The Garden of Forking Paths

Home
Archive
About
The Bluetooth Viking and the Scattered Bones of King Cnut
The origin story of the name "Bluetooth" and the logo used for that technology is a fascinating tale, connecting Viking history, the English civil war…
 • 
Brian Klaas
5
The Evolution of Stupidity (and Octopus Intelligence)
What we can learn about intelligence, stupidity, and ourselves—from some of the smartest, strangest, alien-like creatures on the planet.
 • 
Brian Klaas
16
Brain Food
Your brain is hungry. Here are some recommendations that I've enjoyed which you *might* enjoy, too!
 • 
Brian Klaas
13
Why We Need Press Objectivity, Not Balance
When the news is "balanced" in an unbalanced world, it becomes an instrument of deception. This has made producing the news extremely difficult in an…
 • 
Brian Klaas
16
The "Moronic Inferno" and "the Fidgets," OR Why My Phone is Now Black & White
Modern life is frenetic, fidgety, structured around routine dopamine hits. It's a serious problem. But is it new? And what are we to do? I present to…
 • 
Brian Klaas
24
Why We Need Fools: Jesters, Power, and Cults of Personality
The history of court jesters and fools reveals lessons about the nature of modern power, from narcissistic hubris to cults of personality—and the…
 • 
Brian Klaas
9
The Science of Conspiracy Theories
Millions of people hold delusional beliefs about everything from the Baltimore bridge collapse to the moon landing to QAnon. What does science tell us…
 • 
Brian Klaas
27

March 2024

The Death of Serious Politics
When's the last time you had a substantive discussion about policy instead of politics? Everything is now about horse races, political rhetoric…
 • 
Brian Klaas
57
Big Gods and the Origin of Human Cooperation
Did the watchful gaze of moralizing gods produce the rise of complex civilizations?
 • 
Brian Klaas
16
Why do dictators hold "elections"—but rig them?
This weekend, there was an "election-style event" in Russia. What's the rationale for such obvious sham contests? And how can we prove they were rigged?
 • 
Brian Klaas
12
How to stop social dysfunction: wide vs. narrow problems
Many social problems can be sorted into two groups—wide problems and narrow problems. Treating one kind as the other creates catastrophe, but we do it…
 • 
Brian Klaas
12
Recommended Brain Food
Some ideas of what to read, watch, inject into your veins, etc.
 • 
Brian Klaas
3
© 2024 Brian Klaas
Privacy ∙ Terms ∙ Collection notice
Start WritingGet the app
Substack is the home for great culture