Recent Posts
- Magic of the Future or Just Another Green Mirage?
- A Second Look at Life Expectancy: What the 1918 Flu Tells Us About the COVID-19 Pandemic
- Take the Extra Minute: Listen to Your Adrenaline
- Laying Track in the Cloud: Why AI is the Railroad Mania of Our Time
- The Age of Re-Engineering: How Science Is Rewriting the Limits of Human Life
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Author Archives: The Narrator
Magic of the Future or Just Another Green Mirage?
In response to my recent piece on a civilization poisoned by progress, a reader commented: “Just as we’ve had better energy options, like sodium ion batteries, there’s been fossil fuels alternatives that are far more sustainable. Just algae tech alone … Continue reading
Posted in Science, Technology
Tagged algae, energy, environment, food, kelp, plastic, pollution, public health, recycling, science
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A Second Look at Life Expectancy: What the 1918 Flu Tells Us About the COVID-19 Pandemic
My recent article on the evolution of life expectancy generated a fascinating series of questions that I will attempt to address in the coming weeks. One reader pointedly asked about the historical U.S. life expectancy chart. If you look at … Continue reading
Posted in Science
Tagged 1918, 2020, COVID-19, epidemic, flu, Germ Theory of Disease, history, influenza, life expectancy, longevity, medicine, miasma, mortality rates, mRNA, pandemic, pathogen, science, Spain, Spanish Flu, vaccination, virology, virus, World War I
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Take the Extra Minute: Listen to Your Adrenaline
Years ago, one of my medical instructors said something that completely changed how I view high stress situations. He was talking about responding to emergencies and stepping straight into the kind of chaos most people spend their lives avoiding. “We … Continue reading
Laying Track in the Cloud: Why AI is the Railroad Mania of Our Time
Two centuries ago, the world was intoxicated by the smell of burning coal and the screech of iron wheels. It was the dawn of the railroad era. A blinding convergence of new technology and aggressive westward expansion that forged the … Continue reading
Posted in Economy, Science, Technology
Tagged AI, artificial intelligence, economy, future, gold rush, innovation, railroads
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The Age of Re-Engineering: How Science Is Rewriting the Limits of Human Life
Just a century ago, the average human life expectancy in the United States hovered around 65 years. When the Social Security Act was signed into law in 1935, that exact age was chosen as the baseline for eligibility. The choice … Continue reading
Posted in Science
Tagged aging, Aubrey de Grey, biology, CRISPR, DNA, gene editing, gene therapy, genetics, genome, healthspan, life, life expectancy, lifespan, longevity, longevity escape velocity, medicine, Shinya Yamanaka, Steven Austad
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America at 250: An Experiment Still Running
Two hundred and fifty years. That’s an impressive number, although admittedly less impressive if you’re standing next to an Egyptian pyramid, on a Roman road or in a Chinese temple that’s older than your entire civilization. By the standards of … Continue reading
Posted in Holidays, Society
Tagged 1776, 2026, 250, America, American Dream, celebration, Declaration of Independence, founding fathers, freedom, hope, Independence Day, opportunity
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Beyond Plastic: Rediscovering the Materials That Served Humanity for Millennia
When I recently wrote about our civilization quietly poisoning itself with microplastics, one reader asked a perfectly reasonable question: “If not plastic, then what?” It’s the right question. We’ve become so accustomed to plastic that many people can’t imagine life … Continue reading
Posted in Science, Society, Technology
Tagged cast iron, ceramics, chemistry, cookware, glass, history, microplastics, nanoplastics, plastic, pollution, public health, science, silicone, steel, technology
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The Table I Wish I Hadn’t Sat At
Sometimes the greatest lessons in life are not taught by mentors. Sometimes they’re taught by people who accidentally show you exactly who you never want to become. Recently I found myself seated with three seasoned managers. They had all spent … Continue reading
Posted in Culture, Leadership, Philosophy
Tagged business, corporate culture, ethics, integrity, leadership, morality, servant leadership
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The Curious Case of Gold: A Brick Looking for a Greater Fool
A friend of mine told me something dubiously profound the other day. We were talking about the state of the world, which is always a dangerous conversational trailhead, and he leaned in with the intense, hushed tone usually reserved for … Continue reading
Posted in Culture, Economy
Tagged business, civilization, economy, finance, gold, greater fool theory, investing, prepper, society, speculation, survivalist, valuation
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Juneteenth and the Dangerous Lie
There are holidays that celebrate victories. There are holidays that celebrate sacrifices. And then there are holidays that exist because humanity made a terrible mistake. Juneteenth belongs to that last category. But for many, Juneteenth has already been neatly packaged … Continue reading
Posted in Culture, Economy, Society
Tagged African Americans, America, Civil War, emancipation, farming, freedom, history, industry, institutions, Juneteenth, oppression, religion, serfdom, slavery
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