Two Thousand Years of Not Building a Bridge
The gap at the bottom of the map This week a map went around Instagram showing the E45, a single highway that runs from the Arctic tip of Norway to…
History & Ideas
What is Barbarism? Montaigne in 1580
Hundreds of years ago Montaigne met Indigenous Brazilians brought to France and concluded the so-called savages were less barbaric than the Europeans burning each other over doctrine. Today, more than…
You Get to Keep a Portion of the Value You Create
I have been thinking about a simple proposition: You get to keep a portion of the value you create. At first glance, that sounds like a defense of capitalism. I…
Mark Twain, On Republicans and Math
Ron Chernow on NPR “Mark Twain had very valuable things to say on patriotism. It drove him crazy when people would say, my country, right or wrong. He said we…
Words Matter
Words cut, or heal; emit hate, or love; portend conflict, or understanding. Words Matter: Words cut, or heal; emit hate, or love; portend conflict, or understanding. Carefully chosen or spilled,…
Patriotism: The Next Gang of Robbers
“Patriotism … is a word which always commemorates a robbery.”—Mark Twain, Notebook, May 26, 1896 Mark Twain had a way of cutting through the fog. In his 1896 notebook, he…
Nine Days Later: June 28th, 1865
I’m CEO of a company that decided to be closed today, on purpose. We’re sure some people would like to know why. If you have time, this is Page Two…
450 Million Meals, Earthquakes, & Butterflies
When in DC we go out to eat at fun places that are unlike things we have back in Durham. We love Durham and the restaurants here are well known…
Were the COVID-19 Vaccines Safe and Effective? What the Science Says
It’s been a few years since the first COVID-19 vaccines rolled out, and with the benefit of hindsight—and mountains of data—we can now answer one of the biggest questions of…
Standing on the Shoulders of Giants: Why Learning Matters
Imagine trying to reinvent the theory of gravity or rediscover penicillin, the life-saving medicine, every generation. When the person who invented the thing dies, what if it all went with…
Objective Reality
Understanding Objective Reality: From Bacon to the Digital Age Objective reality—an existence independent of perception—has long fascinated thinkers. Francis Bacon, in The Great Instauration, laid the groundwork for empiricism, emphasizing…
Welcome, Englishmen!
Samoset watched the settlers from the edge of the woods. The trees behind him were quiet, but the wind carried the smell of smoke and wet earth. Below, the English…
Buffalo in Greenland and Lifelong Learning
How evidence of plains buffalos in Greenland speak to lifelong learning
Freedom v Liberty
The concepts of freedom and liberty are closely related but have slightly different nuances in their meanings. While they are often used interchangeably, their distinctions can vary based on historical…
Time Machine Post: Factfulness
I talk about data all the time. It’s the basis for my whole worldview to be honest, the Scientific Method, Francis Bacon, all that. The path to objective reality, such…
