Be Rational
When we apply reason to reason itself, we find that it is not just an inarticulate gut impulse, a mysterious oracle that whispers truths into our ear.
Steven Pinker
· 12 min read
Science / Tech
A collection of 320 posts
The Truth about Autogynephilia
Sexual tastes you do not share are inevitably hard to comprehend. But autogynephilia is especially so, since it is rare and even more rarely spoken of.
Helen Joyce
· 17 min read
As US Schools Prioritize Diversity Over Merit, China Is Becoming the World’s STEM Leader
In a 2018 report published by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), China ranked first in mathematical proficiency among 15-year-olds, while the United States was in 25th place.
Children Are Lonelier Than Ever. Can Anything Be Done?
Loneliness was generally stable (with the bright spot being a significant drop in Asia) from 2000 to 2012 and then quickly reversed itself in all regions.
Camilo Ortiz and Stephanie De Leo
· 9 min read
Who Will Save Us From Racist AI?
The researchers analyzed multiple databases and the findings were striking—the ML models were able to predict self-reported race (classified as Asian, black, and white) with astonishing precision.
Zachary Robert Caverley
· 9 min read
Necessity Is the Mother of Invention, and Has Been for Over 3,500 Years
And that is an ancient cultural surprise worth celebrating. Far more than imaginary Gods, Ravens, and Spirits.
Lawrence M. Krauss
· 4 min read
The Insect Apocalypse That Never Was
The recent hyper-focus on insects can be traced back to a 2017 study conducted by an obscure German entomological society, which claimed that flying insects in German nature reserves had decreased by 76 percent over just 26 years.
Jon Entine
· 16 min read
Silicon Valley’s Cynical Treatment of Asian Engineers
Asian Americans have become an unfun topic in Silicon Valley corporate life. Certainly, they embarrass the diversity-obsessed gurus at Google and Facebook.
Kenny Xu
· 7 min read
Truth, Polarization, and the Nature of Our Beliefs
Like other Americans, I’m depressed by the growing level of political partisanship. There seem to be a lot more people with extreme beliefs yelling at us. The ends of the belief spectrum are engorged, the center hollowed out. It’s frequently alleged that extremists don’t care about truth,
Howard Darmstadter
· 13 min read
Looking for COVID-19 ‘Miracle Drugs’? We Already Have Them. They’re Called Vaccines
The evidence that mRNA-based COVID-19 vaccines are safe, and that they work, is about as solid as medical evidence gets.
Claire Berlinski and Yuri Deigin
· 14 min read
Mate Selection for Modernity
Hypergamy is an evolved sexual strategy where individuals mate with and/or marry those most capable of providing long term security. It is the act of marrying up.
Vincent Harinam
· 17 min read
The Sperm Count Culture War
The authors all but ignore the science to focus on what they believe is more important—the ideological framing of the issue in socio-cultural discourse.
Geoffrey C. Kabat
· 13 min read
Silicon Valley’s ‘Mission Protocol’ Revolution Is Beginning to Attain Critical Mass
They came to build the future and make money in the process.
Peter Savodnik
· 8 min read
Could an Invisible Military Laser Steal Your Privacy?
Face recognition gives law enforcement this unique authority, this unique power, that does pose risks to our constitutional rights, and this needs to be very closely scrutinized now.
Art Keller
· 20 min read
The Importance of Understanding the Nonspecific Effects of Vaccines
A new strategy is required that balances authority with humility.
David McLelland
· 7 min read