I’ve never heard a good name for this rule, so I call it “The Shoulder Rule”. You’ve likely experienced it. Simply, The Shoulder Rule states that you are likely to solve a problem on your computer that has been bugging…
Apparently, I am awesome at saying no to certain foods, even if I’m just cognitively motivated.
I have always been an honest person. My commitment to honesty was further bolstered a year or so ago when I read Lying (on audiobook). I now can say that I will only lie (deliberately deceive someone when they reasonably expect…
I had a brief but profound thought today about Occam’s Razor: its application can be deferred. Normally, the razor is applied to find the best hypothesis to agree upon before engaging in conversation about it. Unfortunately, some disagreements are not readily resolved until…
I read a lovely paper on patents today, by Michele Boldrin and David K. Levine. The following excerpt specifically engaged me: We do believe, along with many of our colleagues, that a patent system designed by impartial and disinterested economists and administered by…
My friend Josh made my day yesterday by quoting me in a forum discussion about science and religion. I have constructed a series of three questions to use in such debates (well, not so much “debates” as friendly conversations; they can be…
I’m really impressed with how deep an interview can go over the seemingly innocuous example of shapes inheriting from one another. First, it’s easy to start it off in a way that weeds out incompetent people without wasting competent people’s…
Brandon Wirick 