Simulation Theory as Symptom
Theologians often warn that in the absence of God, alternative deities will inevitably swoop in to fill in the void. Humans, they say, need something to worship. Perhaps more than…
The Burn Pits
I stand among the burn-pitsSurrounded by their lightBuilt to test the universeThey glower day and night I stand among the burn pitsThe court that tries by fireWhere nothing is exempt…
Beauty in the Light of the Sun
I have a new essay up over at Jack Donovan's new project PH2T3R: To be beautiful is to be perceived.Beauty is to experience the emotions of reverence, wonder, and love…
Against Common Sense
I have been looking for a term to describe words which have universal emotional association but wildly divergent denotations. So far, the best I have come up with is "ambiguities,"…
A Working Definition of “Greed”
After messing around in the crypto-trading world for a few weeks, I've begun to emotionally grasp the truth behind the phrase "scared money don't make money." One of the more…
On Investing and Shorting
If January's story of Reddit Robin Hoods and hedge funds has taught us anything, it is how unbelievably powerful economics have been in shaping and steering the course of superficially…
An Autopsy of COVID-Science
This morning, Google prompted me with this story: "Oh interesting," I thought. Maybe, in spite of the Danish mask study and Ivor Cummins' research on anti-COVID measures generally, they found…
On Critical Race Theory
I think it's worth saying a word about "systemic racism," now that recent politics has brought critical race-theory into the public eye. The concept of systemic racism is a creation…
Can There Be a Science of Beauty?
Over the last decade or so, a slough of recent research, articles, and arguments have attempted to quantify the subject of beauty, to understand what it means for something to…
Morale as Commons
Imagine you're walking down a street somewhere. It's an unfamiliar area and you don't know who lives there. But while walking, you happen to pass a car, and on the…