Civilizing Pottery
Pottery is impervious to decay, even when submerged in water or soil for thousands of years. That property is essential; without the invention of pottery, civilization and the modern world would not exist.
Ridiculing Neo-Nazis
Ridiculing neo-Nazis and other extremists is a powerful tool, but one that can also backfire badly. It is imperative that we offer carrots with the sticks.
Racism: Charlottesville
Racism is as old as humanity. But the word, and the concept, are quite recent.
Kings, Conquerors, Psychopaths
To understand who we are today, we need to understand kings, conquerors, and their dysfunctions, and what life looked like in their kingdoms. It wasn’t pretty.
On Rape
What do you say to the rape victim, what can you tell her that might help her begin the process of healing? After 30 years in the emergency room, this is my best attempt.
Human Genetic Behavior
…And this is why I have foolishly chosen to discuss the taboos of genetic behavior, and ethnic and sexual norms; not to chain people to stereotypes, but to free us all from them. We must recognize our genetic tendencies in order to design around them, and past them; as Bertolt Brecht noted, “When there are obstacles, the shortest distance between two points is a crooked line.”
The 6 Branches of Government
We started our with only 3 Branches of Government, but two others have emerged, which menace the democracy. The 6th Branch of Government must step up and take its rightful place as the 1st Branch of Governm
Too Many Babies: The Law of Universal Superfecundity
All living things produce too many babies, and not all of them can survive; it’s the Law of Universal Superfecundity. Humans are not exempt.
New Parents
How an ER doctor became a primary care doctor, and developed a talk for new parents.
The Best Predator
What, exactly, is the best predator? The deadliest? Or the most helpful?