The extent to which some folks can wallow in illusions so far from reality has always amused, and sometimes terrified me. Of course, when we look back in history we can find plenty of examples where collective illusions led to not mere folly, but massive suffering and death. The Salem Witch Trials and the infamous … More THE ANTI-EXPERT: Illusions of Truth in a World of Facts
“What is a UFO?” I asked the students attending my Research Methodology class. I intended the question to get them to think about how it is that we know what we think we know and how we determine the quality of evidence we use to judge “reality.” “A flying saucer,” one replied. “It’s an alien … More Arrogance and Ignorance: Not the Best Package for National Leadership
I have not read much science fiction. But the sci-fi books I have read usually fall into the “post-apocalypse” variety, such as The Road, Earth Abides, Parable of the Sower, World Made by Hand, and most recently, The Handmaid’s Tale. I read these stories out of my interest in what is likely to happen in … More What about how? What the sci-fi novels all miss
Robert MacNeil Christie, Author 