The following is a series of essays I’ve written; some of them are merely musings on topics I find interesting, and some of them have the intent of explaining topics in science & math to a non-technical audience. Enjoy!
Keeping Up With The Jetsons
Is it actually possible to generate a utopia through technological innovation and garden-variety capitalism?
On Fortune-Telling (or The Mysteries of M. Reynaud)
How can you become a master fortune-teller, and what does science have to say about it?
On Hunting Unicorns
What does shooting man’s favorite cryptid have to do with the philosophy of science?
On Sci-Fi Horror (or The Attack of the Nexocytes)
Can we one-up “grey goo” with the power of networks, and if so, how quickly would it destroy the galaxy?
Quantum III: On Terrible Jokes and Cosmic Terrors
What is the source of quantum weirdness, and how is it connected to terrible jokes about being pulled over?
On Silly Shapes
What actually -is- entropy, and does it really have anything to do with disorder?
On Greek Goddesses and Flying Furniture
Could there be physical phenomena that science can’t describe, and if so, what would they look like?
On Pointless Pastimes
What do Super Mario 64, number theory, and extreme ironing have in common?
Quantum II: On G̴̡̕͝l̷̛̀͝i̧̧t̶̡̕҉͞c̀̕h̨̛̀͟e̸̶̡̕ş̴͡͏͞
What do glitches, falling pencils, and felicide have to do with quantum mechanics? Find out here!
On the Benefits of Being a Dumb Tourist
When is making a random choice better than making the “best” choice?
Quantum I: On Being a Former Crackpot
Part I of III: How does being a crackpot in high school help me talk about quantum mechanics?
On Writing Nonsense and Getting Away With It
Is there a meaningful way to make mathematical “nonsense”, and what does it have to do with Shakespeare?
On Becoming Big Brother (or Why Can’t 2+2=5?)
Orwell stated Big Brother could declare 2+2=5 and everyone would believe it; but would he -want- to make such a statement?
On Losing Your Marbles
How does the universe make you see things that aren’t actually there, and what does that have to do with relativity?
On Gambling Your Savings Away
What does gambling have in common with thermodynamics?
On Writing Novels (and Being Fun at Parties)
How is writing theories of physics similar to writing a novel or a cinematic universe?
On the Behavior of Cats
What do statements about a cat’s behavior have to do with conservation laws?
On Stuff & Things
How does a philosophical statement about the universe lead to chemistry as we know it?