Published in Philosophistry·Oct 11Member-onlyIs the media getting more violent, or are we getting more violent?The Mass Transparency Hypothesis — Content warning When I was 14, my 13-year-old cousin showed me porn on his computer. Instinctively, I put my hands up to block the image. There were no parents around, yet I still felt the need to shelter myself. Fast-forward to today. I polled a random group of friends: “In…Violence6 min readViolence6 min read
Aug 25Introducing Rep Your Area CodeWhat’s in an area code? Phone numbers that were once easy to get, such as 212, 310, and 415, are now increasingly scarce. These numbers are just as much a part of their respective cities as are the Statue of Liberty, the Golden Gate Bridge, and the Hollywood Sign. And…Nft2 min readNft2 min read
Aug 7About LandemicOne of the first virtual land projects — In 2019, I founded and sold Landemic, an early pioneer of virtual land. On our marketplace, you could buy tiles from a map of the Earth, where each tile covered approximately 275 x 275 m² or about the size of an acre. The most expensive tile sold was the Petronas…7 min read7 min read
Published in Philosophistry·Jun 20Member-onlyReligions Are Value CartelsIn the 4th episode of the British series Red Dwarf, we learn that the cat people have destroyed themselves due to Holy Wars over which color hat is the right one. These creatures were initially the descendants of the main character’s pregnant cat. But after three million years of isolation…Religion4 min readReligion4 min read
Published in Philosophistry·Feb 10Member-only60% HappyWhat game design can tell us about the nature of happiness — Does evolution want us to be happy? I’m starting to think no. Instead, it appears that evolution wants us to be happy only 60% of the time. Everywhere I look, the number 60% shows up. If you look at happiness studies, learning theory, and game design (specifically D&D and slot…Happiness7 min readHappiness7 min read
Published in Philosophistry·Nov 7, 2021Member-onlyHow come male peacocks have beautiful feathers, but not female peahens?How come in the Animal Kingdom it’s the male peacock who has the more visually attractive traits, but for humans, it’s the women? And it’s not just peacocks, but male mallard ducks and male birds-of-paradise (see: Dancing with the Birds). Outside of the bird species, male mammals are arguably more…Evolution3 min readEvolution3 min read
Published in Philosophistry·Jul 2, 2021Member-onlyArchaelogical FuturismIf a meteor killed all humans and destroyed most of civilization, what would a curious alien find? Most likely they would discover a cell phone screen here, a half-sneaker there, and some bits of a gun over there — all traces of modern civilization. The odds that aliens would ever…Futurism2 min readFuturism2 min read
Published in Philosophistry·Apr 25, 2021Member-onlyWhy Are Northern Countries More Successful Than Southern Ones?Why are countries in colder climates more successful than warmer ones? The French philosopher Montesquieu answered this question back in 1725: cold air constricts the extremities of the external fibres of the body; this increases their elasticity, and favours the return of the blood from the extreme parts to the…History6 min readHistory6 min read
Published in Philosophistry·Feb 20, 2021Member-onlyThe Great SlackHow Underemployment Will Define the 21st Century — Wouldn’t it make sense to celebrate unemployment instead of wringing our hands about job loss numbers? It’s a counterintuitive and possibly offensive thought, but only because of our collective misunderstanding about the true nature of work in America. Who is actually working in America? Rep. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez likes to bring up the single mom working two…Unemployment5 min readUnemployment5 min read
Published in Philosophistry·Dec 4, 2020Member-onlyAn Origin Story for AtheistsThe easiest wins in spirituality are origin stories. There is something incredibly satisfying about the idea that we were created in “His image.” For an atheist, though, there isn’t an obvious parallel, except in evolution. …Atheism2 min readAtheism2 min read
