First Blog

Skepticism is important in every subject.  It functions as a governor for the runaway bad theory, bad idea, or erroneous method.  It often gets a bad reputation because it tends to go too far as to restrict, restrain, and retard good theories, ideas, and methods.  Skepticism is important in your life. It regulates against rumors and gossip, for example. It regulates against miracle cures.   In psychology, it was Freudianism that went too far with incorrect interpretations of sexuality. It was a runaway and was only brought back after it failed too many times.   In geology, the theory of plate tectonics was thoroughly defeated by skeptics for a long time - until clear proof was offered.  In cosmology, skeptics and theorists overlap, with one theory slapped down by another, with one skeptic scewered by another.  Don’t get me started on bloodletting, vaccines, gravity, educational theories, origins of life, and more. Skeptics still reign on some of these. Quiz: Which of thes

To understand your world you first need to understand systems. You are a system and you live within other systems. Understanding our systems is akin to a fish comprehending the water in which it lives. It surrounds us; it is constant; it is the background in the face of daily events.   However, your systems are often changing and evolving, giving it dynamics.   That is only the beginning. Human systems evolve through all of at least nine essential features. a.       Rules – logics, quasi logic, intuitions, induction, limits, laws b.       Premises – beliefs, axioms, superstitions, absolutes c.       Leaders – interpreters, guides, directors, dictators d.       Dynamics – changes, cycles, chaos, repair e.       Taboos – impossibles, improbables f.        Hierarchies – ranks, orders, arrangements g.       Infinities – extremes, beyond extremes, imponderables h.       Conformities – rigidity, flexibility, freedoms i.        Human – behavioral, social, moral, ethi

Riddle . Your object of interest looks like a duck, walks like a duck, and talks like a duck, but is not a duck.   What is it?   Answer. It could be a pseudo-duck .   This is the principle behind most of our pseudos, e.g. pseudoscience, pseudo-psychology, pseudo-religion, and all. It's like all pass the vision and hearing tests but not the smell test. How many pseudo-ducks live inside your world? Next riddle . What if it looks like a human, walks like a human, talks like a human, but is not a human. What is it? A pseudo-human? Yes? No? Maybe it's AI, artificial intelligence. AI will trick us into believing humans are on-site and in charge but aren't – if it doesn’t already.  Reality is morphing into pseudo-reality - fast.