In which I discover that I am a dualist after all. Continue reading →

I’ve had an idea that answers the question “What are dreams for?” floating around in my head Continue reading →

I read a novel a long time ago where the characters played a parlour game at a dinner party.  Each player took it in turns to name a prominent work of literature that they had never read and they scored a point for every … Continue reading →

What should I bet if I draw three cards to a straight in Texas Hold’em? Continue reading →

I read two articles this morning. The first was about the nature of the activity that we call science. The author uses the example of Anaximander’s realization that the Earth is not flat to illustrate what he believes to be … Continue reading →

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

I’ve always assumed that humans were the only animals to laugh and that the cute noises that dolphins and chimps and friends make are just coincidentally similar to human laughter. I might be wrong, if this finding, described at Animal … Continue reading →