First Blog

  What is Genius? 1. Introduction. Genius is one of those ephemeral items in the human inventory of gifts together with skills and talents, abilities and intelligence, proficiency and cleverness. Hard to define, genius is both specific and contextual. It is not generally abstract. Genius can reveal itself anywhere, in science, business, politics, war, and literature though often along separate channels. Some of our greatest philosophers were challenged by the concept and addressed it with notably interesting, though somewhat obscure interpretations. Immanuel Kant in Part I of his Critique of Judgment tells us "Genius is a talent for producing something for which no determinate rule can be given, not a predisposition consisting of a skill for something that can be learned by following some rule or other." In his Twilight of the Idols , Nietzsche writes, "Great men, like great epochs, are explosive material in whom tremendous energy has been accumulated; their prer...

A.     It is probable that life on Earth began multiple times before it sustained. This is only because it finally emerged as adaptable. B.     One day not long from now, we may regard the Atomic bomb (big) and gain-of-function research (bigger) as small fry threats next to the damage potential of AI. AI could be a later-day allegory of the  Golden Goose . C.     Persistence is the bridge between vision and reality. It transforms potential into progress and intention into impact. P.S. This is my 1000th blof on blogspot

  A.     On bumper stickers, you sometimes see, “If you can read this, thank a teacher.” However, 21% of adult Americans cannot read, while 54% of American adults read at below the sixth-grade level. Who do we thank for that? B.     What is the crowning achievement of sustained life on earth? Intelligence? Resourcefulness? Aggressiveness? Speed? No. It is adaptability, a property undetectable under the microscope. 

  Top Ten Wars – listed by total casualties, civilian and military 1. World War II (1939–1945)   Estimated deaths: 70–85 million 2. Mongol Conquests (13th century)   Estimated deaths: 30–60 million 3. Taiping Rebellion (1850–1864) Estimated deaths: 20–30 million 4. World War I (1914–1918) Estimated deaths: 15–20 million 5. Second Sino-Japanese War (1937–1945) Estimated deaths: 15–20 million 6. An Lushan Rebellion (755–763) Estimated deaths: 13–36 million 7. Qing Conquest of the Ming Dynasty (1616–1662) Estimated deaths: 25 million 8. Dungan Revolt (1862–1877) Estimated deaths: 8–12 million 9. Russian Civil War (1917–1922) Estimated deaths: 7–12 million 10. Napoleonic Wars (1803–1815) Estimated deaths: 3.5–6 million ------------------------------ For comparison, the American Civil War (1861–1865) resulted in an estimated total of 620,000 to 750,000 deaths , making it the deadliest conflict in U.S. history. Key points: Union deaths: ~360...

  Here are some markers for having a good memory.        Quickly learning, retaining, and recalling new information. Remembering dates, numbers, and events comes naturally, without struggle.        Recalling past events with vivid detail.        Rarely needing reminders for tasks or commitments. For example, you can recall your shopping needs without writing them down.        Remembering past event details when your peers cannot.        You easily create mnemonics* to help recall events. Also, there are memory tests you can take, like the Wechsler Memory Scale or online tools such as MemTrax, Cambridge Brain Sciences. These measure short-term, long-term, and working memory by recalling sequences or patterns. Luck does not seem to be a factor involved with memory. Of course, you can get a test answer correct be...

A.   “It’s good not to be boring.” --- Nobel laureate Gary Ruvkun B.   When teachers have mediocre or poor students, they get sloppy, careless, or pedantic; they don’t teach; they preach. C.   It’s very rare that things work the first time. --- Nobel laureate Pierre Agostini

Tips for Retirement - Redux Y ou’re going to retire, plan to retire, or you are retired.  What to do? First, I’m retired and seem to be doing okay. I’d like to offer a few tips – generally from my working plan. 1.       Know yourself, and especially the little tricks you play on yourself. If you say you don’t know the tricks you play, that is one of your tricks. 2.       Save money. Build your nest egg while you’re still working. This takes years of discipline, self-denial, and self-limitations. Examples: Limit new car purchases and fancy vacations. 3.       To have any level of comfort, you’ll probably need at least a million stashed in some funds that earn interest. Assume about 3% annual inflation long into the future. Plan to live on the interest and hopefully dividends. Try not to draw down the principal. Finally, living only on Social Security cannot be fun. 4....

  The same information can lead to two different but correct solutions. It's all in your perspective. 

  Found in the year 4388, a sculpture of a 21st-century woman at a museum of ancient art. This image was made with Grok.

  A.     “I felt really alone and isolated at school. This “outsider” feeling drove me to take risks and prove doubters wrong, and later influenced my choices as a scientist.” --- Nobel laureate Jennifer Doudna Figure 1 Jennifer Doudna B.     Thinking is not unlike running. For both, periods of rest are necessary. For both, training and practice are necessary. For both, there are good days and bad. For both, there are desires, limitations, hard work, and huge satisfaction. C.     Great teachers need great students as much as great students need great teachers. 

A.    Arrogance is assuming that everyone who disagrees with you is ignorant. B.   B..    Great thinkers are like moonshiners. They distill the great idea from a mish-mash of thoughts.   B.     C.   The difference between horses and arguments. Don’t change your horses in midstream – so they say. For horses maybe, but for some, the only way to win an argument is to change it - in midstream.