Design a better calendar: new zero year needed
It’s two thousand years since the birth of Christ; the zero year. I think it’s time to free ourselves from the Christian calendar…
Social norming, agenda setting and discourse about climate change
I am fascinated by what constitutes the limits of “respectable” public discourse. This phenomenon is related, in part, to the Overton window, which is the set of concepts that are considered politically acceptable by the dominant culture. But I am equally fascinated by the social limits …
Grappling with climate change, politics and the Alberta floods
It’s no small chore trying to understand climate change. We live in a society that is lacking in scientific literacy. Even those of us that have some, have little time to read and understand so many complex issues of our day, including climate change…
Santa Claus and the orbital model of the atom
I was recently asked on Twitter what the difference is between Santa Claus and the orbital model of the atom. It was asked in a way, that suggested there was no difference, so I thought it must be humour. But now I think it wasn’t.
The significance of the news brand
Folks have always understood that the various news outlets have brands. But I think this understanding has been superficial.
Cognitive maps, hurray!
It seems like yesterday that I was writing my thesis and exploring my love of cognitive maps and mental models. I was doing this as a way of making peace with my competing sympathies for scientific realism and linguistic or global antirealism. Ahh, good times, philosophy. And my thesis was actually, in my not so…