldrake in all points either, it was just such a glorious shortcut to getting a good overview on how many disciplines of 'science' function today - quite against the scientific method and more like... a church. That is my take anyway.
Really glad you found the talk useful. He does have a bad reputation in established circles of science, much like Anthony West does in Egytpology (hinting at the truer estimation of the age of the Sphinx among many other history-narrative-busting facts), regardless of the huge merit they bring to the table for really important questions about humanity, our history and the natural world we are living in - they are shunned and labeled as lunatics.
Sheldrake "came out" decades ago and due to his chosen fields of interests that atomists cannot allow in their curriculum they will outright deny him any open ears and will vehemently deny that these phenomena - regardless of the evidence - exist at all. Drawing on many other sources for the things Sheldrake is talking about and ON MY OWN EXPERIENCES I find it rather convincing to suggest we don't have the faintest idea about reality in our "scientific" meainstream. And mostly all the things we think we know for certain are fariytales. But what do I know?!
I can say that the journey is still ongoing for me. I see things as likely and many things as highly likely today that I would have scoffed at years ago and even months ago. One cannot undo a lifetime of indoctrination in a few days and so it is essential we all take our time and stay with our own understanding and evaluation lest we fall into new fairytales that are unfactual. I keep saying it and I keep meaning it: Nobody knows what's up on Earth. We all just think we do.
All the best to ya dude and thanks for your feedback on Sheldrake!
Overcoming indoctrination at all depends on an open mind. Mark Twain remarked that it was far easier to fool someone than to convince them they'd been fooled. This reveals open minds are not prevalent, nor encouraged by our indoctrinators.
That's easy. Up is away from down.
=p
;)