Very often, when I try to engage people on the subject of technology and its effects on us, I get handed a variation of the following line: “Technology itself is neutral. It’s just a matter of how you use it.” This response is usually intended to stop all further conversation about the possible philosophical and
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What we observe with our eyes is real. Humans base much of their conception of reality on this basic principle. But what if we’re wrong? What if what we’re seeing is what we need to believe rather than what really is? According to Donald Hoffman, a professor of cognitive science at the University of California,
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The smartphone in your hand enables you to record a video, edit it and send it around the world. With your phone, you can navigate in cities, buy a car, track your vital signs and accomplish thousands of other tasks. And so? Each of those activities used to demand learning specific skills and acquiring the
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According to Food and Wine magazine, when I cook a big meal for my family, I’m not just offering nourishment and fostering important domestic traditions (and, according to studies on childhood obesity, improving my child’s chances of staying at a healthy weight), I’m “wasting money and destroying the environment.” That’s rather rich commentary coming from a magazine whose raison
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During election season, hyperbole becomes the norm. It doesn’t seem that unusual to see presidential hopefuls accused of fearmongering and demagoguery. Princeton historian Sean Wilentz recently dialed up the rhetoric even more. In a video that appeared on Big Think earlier this month, Wilentz implied that Donald Trump just might decide to suspend the Constitution
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In reading David Goldman’s recent column on Brexit, I was surprised to hear the following statistic: “An April 2016 survey found that two-thirds of Israeli 11th- and 12th-year students agreed with the statement, ‘It’s good to die for our country.’” ? But it’s true. The survey was commissioned by the daily newspaper Israel Hayom, and found
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