Democracy Without the Halo
Political rhetoric alternates between declaring the majority’s choice the highest wisdom and reducing elections to a meaningless spectacle. Democracy does not guarantee a sensible decision; above all it creates a…
SG2 and R2: Japanese powder
Let us start with the confusion over names, because here it is the main issue. SG-2, R2 and SGPS are one and the same steel. SG-2 is the maker’s designation,…
Not Doing
The morality of productivity teaches respect for the task list and getting every line ticked off. So anything written down quickly acquires the status of an obligation, even after it…
Crime Is Not a Household Skill
Popular culture knows how to turn crime into an intellectual puzzle: the viewer is invited to judge not the harm but the ingenuity of the cover-up. Operational advice about violence…
Buying for an Audience
Before a purchase it is useful to imagine that nobody will ever see it. Does the wish survive? The test works especially well on status objects. A car, a watch,…
Will With Causes
Every decision has a backstory. Choice is shaped by upbringing, temperament, hormones, fatigue, experience, available information, social pressure and how long it has been since the person ate. Consciousness does…