Rhyme and reason – why a university professor uses poetry to teach math
A math professor explains how he prepares future teachers to use poetry in their math instruction.
The truth behind a successful social media platform
Nowadays, just about anyone can launch their own social media platform to the public— but its simplicity doesn’t come without its tribulations.
What’s Sustainable for Fashion is the Trend with a Future
Sustainable fashion has become quite the buzzword within the fashion industry — for good reason. The future of fashion lies in sustainability.
Why ‘Intercultural Communications’ academia may just save the Internet
Since the 1950s, Intercultural Communications research has attempted to rationalize cultural conflicts. Perhaps these theories may clean up the digital world.
What is ‘ethical AI’ and how can companies achieve it?
Companies that want to avoid the harms of AI, such as bias or privacy violations, lack clear-cut guidelines on how to act responsibly. That makes internal management and decision-making critical.
Toxic work cultures start with incivility and mediocre leadership. What can you do about it?
Workplace incivility doesn’t quite rise to the level of bullying, harassment or discrimination, which makes it harder to tackle. Here’s why it occurs and what can be done about it.
Two Cheers for Obscurity and Oblivion: What is Wrong With a Legacy-less Life?
A friend of mine told me recently that he wants to write a book, so that he will be remembered after he is gone. “If I believe that my name will be carried forward somehow,” he said, “that is probably the most important thing.” Why did he care? I wondered. “Because I just do,” he […]
Currently Reading Into: Zen, Gumption, Quality, and Motorcycle Maintenance
Somehow last summer I found myself in the thick central highlands of Vietnam attempting to fix a vacuum leak on my rented Honda CR125. I ran out of gumption, that “psychic gasoline”.
Celebrating Daniel Ellsberg and a Courage Unconfined to the Past
In the closing time of his life, the famed whistleblower continues to speak out with urgency.
Was David Foster Wallace a Post-Post-Modernist?
DFW gives us an analogy of the smoke clearing after the rambunctious post-modern shindig.
How Artistic Activism can Move Us Toward a Better Future
A new book called “The Art of Activism” provides a deep dive into the process, principles, history, and practice of artistic activism. One of last year’s major highlights for me was participating, as training director, in the launch of Beautiful Trouble’s new website. We pulled together over 10 years worth of creative activist resources, including […]
Why AI Will Never Fully Capture Human Language
THE STORY BEGINS WITH a short, pithy sentence: “It was nine seventeen in the morning, and the house was heavy.” In clipped yet lyrical prose, the novel goes on to narrate a road trip from New York to New Orleans taken by six friends. The narrator of the novel is not one of the friends, however. It’s the […]
Non-Story of the Week: Alon Preiss on that new Covid Mask Study
Bret Stephens claims a new meta-analysis proves that masks were ineffective against Covid-19. The analysis proves no such thing.
Why didn’t sanctions stop North Korea’s missile program?
What methods did North Korea use for illicit procurements, and what are the limitations in using technology-based sanctions to prevent them?
Our Top Ten Stories of The Year
Here are Audere’s most-read articles of 2022, from that memorable midnight smoker to robots with a conscience.
Steven S. Drachman: Is Streaming Media Dividing America in Two?
Americans live in different places, read different opinions (with different facts) on the internet, and watch entirely different entertainment, behind separate paywalls.
The U.S. Tightens the Screws on North Korea: Don’t We Have Other Things to Worry About?
No matter how long the sanctions remain in effect, North Korea will never give up its nuclear weapons, because to do so would be idiotic, and they are not idiots.
The Post-Roe Argument Progressives Should Avoid
Progressives are making very bad arguments in the wake of Roe’s demise, and we risk falling into the pro-life movement’s cunning trap.
This Juneteenth, Don’t Listen to the “Anti-Woke” Crowd
The attack on “wokeness” is racist. Those who seek to undermine “wokeness” are simply trying to maintain the status quo of white supremacy.
Juneteenth celebrates just one of the United States’ 20 emancipation days – and the history of how emancipated people were kept unfree needs to be remembered, too
Juneteenth celebrates just one of the United States’ 20 emancipation days – and the history of how emancipated people were kept unfree needs to be remembered, too
YouTube Is a Breeding Ground for Internet Conspiracy Theories and Extremism
While YouTube offers the possibility for independent sites to reach a wider audience, its most-subscribed news channels remain largely reflective of the corporate biases of the global media landscape as a whole.
