Published in Philosophistry·Mar 17Can You Be Addicted to NOT Taking Drugs?The short answer is yes. Consider these statements: “I don’t know. My mind feels more clear.” “Honestly, I just feel more alive.” “This is my body, and I can do what I want with it.” These could be the words of a cocaine addict, but they could also be of…FDA2 min readFDA2 min read
Published in Philosophistry·Feb 17Could Humans Develop Blowholes by the Year 4000?An introduction to fractal evolution — In one of my favorite scenes from Waterworld, Kevin Costner’s character is wrestled to the ground while one of his captors pulls aside his right ear to reveal that — gasp — he has gills! I saw Waterworld when I was 13, and a question has stuck with me ever…Evolution10 min readEvolution10 min read
Published in Philosophistry·Oct 11, 2022Member-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 25, 2022Introducing 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 7, 2022About 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 20, 2022Member-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 10, 2022Member-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
