Monthly Archives: August 2010

A few years ago, my daughter, who is a social worker, introduced me to a new term (at least new to me). We were watching my grandchildren (her children and their two cousins) sitting on a floor ankle deep in … Continue reading →

Here’s a question. Why should a blog claiming to look for answers to big issues (what kind of world is likely? what kind of world do we want? what kind of world is possible if we act effectively?) zoom in … Continue reading →

This past week, a small group of the world’s billionaires made history by pledging to give more than half their fortune to charitable causes, either during their lifetimes, or upon their deaths (see, for example, the Giving Pledge). The world … Continue reading →

Yesterday we were wondering: what kind of world is likely if we take no deliberate action? We concluded that natural scientists working alone can’t answer this question. Many of the key issues – what will human beings do? – lie … Continue reading →

What kind of world is likely if we take no action? Yesterday, when we left this question, it seemed on the surface like it might answerable in terms of science. Indeed, researchers of all stripes have been busily working the … Continue reading →

Question 1. What kind of world is likely if we take no deliberate action? Before turning to this, the first of the blog’s three questions, let’s step back a bit, and consider another set of questions, which engage you and … Continue reading →

“False facts are highly injurious to the progress of science, for they often endure long; but false views, if supported by some evidence, do little harm, for everyone takes a salutary pleasure in proving their falseness.”  Charles Darwin, The Origins … Continue reading →