THUNK

Although they’re pretty, books are just a kind of product, same as any in your home. So why do nerds like me just lose their minds if someone deigns to mar a text or tome? Video: http://youtu.be/15iNsNI_PbA Show Notes: https://thunkshow.com/2019/08/21/174.-On-the-Origins-of-Bookishness.html

Tell ‘em what you’re going to tell ‘em, tell ‘em, then UGGGHHHhhhgghh Video: http://youtu.be/1iHuXZO8fgg Show Notes: https://thunkshow.com/2019/08/07/173.-Against-the-Three-T's.html

Engineers (like me) have a nasty reputation for positing laughably over-simplistic solutions to complex problems in other fields. Perhaps studying those fields closely might help. Video: http://youtu.be/k2PyYJVi4TI Show Notes: https://thunkshow.com/2019/07/24/172.-'Engineer's-Syndrome'-and-Learning-Techniques.html

The Enlightenment is often held up as a revolution to which all those who value the power of the human mind should pledge allegiance. But there’s a question many smart people fight over without realizing it: which Enlightenment? Video: http://youtu.be/m3D50jUFZIY Show Notes: https://thunkshow.com/2019/07/10/171.-Echoes-of-Analytic-and-Continental-Philosophy.html

Moral Foundations Theory (MFT) has attracted a lot of attention for its very intuitive explanation of where our gut reactions about morality come from, but grand claims about its implications might warrant a healthy dose of skepticism. Video: http://youtu.be/4FJFZdUQIUs Show Notes: https://thunkshow.com/2019/06/12/170.-Moral-Foundations-Theory.html

Is there such a thing as aesthetic obligation? Do we have duties that are explicitly aesthetic in character, or are they really just moral obligations? With great beauty comes great responsibility! Video: http://youtu.be/G5_8BxYDxVU Show Notes: https://thunkshow.com/2019/05/29/169.-Aesthetic-Obligation.html

How is it even possible to appreciate art that’s “so bad, it’s good?” What is it that makes hideously awful movies like “The Room” & “Plan 9 from Outer Space” enjoyable? Susan Sontag has a one-word answer: STYLE. Video: http://youtu.be/JuaclFbpofE Show Notes: https://thunkshow.com/2019/05/08/168.-Camp-So-Bad,-It's-Good.html

What does the Heisenberg uncertainty principle have to do with a quantum apocalypse that could unmake the universe at any moment? Video: http://youtu.be/QDxiQF3CWKk Show Notes: https://thunkshow.com/2019/04/25/167.-False-Vacuum.html

Asking good questions is just as important as finding answers, but we never really learn how to go about doing so. What is it that makes a question “good,” exactly? Video: http://youtu.be/wnYi1drc_M8 Show Notes: https://thunkshow.com/2019/04/11/166.-How-to-Ask-Good-Questions.html

Not every peak of a function is its highest value, but without being able to see the whole thing at once, it’s hard to know. This has some interesting implications for…well, all sorts of things! Video: http://youtu.be/aAs59uFbrZ4 Show Notes: https://thunkshow.com/2019/03/27/165.-Local-Maxima.html