A Harvard economist asked 5000 people how they thought wealth was distributed throughout the United States and then asked how it should be distributed. If wealth were distributed the way that most people think it is distributed, I think the … Continue reading →

Usual disclaimer: discrimination against atheists is pretty tame compared to the discrimination that blacks and jews and gays have historically faced. It’s not like atheists were ever persecuted or excluded from public office [er, you sure? -ed]. This bloggingheads.tv vialog … Continue reading →

A series of short lectures on religion from my alma mater. Stalin and his gang had found lots of other ways to oppress people that didn’t have any of the fun bits of religion. Or, indeed. opium. Those hilarious people … Continue reading →

When TED first popped into the world, you could pick any TED talk at random and it would almost certainly be great. Now it seems like you have to wade through 10 crap ones and 5 mediocre ones to find … Continue reading →

…and then watch the stars… and the triangles… and the one about zigfinity….and…and…and… She’s the champion.

Love bloggingheads.tv. Love Jonathon Haidt. Love evolutionary psychology. Inevitable that I would love this. And I did.

If you had asked me, six minutes ago, whether we should spend more money on NASA, I’d’ve said “No. Can’t afford it and it’s not a proper role for government.” Neil deGrasse Tyson’s testimony to the Senate may have just … Continue reading →

Having now shepherded two little clowns through elementary and middle school, a lot of teachers have crossed my path. It has been rare to come across one with a passion for science. I have come across teachers who apologize for how hard … Continue reading →

In case the embed doesn’t work: Feynman on Beauty