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Today’s Contemplation: Collapse Cometh LXXIII–Pessimists Are Optimists That Have All the Facts
Today’s Contemplation: Collapse Cometh LXXIII October 31, 2022 (original posting date) Chitchen Itza, Mexico (1986). Photo by author. Pessimists Are Optimists That Have All the Facts This contemplation has been prompted by another great article by The Honest Sorcerer. If you’ve not read their work, I highly recommend it. A couple of thoughts in reading your splendid […]
Today’s Contemplation: Collapse Cometh XXVI–Is it Too Late For Pessimism?
Today’s Contemplation: Collapse Cometh XXVI Knossos, Greece (1993), Photo by author Is it Too Late For Pessimism? Today’s ‘contemplation’ has been prompted by a question posed to me by a fellow commenter, puppyg, via an article we were both commenting upon. Taking advantage of a rainy day, I have prepared a rather extensive answer. Question: Tonight […]
Limitarians and Cornucopians: what Surprises from Technological Progress?
Limitarians and Cornucopians: what Surprises from Technological Progress? Resource depletion, ecosystem disruption, population growth, and technological change are interacting with each other in a tsunami of changes that always take us by surprise. The surprises that technological progress may be bringing are among the most unpredictable drivers of change. Yet, it is not impossible to […]
Is there a limit to optimism when it comes to climate change?
Is there a limit to optimism when it comes to climate change? Photo by Lance Cheung/USDA ‘We’re doomed’: a common refrain in casual conversation about climate change. It signals an awareness that we cannot, strictly speaking, avert climate change. It is already here. All we can hope for is to minimise climate change by keeping global average […]
Steven Pinker’s Ideas About Progress Are Fatally Flawed. These Eight Graphs Show Why.
Steven Pinker’s Ideas About Progress Are Fatally Flawed. These Eight Graphs Show Why. It’s time to reclaim the mantle of “Progress” for progressives. By falsely tethering the concept of progress to free market economics and centrist values, Steven Pinker has tried to appropriate a great idea for which he has no rightful claim. In Enlightenment Now: […]
Self-Deception, Our Media and the ‘Emperor’s New Clothes Effect’
Self-Deception, Our Media and the ‘Emperor’s New Clothes Effect’ Published in 1837, the short story by Hans Christian Andersen called the Emperor’s New Clothes is a children’s story that carries some eye-opening messages about life, reality, society and self-deception. It seems that no one wants to talk about self-deception these days. I believe one of the reasons for […]
Archive: Forget Doom and Gloom: Preparedness is the Ultimate Act of Optimism |
Archive: Forget Doom and Gloom: Preparedness is the Ultimate Act of Optimism |. Note from Daisy: With all of the hullabaloo about Ebola lately, it seems like a good time to remind ourselves of why we prepare. We don’t do it out of fear. We do it because we like the peace of mind it […]



