In the past two weeks I have been shocked by statements from some pundits and politicians that seem to deny the reality of the COVID-19 epidemic, even as the evidence of its lethal and catastrophic potential rises exponentially. Denialism is the insistence on believing something because you want to, regardless of the facts (see: Denialism and its […]
I gave the following 5-minute talk titled “The Secret Sauce of Human Thriving” at the Long Now Boston Flash Talks event January 6, 02020. The inspiration was the challenge to “envision the future” – and to present a case for continued advances in human thriving 100 years in the future. I chose to focus on […]
In May I posted the Delicate Intricacies of Sex and Gender, noting some of the latest findings in science relevant to the cultural disputes dealing with sex and gender. I concluded that our cultural precepts about gender need to change. Needless to say, that is a huge challenge. Historically, one of the key drivers of […]
“…if people are given a choice to vote for a politician who says something will be costly and difficult, or a politician who says, ‘Trust me this is the path to wealth and greatness,’ they will go for the promise…, and not the prudence….” Long Now Boston Conversation April 5, 2018 A little over a […]
It is often said that technology is value neutral – what determines whether it is good or evil depends on the uses that people make of it. Once touted as the great power equalizer and democratizer of information and influence, the World Wide Web is now seen by many as a threat to personal autonomy […]
