fun facts

Great news about American wealth.

“In other words, a rising tide is lifting all boats. I know it can be tough to believe that, with all the doom and gloom you see in the media, but the numbers speak for themselves. And just so you […]

fun facts

Halfsies

A game of shapes and strategies. “Using the white shape, try to cut the shaded shape perfectly in half.” ~ play now

fun facts

7 body parts you didn’t know had a name.

“For some reason, though, we skipped over a few details in anatomy class when learning about the human body. For instance, what’s the space between our eyebrows called? What about the one between your upper lip and nose? And is […]

big ideas

Riskophilia.

This post by Packy McCormick overlaps with Andreessen’s manifesto (linked above). He points out that the prevailing attitude that America has adopted is a shift from a belief that people are competent and responsible to one where they need supervision […]

big ideas

The techno-optimist manifesto.

This recent post by Marc Andreessen is recommended reading for tech enthusiasts and skeptics alike. I particularly liked this line, a reference to the silicon sand that powers our modern world: “We believe Artificial Intelligence is our alchemy, our Philosopher’s […]

to your health

MIND and the media.

Gary Taubes traced how the negative results of a nutrition trial (MIND stands for Mediterranean-Dash Intervention for Neurodegenerative Delay) turned into a slurry of media coverage reaffirming conventional wisdom that the trial did not affirm. This is a sad spectacle. ~ learn more

better doing

Do humans get lazier when robots help with tasks?

“People sometimes relax, letting their colleagues do the work instead. This is called “social loafing,” and it’s common where people know their contribution won’t be noticed or they’ve acclimatized to another team member’s high performance. Scientists at the Technical University […]