Books
How the Internet Archive’s “Free Digital Library” fell to the “fair use” test
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 2nd Circuit has found the Internet Archive to be in violation of federal law. Here's why.
How an H.G. Wells sci-fi novel predicted Oppenheimer and atomic bombs
The “atomic bombs” in H.G. Wells’ 1914 novel The World Set Free influenced a pioneer of real-world nuclear weapons: physicist Leó Szilárd.
Neuroscience shows that speed reading is bullshit
Speed reading programs claim to teach students how to read more quickly without reducing comprehension. Research shows that they don't work.
If you have a complex project, follow “Gall’s law” — or it will fail
Success can be based on the fundamental observation that working complex systems arise from working simple systems.
People destroyed printing presses out of fear. What will we do to AI?
Just like today with AI, people worried about the printing press' effect on job security and the spread of disinformation.
Science fiction books that predicted the future with terrifying accuracy
Science fiction writers have anticipated a variety of modern inventions, from cars to organ transplants. Some books barely seem like fiction.
Why changing your mind is a feature of evolution, not a bug
Reasoning by yourself is a much weaker tool than contributing your reasoning to a group and being flexible to changing your mind.
How to be happy: Aristotle’s 11 guidelines for a good life
In his Nicomachean Ethics, Aristotle proposed that humans are social, rational animals who seek to “live well.”
An ancient technique can improve your attention span
Life's modern distractions, such as news and social media, have overwhelmed our evolutionarily designed attention spans.
Is your mind just a parasite on your physical body?
What if there is nothing special about self-awareness? What if it is just evolutionary dead weight, bound to disappear soon?