Archive - The Garden of Forking Paths

The Perils of Human Longevity

What would society be like if humans could live to be 200 years old?

Apr 24 •

Schemas and the Political Brain

The neuroscience and psychology of why better facts don't make winning arguments in politics.

Apr 18 •

Ideas you can chew on for days.

Apr 15 •

We're Living Brave New World, Not 1984

Orwell feared those who would ban books. Huxley feared that there would be no reason to ban a book, for there would be no one who wanted to read one…

Apr 8 •

The Crisis of Zombie Social Science

Why it's almost impossible to falsify social science theories and how to fix it.

Apr 3 •

March 2025

On Power and Stupidity

Why do so many fools end up in positions of authority?

Mar 27 •

An Ode to Life at Richelieu Rock

Evolutionary dispatches from a hidden world, as I explore one of the most fascinating underwater sites on the planet.

Mar 18 •

"Knowingness" and the Politics of Ignorance

Much ink has been spilled about "polarization." Most of it ignores a major cause: the widespread, misplaced faith that we already know that which we do…

Mar 12 •

Is American democracy doomed?

How to understand the concept of "competitive authoritarianism" and why it's crucial to push back now to avoid it.

Mar 6 •

A buffet of intellectual ideas you never knew you wanted to know.

Mar 1 •

February 2025

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