First Blog

  Your Time is Limited Each of us is given only so much time. There are no timeouts for mistakes, though no worthwhile life can be lived without them. It is best not to waste too much of it, though we’re all guilty as charged. Waste of time - examples ·         Repetition of useless endeavors. ·         Spending too much time on problems you can’t solve. ·         Creating problems you don’t need or want. ·         Obsessively being materialistic. ·         Obsessively chasing mere status. ·         Making malicious harm, including revenge. ·         Dwelling on past mistakes. They happen. Good uses of time – examples ·         Take care of your physical plant through diet and exercise. ·         Taking care of your children, giving them your best time. ·         Loving life and giving love. ·         Reflecting on life, relaxing, appreciating. ·         Counting your blessings. ·         Learning and understanding new things, mistakes incl

  Problem-solving Rules. Few of us solve math or engineering problems in our lives. Yet, for almost all of us, problem-solving is a way of life, No matter whether they be problems at home or in the board room, this is what we do most of the time. It is important to know that high-information and low-information problems can be the worst, the former because of the rigor required to solve them, and the second because often assumptions or intuition are needed to proceed.  These rules are for everyday problems outside of science, where the rules are more rigorous, but more straightforward. Everyday problems are usually more difficult, in that multiple solutions are possible.  • Review and assess all information available.  • Always state clearly the problem to be solved. Vagueness is not allowed.  • Use only accepted methods. No “miracles” are permitted.  • Eliminate personal desires and emotions in your analysis, if possible. • Never solve the given problem by creating a new an

Governor Ronald Reagan, in his 1967 inaugural address, famously remarked, “Freedom is a fragile thing and it’s never more than one generation away from extinction.” However, even the most despotic regimes call themselves not only free but civilized. They often use the justification of "caretakers of the people." It sure works for the insiders and to recruit acolytes. It allows every sort of corruption.   Freedom, as in real freedom, has another side - an evil twin as it were. Yes. Freedom can be used to destroy itself by using its agency to steal freedom from neighbors. Historically, every time a society achieves some measure of freedom, it is under constant attack to contain, alter, and control it from within and without. Others interpret freedom to mean a well-ordered social society, where all must obey rules they have little part in creating. Other social orders require giving up freedom by agreeing to precepts through which they become members, thereby securing safe

 This note is about unintended consequences and the colleges. It uses politics to make a point.  A.  I t is most probable that the Democrats, in their attempt to solve the "Trump" problem have created an "even more popular Trump" problem. What to do? B. On the flip side, we see the former President Trump making nasty Tweets, one after another, to vent, to fire, and to express. The new problem he created was that became his reputation as the The Mean Tweeter. It likely caused his loss in 2020. It still persists. What to do? Conclusion: Every college should offer a (required) course titled, " Unintended Consequences ." Often, modern students look for a solution, never considering whether their solution has even worse adverse outcomes.

 According to Jeffrey A. Tucker, founder and president of the Brownstone Institute, erudition is an important key to a successful life, and in particular to interviewing for a new job. He disdains memorizing mere talking points. Politicians rely on them, unfortunately. He advises you follow this path.  Most require a depth of personal knowledge, and a proclivity toward understanding truth.  1. Reading deeply and widely. 2. Knowing history. 3. Being aware of the best thoughts of the best thinkers. 4. Being truthful about what you know and do not know. 5. Expressing yourself with honesty and sincerity and without fluff. This is true in all walks of life. In particular, the interviewing officer may be listening to what you say. He advises against memorizing mere talking points. These become thin after the officer has heard them dozens of times.  P.S. Like college professors, who have heard every possible excuse, even though you think yours is original, recruiting people have hea

  If It Works? --- American style. These are all derivative of a French Proverb “I don’t care if it works, it doesn’t fit the narrative.” – American Progressive “If it works, the theory is pointless.” – American Pragmatist “It may work, but I see no profit.” – American Capitalist “It may work, but it won’t pass.” – American Congressman “It works, I know, but is it God’s will?” – American Theologian “It seems to work, but I don’t understand it.” – American Scientist “Even if it works, it is irrelevant.” – American Fanatic “Sure it works in practice, but will it work in theory?” - French Proverb

