Icarus Didn’t Fail—He Just Ran a High-Altitude Stress Test
For thousands of years, the story of Icarus has been passed down as a cautionary tale. You know the drill:…
We Know We’re Being Watched. Why Don’t We Care?
Ten years ago, we were warned that technology companies were turning our personal lives into a commercial product. Today, we…
The World Is Doing Better Than the Headlines Would Have You Believe
Beneath the wars, political turmoil, and endless predictions of catastrophe, humanity continues its remarkable journey of progress. More than a…
Bad Habits Easy, Good Habits Hard
I distantly remember a story by Earnest Hemingway, I believe, in which he describes the plight of an Alpine farmer…
Who Will Fight for Britain When the Enemy Comes?
Imagine that tomorrow morning, Britain wakes to news that Russian missiles have struck military bases, communications networks, and critical infrastructure…
The Great Posters of May 1968
The French protests of May 1968 gave us some really great posters. You can view a collection of 500 posters…
France Is Burning Again. Is This Another May 1968?
Nearly six decades after students brought France to the brink of political upheaval, a new generation is taking to the…
How I Fell in Love With Indian Food
When I was a young man in the 1970s, I traveled far and wide for my United Nations job. International…
The Wisdom of the Winding River
How a billion-dollar mistake in Florida teaches us something about efficiency, unintended consequences, and the wisdom of thinking before we…
Why I Use AI for this Blog
As discerning readers of my new and largely unnoticed personal mini blog may have noticed I use a lot of…
The Death of Nonfiction: Are We Losing Our Curiosity or Just Our Patience?
The decline of serious nonfiction publishing raises an uncomfortable question: Are we losing interest in understanding the world, or are…
Frankenstein and AI: We May Be Afraid of the Wrong Monster
More than 200 years ago, Mary Shelley wrote Frankenstein—one of the most enduring cautionary tales in literature. Today, as artificial…
The Human Condition: Why Great Literature Still Matters
In a California laundromat during the summer of 2020, a stranger noticed Drew Calvert reading a novel and asked whether…
North Korea Benefits from Ukraine Russia War
Wars do not always produce the winners and losers we expect. Russia invaded Ukraine expecting a relatively quick victory, only…
Neither Political Party Controls the Price of Diesel
Every time diesel prices rise, politicians start pointing fingers. Republicans blame Democrats. Democrats blame Republicans. Both promise that their policies…
The Myth That Young Men Hate Reading
“How to Suppress Men’s Writing” by Adam Szetela (Quillette, 23 October 2026) Szetela argues that the Big Five publishers (Simon…
Everything Everywhere All at Once: Can America Afford to Be the World’s Indispensable Nation?
For decades, the United States has occupied an extraordinary position in world affairs. It maintains military commitments across several continents,…
Drones and AI: From Ukraine’s Battlefields to Mexico’s Drug Cartels
The war in Ukraine has become a laboratory for modern warfare. Inexpensive drones, improvised weapons, and rapidly evolving battlefield tactics…
The Enshittification of Catholic Churches
Walk into St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome, and it is difficult not to be overwhelmed. The soaring ceilings, monumental sculptures,…
Fear: America’s Best-Selling Consumer Product
America has produced some remarkable consumer products. The automobile, the personal computer, the smartphone, and countless inventions that have transformed…