Science is eating startups. We need a philosophy that’s built for the challenge. Precisely. One. Philosophy. — The Hall-of-Famer Ted Williams said, “Baseball is the only field of endeavor where a man can succeed three times out of ten and be considered a good performer.” I guess he wasn’t well acquainted with entrepreneurship. …

Trump’s superpower is entirely human and all too common. Recognizing it is the first step to defeating bad explanations. — This the first post in a series that explores the pandemic and its impact on problem-solving and knowledge creation. Do you think Trump has a superpower? Depending on your leanings, he’s either a political genius or an idiot savant. …

Our enduring musical preferences illustrate the challenge for AI. — It returns as predictably as the seasons. Call it Bacon’s Comet: The idea that the age of creative AI is now upon us. Machines are not only accelerating discoveries (so the argument goes), they’re now making their own independent discoveries. …

Chaos, cancel culture and secret police. The protesters arrive just in time. — “The world suffers a lot. Not because the violence of bad people. But because of the silence of the good people.” From Napoleon of all people, a stunning testament to the destructive power of silence. In our revolutionary times, “silence is violence” is once again a rallying cry for change. …

How did facts become such a conversation killer? — This the sixth post in a series on the pandemic and its impact on progress and problem solving. In the last post, we looked at uncertainty in science. Which ‘Science’ Do You Believe? The pandemic is killing the myth of The Science. But are we ready to embrace an uncertain reality?medium.com The gruesome toll should make the pandemic undeniably salient, undeniably factual. But the denials mount as fast as the casualties. …

The pandemic is killing the myth of The Science. But are we ready to embrace an uncertain reality? — This the fifth post in a series on the pandemic and its impact on progress and problem solving. In the last post, we looked at the crisis of expertise. The Pandemic Is Making The Crisis Of Expertise Much Worse Expertise is not problem solving. The pandemic clarifies the difference with tragic efficiency.medium.com

Expertise is not problem solving. The pandemic clarifies the difference with tragic efficiency. — This the fourth post in a series on the pandemic and its impact on progress and problem solving. In the last post, we looked at the impact on our values. A Killing Field of Values The virus isn’t just attacking our values, it’s highlighting their true nature.medium.com Experts once went about their business in relative tranquility. They were authoritative, credentialed and respected. Most tended to the same…

The virus isn’t just attacking our values, it’s highlighting their true nature. — This the third post in a series on the pandemic and its impact on progress and problem solving. In the last post, we looked at conspiracy theories and why their misconceptions envelope all of us. The Conspiracy Paradox: Why Debunking Conspiracies Makes Them Stronger Conspiracy theories are often treated like weak explanations, easily debunked. This misconception only makes their webs…medium.com

Conspiracy theories are often treated like weak explanations, easily debunked. This misconception only makes their webs stronger. — This the second post in a series on the pandemic and its impact on progress and problem solving. In the last post, we looked at ad hoc rationalizations and their most famous enthusiast, Donald Trump. Trump’s Kryptonite Trump’s superpower is entirely human and all too common. Recognizing this is the first step to defeating bad…medium.com