Cosmos and Taxis: Studies in Emergent Order (pdf) “Emergent systems are nonlinear, meaning they do not arise through chains of causation. They are instead networks shaped by teh back and forth influences of mutual causation. Each node in such a network influences and is influenced by other nodes through positive and negative feedback signals that, […]

Viral Journalism and the Valley of Ambiguity A map to online virality: “So that leaves us with the stories that don’t make it. These are the articles and essays that have fallen into the valley of ambiguity…Who wants to share a story that can be misunderstood?”

What Screens Want “In fact, designing the way elements adapt and morph in the in-between moments is half of your work as a designer. You’re crafting the interstitials.”

Country Music, Openness to Experience, and the Psychology of Culture War “What high-openness liberals feel as mere nostalgia, low-openness conservatives feel as the baseline emotional tone of a recognizably decent life. If your kids don’t experience the same meaningful things in the same same way that you experienced them, then it may seem that their […]

Pakistan’s Man in Washington – Husain Haqqani “And here lies the problem. Primarily for geopolitical reasons, the United States has enlisted Pakistan as an ally on three occasions: during the Cold War (1954–1972), the war against the Soviets in Afghanistan (1979–1989) and the war against terrorism (2001–present). In each instance, the U.S. motive for seeking […]

Healthcare.gov and the Gulf Between Planning and Reality “…you could no longer run a country properly if the elites don’t understand technology in the same way they grasp economics or ideology or propaganda.”

Can nostalgia make us feel good about the future? “Nostalgia raises self-esteem which in turn heightens optimism.”

The Roots of Good and Evil : An Interview with Paul Bloom : : Sam Harris

8 Simple Copywriting Tips, Backed By Science