Posted inPhilosophy
The Big Question: A Beginning
A reader has asked for my answer to The Big Question. This isn't it; but it's a start. In his Mind, Language, and Society, John Searle tells of a dinner…
Posted inPhilosophy
Spot The Logical Fallacy!
It's time to play everybody's favorite game: Spot The Logical Fallacy! Each week (or whenever we get round to it), we pull quotations from news reports from around the world…
Posted inStatistics
The Imperfectibility of Politics: Voting And Unhappiness
You're stuck in a motel because of a business meeting. It's 6 o' the clock post meridian, and you're hungry. The town in which you must linger is small and…
Posted inCulture
Power Balance Bracelets And Celebrity
Power to the people! In the form of a small silicone bracelet into which is embedded a Star-Trek-The-Next-Generation-esque hologram (an entire deck being outside the range of present technology). Athletes…
Posted inStatistics
Chinese War Poker: Bluffs Or Solid Threats?
The United States Navy is going to steam into the Yellow Sea and blow up some Korean warships. But friendly, like, and for fun. Points will be scored, and trophies…
Posted inCulture
Skip Class Calculator Inventor Responds
I thought this too important to relegate to the comments. I apologize for the length, which cannot be helped. In yesterday's post---Back To School Electronically---I mentioned and disparaged the website…
Posted inCulture
Back To School Electronically
Thanks to computers---those modern saviors of mankind!---students returning to campus this fall needn't return at all. Yes, sir: they will be able to "attend" class by staying home, ready to…
Posted inCulture
The Adventures Of Get-Along Man
Watching superheroes beat up villains may not be the best image for boys to see if society wants to promote kinder, less stereotypical male behaviors...But boys who remained close to…
