On February 23rd I attended an event at the University of Minnesota showcasing professors and their research. Each gave a presentation and took questions from the audience. One spoke about depression economics, another about social justice and the environment. And interestingly, both of these distinguished men had very different opinions on a basic issue. The [...]
It’s pretty tough to enforce a law that regulates something when people can make that thing in their homes. 3D printing is on the cusp of taking the world by storm. The technology is being brought up first for its possibilities, and now for its controversies. First things first: a 3D printer is a device [...]
What does it say about Americans that the public is already starting to talk about candidates for president for 2016? Eckhart Tolle wrote in his book The Power of Now that mankind is threatened by our worsening inability to live in the moment; that over the last century, countless deaths have occurred in the name of ideologies [...]
The more I read about Aaron Swartz, the more he seemed like a hero from an Ayn Rand novel. Unfortunately, accompanying his Randian hero-like intelligence, moral IQ, and frustration that the rest of the population ignorantly resists progression was the nonfiction of his flaws. Swartz was too idealistic to work within the confines of the system, but instead of being able to trudge on heroically against the wrongs of our government, was human enough to let the fear of it dictate his present and erase his future.
This post originally appeared on New Plateaus We all know popular websites like Facebook and Twitter as examples of how people keep in touch with others via the Internet. We now live a world with an added layer: a virtual existence. You’re on a trip? Share your pictures. Found a cool article? Share it with your [...]
This post originally appeared on New Plateaus Read the following two sentences: He is black. He is a black. Hmm. We don’t hear the latter much these days. It’s old-fashioned if not out-dated if not off-putting. But deeper than the emotional reaction that differs in these two statements, is the implication of that simple, [...]
Our physical reactions to issues, candidates, or bills can largely determine how we determine our politics, morals, and interpersonal relations. Let us take a little more insight with us to the voting booth.
Slate.com published a piece by Tom Scocca on Friday Nov. 2nd criticizing White men who vote for Romney. Most people acknowledge that a certain level and amount of grouping of people is acceptable when measuring trends in society. We hear about the “Latino vote” the “Catholic vote” and so forth and respect that though there will be exceptions to these [...]
…along came a company called Coursera, an enterprise with the goal of educating as many people as possible. They are doing this by partnering up with universities across the world and having the universities offer their courses online free of charge using the Coursera website. Perhaps the selling point for universities to do this is the good will gesture; perhaps it’s a sales pitch to have free course-takers formally enroll in their institutions. Either way, the State of Minnesota wasn’t buying.
Regarding the presidential election, perhaps the best solution isn’t choosing the best of these choices, but in making government as unnecessary as possible by being the best people we can be; by standing up and solving problems regardless of the government apparatus. In all, I relearned that what matters primarily is what I do with my life each day.
I like meat; you like meat. Most everyone likes meat. But there are problems with being carnivores: scarcity, price, and (scoff if you must) there’s that whole moral issue. Meat isn’t cheap; meat harvesting can be controversial. And usually reducing one of these problems means an increase in the other. Sure, chicken can be affordable, [...]