 TOO MUCH PLEASURE ...  If AI (Artificial Intelligence) had been available only two centuries ago, it would have advised bloodletting as the treatment for fever.   Too much pleasure becomes pain.   Riddle: What is stronger than democracy, communism, kingship, and dictatorship? Answer: Corruption. Once begun, it reproduces. It’s forever.   If you never had the brain in the first place, no number of memory improvement pills will help.   Three types of risk: a. Risks you are willing to take, b. Risks you are not willing to take, and c. Risks you don’t know you’re taking.   The no-man’s land between science and theology is called philosophy. --- Bertrand Russell.   Every great philosopher takes a crack at defining truth . All have failed.   The two qualities of a successful theory are (A) It is predictive, and (B) It explains new phenomena.

AI in the Courtroom  Our question today is whether AI results can be used in the courtroom. There are at least four major issues pending. If you recall, it was used, but not credited, in a recent case, but it cited non existent sources. But still AI is everywhere, and lawyers use it rabidly. But can you cite it in the courtroom, as an expert source? Here is a brief run down of the issues. They are complex and important.  The use of AI for expert testimony in a courtroom is a topic of ongoing debate and consideration within the legal community. While AI technologies can provide valuable insights and analysis in various fields, including law, there are several factors to consider when discussing their use in courtrooms: Reliability and Accuracy: AI systems can provide analyses based on large datasets and algorithms, but their reliability and accuracy can vary depending on the quality of the data and the design of the algorithms. Courts typically require expert testimony to be reliable an

  What makes us believe scientific theories? At the basis of scientific theories are its axioms, and its methods. For example, you can believe in physics but not have a glimmer of the nature of gravity, (This is a problem for physicists, as well). In this sense, we all believe in our scientific theories, but not so much in the axioms that form their basis. Even many mathematicians do not understand the regularity axiom, or even infinity, for that matter, but they believe in them. The hallmark of a good scientific theory is (a) its predictability, and (b) its ability to explain new phenomena. If the theory explains new evidence, this usually sustains the theory. If not, such as with anomalies in physics many times in the past, this becomes a trigger for a new theory or a revision of the old one. In psychology, Kahneman’s Prospect Theory has gained much validation as prediction and explanation are its hallmarks as evidence builds. This is why we believe them; it is because we trust t

  The Pig and I The question today is about the farm-raised pig from its birth to eventual harvesting. What can we say from a moral, sanctity of life or existential basis? This is an age-old problem of eating meat, particularly meat that is farm-raised. At first blush, you might think it is immoral to slaughter animals and eat them. However, this is only a more refined way of ancient hunting. We now even farm-raise salmon, shrimp, and other fish. Watching the nature shows, we feel pity for the seal attacked by killer whales, but that same seal consumes kilos of fish to reach its size. Or feel for the walrus, hunted by Eskimos, yet feeding on its vast gardens of mussels and clams to reach its multi-ton weight. Many are the contradictions of the morality arguments. In the animal world, few babies survive their first year. Some predators live exactly where the prey travels or resides. Abstractly, the lion farm raises the gazelle, and consumes them as needed. Or consider the Nile cro

  Wasting Energy Are you an energy-saving device? Let’s take a brief inventory of wise vs. waste in using your energy. After all, you have only so much energy to expend. A.     Things that waste energy. ·         Hate ·         Worry ·         Vengeance ·         Futility ·         Obsessions ·         Bad habits B.     Things that use energy wisely. ·         Health ·         Thinking ·         Reading ·         Loving ·         Teaching ·         Caring ·         Creativity

  Doubt is the beginning of knowledge . It suggests that you will not accept anything without substantiation. Doubt forms the cornerstone of all sciences. The genius who thinks of the great idea begins with doubt on their journey to prove it, to use it to predict, and to harness it in leading the way to further discoveries. Self-doubt is as essential as self-confidence.   Doubt is the enemy of the demagogue. It says, “You can’t pass this one off on me with just a few words.”   Doubt is a form of uncertainty  - but a constructive form. .  Self-doubt is as essential as self-confidence.   Doubt is the main tool of the detective who seeks to solve the crime.   Doubt is the constant worry of parents about whether they are doing the best for their children.   Doubt, or more precisely, reasonable doubt, is the cornerstone of establishing verdicts within the corpus of the Law.   Teachers use doubt to measure whether their students are understanding the lesson and pose questions con