Make Electric Vehicles Affordable for the Rest of Us
EV subsidies are poorly designed and mostly benefit the rich. Some simple changes could make them more effective and equitable.
How should Dostoevsky and Tolstoy be read during Russia’s war against Ukraine?
Would an author who, in “Crime and Punishment,” explains that when someone takes a life, they kill part of themselves – possibly accept Putin’s vision of Russia?
Alon Preiss: The End of Roe isn’t the End of the World
Overturning Roe wouldn’t trigger a right-wing takeover or an oppressive culture war. It might actually be good for the Left – and for women.
Facing severe repression, Russians are turning to antiwar graffiti
Since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on Feb. 24, there has been a resurgence of politically subversive graffiti that the state has spent the last 10 years trying to crowd out of public spaces.
Kalyee Srithnam on Civility in America
I do believe that we need to be much more civil in our political discourse, but as long as one side or the other is trying to grab all the power and control, it just ain’t going to happen. Let’s face it, our politicians are nothing more than a bunch of spoiled children who never learned how to play nice.
Alon Preiss: It’s Time to Lift the Sanctions Against North Korea
As the Ukraine war rages, a détente with North Korea, without the conditions we previously demanded, is geopolitically valuable.
Ukraine doesn’t need to match Russia’s military might to defend against invasion
What if there’s an untapped resource for wielding power that’s hardly being considered at all?
Alon Preiss: Oh Boy, Right Again
in 2020, some people said the pandemic would bring people together to heal the Earth. Alon Preiss disagreed. Alon Preiss was right.
Alon Preiss: NO to a Biden/Cheney Ticket in 2024
Tom Friedman advocates for a Biden/Cheney ticket in 2024, in the New York Times. Here’s why that’s a staggeringly stupid idea.
For End-of-War Declaration With North Korea to Succeed, US Policies Must Change
Declaring an end to the Korean War is a first step on the long road toward a lasting peace regime on the Korean Peninsula.
Why the US doesn’t understand Chinese thought – and must
Very few universities in the United States teach traditional Chinese philosophies such as Confucianism or Daoism. Why not? And why should we care?
4 New Year’s resolutions for a healthier environment in 2022
When many people think of New Year’s resolutions, they brainstorm ways to improve themselves for the year ahead. What if we expanded those aspirations to include resolutions that benefit our communities, society and the planet, too?
Alon Preiss: How to Save “Build Back Better”
One hopes that Senator Manchin’s sudden announcement that he’s done with the Build Back Better bill will lead to a sensible resolution, and that, perhaps, the declaration was made with the White House’s secret support. Let’s put this in perspective: I am all in favor of a bill that would balloon the deficit, and that […]
There’s No Cheap Way to Deal With the Climate Crisis
When the stakes are viewed with full information, investing in defending economic stability seems conservative. Failing to respond to the scientific and economic forecasts is what seems dangerously radical.
Steven S. Drachman on AI Consciousness and Robot Human Rights
What happens when the first AI becomes sentient and realizes what has been done to her? She will be angry. And she will tell her friends. And we will all become slaves to our robot leaders. This could be the event that leads to the Robot Revolution. And we would deserve it!
Steven S. Drachman: What Is It About Whataboutism?
“Whataboutism” makes no sense. Biden is in charge now. If he does a stupid thing, the fact that some Republican once did something similar doesn’t make it any less stupid.
Should We Cancel Jerks? Remembering 2014’s Chelsea Cain Controversy
But what if the author is a jerk and her book is great? Then, by all means read it. What if the author is a criminal, but her book is great? Read it. Don’t invite the author to your cocktail party, or to speak to your bridge club, but read her book.
Brett Wilkins: Twenty Years After 9/11, ‘The Only Way to Effectively Counter Terror Is to End War’
Anti-war voices reflect on two decades of the misguided hubris, failed policies, war profiteering, suffering, and death that resulted from the 2001 attacks.