Category Archives: Uncategorized

Let’s recap: 1. People love Buzzfeed-style pablum (e.g., “Take this quiz to find out what a good-looking GENIUS you are!”), which is why this blog has maybe five readers, tops. 2. That’s four more readers than I ever expected. 3. … Continue reading →

Let’s recap: 1. Neither David Berlinski nor Thomas Nagel have great pony hair; Michio Kaku briefly had something going on but then (disappointingly) dialed it back. 2. The chance of life resulting from an accidental collision of amino acids in … Continue reading →

Let’s recap: 1. Ever since 1991, I can’t watch a Jodie Foster movie without expecting Anthony Hopkins to bust in and say “Hello, Clarice ….” 2. Information is considered to be the product of intelligence. 3. Matthew McConaughey could have had some … Continue reading →

Let’s recap: 1. Heavy drinking and science don’t go well together. 2. Information differs from random data in that information displays specified complexity. 3. It’s okay to talk about aliens now and then (while you’re waiting for the orderly to stop … Continue reading →

Let’s recap: 1. It’s really hard to break into someone’s garage by randomly entering numbers on the keypad and also get quality sleep. 2. Information tends to be more complex than random data, but random data can sometimes be complex, … Continue reading →

Let’s recap: 1. Elves watch what we do so they can better sell us things online. 2. Probability and complexity are closely related concepts. 3. Sometimes it seems like our food is trying to talk to us. 4. Information differs … Continue reading →

Here’s an old joke about a thermos salesman explaining his product to a potential customer: Salesman: It keeps hot things hot and cool things cool! Customer: But … HOW do it KNOW ?!? I often feel like this customer. Like … Continue reading →

Parent: Hey, let’s read your new dinosaur book! Kid: Yay! Dya-boog! Book: I’M A SMALL, FEATHERED DINOSAUR WITH WINGS AND TWO LEGS! WHAT’S MY NAME? Parent: Must be an archaeopteryx. Kid: Yah! Ark-pix …. Book: DID YOU GUESS CAUDIPTERYX? YOU’RE … Continue reading →

Two-year-old: Mary Ann slipped on the ice and broke her foot. Two-year-old’s Butler: Oh, we should pray for her. TYO: Yeah. What’s a Mary Ann? TYOB: She’s a lady who got trapped on an uncharted desert isle with a professor, … Continue reading →

Audie: Don’t go. I must measure you first. Me: Okay. What’s my measurement? Audie: You are … thirty pounds tall …. Me: Wow. Is that good? Audie: VERY good. Me: And you? What’s your measurement? Audie: I am … very … Continue reading →