Cavemen and the Internet
The problem with you––and by you, I mean me––is that our brains are built on a 40,000 year old platform. Let's not forget, evolution is a...
The Rise and Fall of Caleb Weatherbee, or Punditry, Prognosticators, and Poblano
So imagine it’s 1826 and you want to know what the weather will be doing tomorrow. You really have one choice: pull out your trusty...
Why Meditation Might be More Important than Intelligence
When was the last time you had a three-foot tamping rod blow through your prefrontal cortex, taking with it about a half teacupful of...
The Most Powerful Four-Letter Word Isn't What You Think It Is
Our brains are programmed not to lose. It's called loss aversion, and it makes sense. If our ancient ancestors lost even a meager food...
Psychopaths, Prisons and You
Seven Psychopaths, the title of Martin McDonagh's new movie, rolls off your tongue a little too easily. Who doesn't savor a good...
The Burstiness of Shuffle Mode
When techno wizard Steve Jobs and his crew first brought us the iPod, it came pre-installed with a nifty program called 'shuffle mode.'...
Coin Flips, Constipation, and Presidential Politics
You flip a coin three times in a row. All three times, it comes up heads. How do you predict the next toss would land? The pessimist will...
Sourdough, Websites, and the Self: The Myth of the Driver's Seat
Our story this week begins around 1500 BC. It was roughly 3500 years ago that somehow––let’s be honest, probably through some kind of...
About Face
I’m writing to you from Shanghai tonight, a city of contradictions where it’s just as likely you’ll find a person on their Macbook Air as...
Einstein, the Janitor, and Ockham's Razor
Throughout the ages, the enlightened among us have passed along many ideas that shape our lives. It is estimated that nearly 40% of all...
