September 2015

Theses of Technology

Some surprisingly good [theses of technology](http://iasc-culture.org/THR/channels/Infernal_Machine/2015/03/79-theses-on-technology-for-disputation/) by [Alan Jacobs](http://ayjay.org/). He’s really not a fan of [Kevin Kelly](http://kk.org/). A few of my favorites: * To “pay” attention is not a metaphor: Attending to something is an economic exercise, an exchange with uncertain returns. * Mindfulness reduces mental health to a single, simple technique that delivers its…more

The impact of the future

I recently read an article bemoaning the recent spate of dystopian and utopian movies; arguing that by visualizing dire fictional situations and how those characters get out of them, we dull our responses to the real-world dangers all around us. Rather than learning helpful attitudes and strategies, we learn to be spectators. At least that’s…more

Research and believability in design

> I always believe in research. No matter what the subject matter is. You cannot do enough research, because so much believability will come out of what’s really there. – [John Lasseter](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=neJFuTKWzfc)

Logic and the brain

Buzzfeed asked 12 scientists “[What is the one fact humanity needs to know](http://www.buzzfeed.com/tomchivers/how-come-no-one-mentioned-evolution-by-natural-selection)” if civilization was destroyed. Lots of good answers, but my favorite was from [psychologist Dean Burnett](http://medicine.cf.ac.uk/person/dr-dean-burnett/): > People aren’t logical or rational by default, and it’s vitally important to remember this when trying to impart knowledge and guidance. Having some useful knowledge…more

All possible worlds

“If this is the best of all possible worlds, what are the others?” – [Voltaire, Candide](http://www.pangloss.com/Candide/chapter6.html)