The speed of light is 299 792 458 m/s. The speed of sound is a mere 343 m/s. One consequence of this difference is that during extreme weather conditions, we tend to see lightning before…
Predicting the Future in an Uncertain World
What We Talk About When We Talk About Rationality
Artificial intelligence theorist Eliezer Yudkowsky defines rationality in one of two ways: epistemic rationality and instrumental rationality. The first concerns itself with what we think of as the truth — making sure that our beliefs about reality…
What Does It Take to Live a Full Life?
There are three competing theories behind why the German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche went insane: the first, the most popular, is that he contracted Neurosyphilis; the second, based on a study of his medical records, suggests…
The Three Levers of Productivity
It is often said that economics is the study of how we relate to scarce resources with alternative uses. There are only so many raw materials in the world, and they become what we collectively…
The Difference Between Being Alone and Being Lonely
“All of humanity’s problems,” the philosopher Blaise Pascal wrote in his Pensees, “stem from man’s inability to sit quietly in a room alone.” “What should young people do with their lives today?” Kurt Vonnegut wondered…
When Thinking Deeply Goes Wrong
In 1994, John Meriwether started a hedge fund named Long-Term Capital Management (LTCM). In 1998, it had to be bailed out for $3.6 billion. By 2000, the fund was liquidated and then dissolved. But it’s…
Seeing the Invisible Strings That Shape Reality
Scientists have known for a while now that galaxies within a few million light-years of distance can affect each other in predictable ways. Gravity is a powerful force, and in local clusters, it makes itself…
Networked Reading and Thinking Like a Polymath
Imagine that the year is 1985. Imagine that you are a 25-year-old. Let’s say that you have a choice between investing $20,000 into a balanced portfolio, or investing only $5,000 and then using the rest…
The Experience Paradox: Is Life a Game or a Drama?
One of the most famous philosophers of the 20th century, ironically, thought that the discipline of philosophy was mostly useless. Over the years, Ludwig Wittgenstein studied logic at Cambridge University, taught in Eastern Europe, built…
How Your Thoughts Shape the World
Like most of us, Steve Jobs was a flawed human being. Yet, he remains one of the most admired people of the last few generations. There are enough stories of him treating people poorly that…