On Ideas, Concepts, Intuitions

Ideas, concepts, and intuitions underlie all cognitive experience and sometime I write about them.

  • Idle Reflections

Tour of Turret Two of the USS New Jersey

The Turret Two Tour of the USS New Jersey was a moment to reflect on the astounding machinery of war.

3 years ago
  • On Ideas, Concepts, Intuitions

Fred Hyatt: Not Enough Technology Pessimism!

A spirited response enjoining MORE pessimism to Fred Hyatt's Washington Post editorial on technology and democracy

3 years ago
  • On Ideas, Concepts, Intuitions

Sexy Idea #2: Presentism—The Most Dangerous Prejudice

Calling presentism a prejudice is a little like calling 45 a bad president: It's not strong enough.

4 years ago
  • On Ideas, Concepts, Intuitions

Hither hocus pocus?

On the phrase "hocus pocus," from Marina Warner's essay “Spellbound” on the book Drawing Down The Moon

4 years ago
  • Faves

What is a flâneur?

An explanation of the cryptic subtitle of my site, namely, that I am an erstwhile flâneur.

4 years ago
  • On Ideas, Concepts, Intuitions

COVID Information Compulsion

Early in the 2020 COVID pandemic, we "hunkered down" with our phones and devices, pathologically seeking information to momentarily pacify…

5 years ago
  • On Ideas, Concepts, Intuitions

COVID Diary: Historical Ruptures

An elliptical reflection on the ruptures in time and history.

5 years ago
  • Faves

Sexy Idea #1: Rousseau’s Noble Savage

Some ideas are "sexy," ahem, because they baffle the imagination and excite the intellect (or vice versa). Rousseau's noble savage…

5 years ago
  • On Ideas, Concepts, Intuitions

If Birds are Dinosaurs

What are the consequences of the Overton Window in paleontology that dinosaurs precede the bird?

5 years ago
  • On Ideas, Concepts, Intuitions

What Do Dinosaurs Mean?

On a thought provoking essay by Verlyn Klinkenborg on recent literature in paleontology.

5 years ago