By the turn of the seventeenth century, early modern Europe had laid out the groundwork for calculus, deciphered the basic principles of electromagnetism, engineered the telescope and microscope, and devised mathematical laws for the motion of physical bodies. The Scientific Revolution that marked the century ushered in profound advancements among the prevailing intelligentsia and broaderContinue reading “Guest Post: Does Physics still have room for Philosophy? (Jordan D. Cohen)”
Category Archives: Ideas
Airtime Problems
An airtime problem is when someone spends too much time talking about a serious but minor issue relative to the time spent talking about a serious and major issue. This is the problem with a lot of discussions about rape: they end up turning into discussions of false accusations. False accusations are real and serious.Continue reading “Airtime Problems”
Finger in the Dike
The CFA and Holes As some of you know, I spent the last two months cramming for the Chartered Financial Analyst Level I exam, which I took last week. The test covers over 3,000 pages of material across ten topics, ranging from Ethical and Professional Standards to Economics to Derivatives. The expression that best capturesContinue reading “Finger in the Dike”
What I’m reading (June 2021)
Entrepreneur/VC blogs A lot of good stuff here. Even if you’re not interested in tech/start-ups/investing, these blogs are worth checking out for general wisdom. Plus they humanize the people behind some very impressive and influential companies. (1) Paul Graham’s blog Graham is a successful founder, but you probably know him because he started Y-Combinator. CheckContinue reading “What I’m reading (June 2021)”
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You only have two types of problems
I’ve recently become convinced that there are only two types of problems you can have: belief problems and agency problems. Belief problems are problems that arise from having not enough information or incorrect information. Examples include: You think you’re very likely to be mugged in your neighborhood, so you either avoid going outside at nightContinue reading “You only have two types of problems”
What I’m reading (May 2021)
This is a new column where I share ideas by way of links. Here’s what I’m reading this week: Philosophy (1) This article by Jeremy Fischer in Ethics: “Racism as Civic Vice”. He argues that racism is a (bad) civic character trait. The first section is a standalone lesson in ways to think about racism:Continue reading “What I’m reading (May 2021)”
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Sarah W. Hirschfield 