An Argument with a Book: Reading Jeremy Lent’s The Patterning Instinct

I probably would never have found Jeremy Lent's The Patterning Instinct on my own. It came into my orbit through a series of conversations I was having with ChatGPT about systems, patterns, culture, and the ways ideas become embedded in civilizations. I should probably add a disclaimer here: I am not a member of the … Continue reading An Argument with a Book: Reading Jeremy Lent’s The Patterning Instinct

The Company One Keeps at the End of the World

There is a particular kind of question that appears harmless on its face and yet carries more weight than intended. The “zombie apocalypse” prompt is one of these. It is usually asked in jest, often answered quickly, and almost never revisited with any seriousness. Who are the three people you'd want at your side in … Continue reading The Company One Keeps at the End of the World

Three Lenses in a Noisy World: Building a Personal Method for Understanding the News

There is a quiet habit many of us carry without much thought. We wake, we check the news, and we assume that in doing so we are becoming informed. It feels responsible, even virtuous in a modest civic sense. A person who keeps up with events is, after all, a person who cares about the … Continue reading Three Lenses in a Noisy World: Building a Personal Method for Understanding the News