Democracy is Fucking Awesome. 1989: When Democracy Felt Inevitable I was eleven years old when demonstrators occupied Tiananmen Square. That week, my parents made an exception to the no-TV-during-dinner rule to watch the news. And we huddled around the little screen without even clearing the dishes. More than thirty years later, I vividly remember the …
Why The Autocrats Are Wrong: Democracy is F***ing Awesome Read More »
There is an old bumper sticker that goes, “If you’re not angry, then you’re not paying attention.” Now, this might seem a little surprising coming from the gratitude guy, but I wholeheartedly endorse that idea. The world has plenty of crooks. Fat cats make fortunes on the backs of the vulnerable. Profit-mongers trash the environment …
Intro Friends, I have to level with you. This episode almost didn’t happen. Partly, this is because I was miserably sick for two weeks straight. Partly, it’s because I habitually overcommit. But also, it’s because I’m having a kind of crisis of faith–one that’s got me doubting whether it’s worth writing this podcast … or …
Episode #20: The Hurricane–Is it Worth Making Art in an Information Storm? Read More »
When I was a boy, I lived, as James Joyce famously said, “a short distance from my body.” I had a body, of course, I just didn’t live in it much. Mostly, I lived in my mind, and (through books) in the minds of other people. I lived in Middle Earth and Narnia. I lived …
Electrons orbit the nucleus. All you need is love. The no outlet sign on Town Farm Road. To say it simple is to lie. The road does go on if you have a disregard for convention and the right wheels. There are rocks, sure. But what way worth going lacks them. Mountain bikers in their …
Intro One Sunday, my nine-year-old daughter, Wren, was waiting for her friend to come over for an afternoon playdate. Now, when I say she was waiting for this friend, I don’t mean that she was, like, lounging around reading or jumping on the trampoline or sorting her Pokemon cards. No. In her typical hardcore style. …
Rationale People actually do think that humans are shit. Students in my class. It was the end of spring semester 2022, and my sophomore class had circled through all the major topics of high school biology … which meant it was time for my favorite part of the course, a whirlwind tour of the extravagant …
Episode #17: Humankind Does not Suck: A Defense of my Favorite Species Read More »
Introduction: A Capella Science Some years ago, a student emailed me a YouTube link. “Hey Mr. Lord, Have you seen this yet? It looks like the type of thing that you would like.” The video was a parody performance of Ed Sheeren’s song, “Shape of You,” except the title of the parody was “The Molecular …
The Apocalypse (Set up the Question) Uncertainty After years of thought and much study, I have come to a definitive and disappointing conclusion … I have no idea what’s going on. I must have missed something when I arrived here on Earth. Maybe I was just late. After all, by the time I got here …
Episode # 15: Risk Delight: A Guide to Finding Joy in the Apocalypse Read More »
Family Gatherings When I was a kid, I loved holiday gatherings. My mom and dad were each one of five siblings, and once you added in all the spouses and children and guests and roommates and visiting foreign exchange students and grandparents …well … both sides of my family could throw a pretty big fiesta. …
Episode #14: Talking Politics: “Can We Change the Subject?” Read More »
