Why do TV and political flyers feature attack ads? Why won’t a candidate just tell me what he/she intends to do, rather than to assassinate the opposition? Continue reading
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Blog 99. Why can’t I make a difference?
As best I can tell, satisfaction comes from accomplishing something we regard as useful and meaningful. That seems to be true, whether you are a scientist, entrepreneur, gardener, or Mafia hit man. Most of us want to make a difference. We want to believe we’ve altered something for what we regard as the better. To assert our importance, we erect large monuments in graveyards Continue reading
Blog 98. Minecraft or Mindcraft?
“You’ve got these kids, and they’re creating these worlds, and they think they’re just playing a game, but they have to solve some of the hardest problems facing humanity.” Continue reading
Blog 97. Seven Brief Lessons–without time
It’s about a space without time.
A small book, just a quarter-inch thick, made the New York Times bestseller list: SEVEN BRIEF LESSONS ON PHYSICS* by Carlo Rovelli. Bestseller? With that title? Continue reading
Blog 96. Where did solar buildings go?
When I say “solar building,” I don’t mean a house, or a school, or a parking shed, or some other building with photovoltaic panels on the roof. Continue reading
Blog 95. Gentrification by Zen?
The term “Zen” suggests a process that is easy, masterful, and calming—something most of us are eager to experience. (1) And “gentrification” sounds like a gentle transformation of a pig sty into a pastoral abode. However, urban “gentrification” means conversion of decaying inner city housing into a “higher and best use,” Continue reading
Blog 94. Explaining America to Martians (and to ourselves)
I detect an anxiety in America, a palpable tension that has no single focus, that has no one definable cause and no single remedy. If I met a Martian, or even another American, I couldn’t explain it with a single sentence. Continue reading
Blog 93. How to make a supreme outrage
The American social consciousness now resonates with outrageous proposals. Continue reading