Patrick Julius's Blog, page 3
August 22, 2013
In desperate need of a cognitive scientist
JDB 2456527 PDT 10:52.
A review of Listening to Prozac by Peter D. Kramer.
This was a book with great potential, but it failed to live up to most of that potential. The fundamental idea is a profound one that I wish more people would think about: What does cognitive science say about human nature?
The problem is that Kramer is not a cognitive scientist, he is a practicing psychiatrist. All of his understanding of the brain and mind is filtered through that lens; he spends most o...
August 8, 2013
If this be the new imperialism, I much prefer it to the old
JDN 2456514 EDT 21:08
A review of Confessions of an Economic Hit Man by John Perkins
The basic message of the book is a dire one, and not entirely inaccurate: For at least the latter half of the 20th century, much of what the United States and its institutions did in the name of global development really served more to advance the interests of powerful individuals and corporations in the United States itself.
John Perkins himself participated directly in this process, particularly in his role as...
If this be the new imperialism, I much prefer it to the old
JDN 2456514 EDT 21:08
A review of Confessions of an Economic Hit Man by John Perkins
The basic message of the book is a dire one, and not entirely inaccurate: For at least the latter half of the 20th century, much of what the United States and its institutions did in the name of global development really served more to advance the interests of powerful individuals and corporations in the United States itself.
John Perkins himself participated directly in this process, particular...
July 29, 2013
I understand better now why people are dubious of modern medicine. They are still wrong.
JDN 2456502 EDT 19:56.
Today is the fourth day of my hospitalization, the seventh of my illness. My symptoms began with a high fever and fatigue, as well as a relatively intense headache. Initially we thought the cause was a virus, and hence essentially untreatable; that would have been damning enough. They gave me a lumbar puncture to ensure that the cause was not bacterial meningitis, which is treatable but can be fatal if untreated.
As it turns out, my illness is iatrogenic; that is to say,...
I understand better now why people are dubious of modern medicine. They are still wrong.
JDN 2456502 EDT 19:56.
Today is the fourth day of my hospitalization, the seventh of my illness. My symptoms began with a high fever and fatigue, as well as a relatively intense headache. Initially we thought the cause was a virus, and hence essentially untreatable; that would have been damning enough. They gave me a lumbar puncture to ensure that the cause was not bacterial meningitis, which is treatable but can be fatal if untreated.
As it turns out, my illness is iatrogenic; that is...
July 23, 2013
The exact opposite of light reading.
JDN 2456497 EDT 08:55.
A review of Global Catastrophic Risks by Nick Bostrom and Milan M. Cirkovic
Light reading generally requires three things: Short, easy to read, and on a light-hearted subject. This book is none of those things: it consists of over 500 pages of scientific essays on the end of the world.
Setting the tone is the first chapter by astrophysicist Fred Adams about the inevitable death and decay of the universe. The basic message is that in 100 billion years, we will be dead, so g...
The exact opposite of light reading.
JDN 2456497 EDT 08:55.
A review of Global Catastrophic Risks by Nick Bostrom and Milan M. Cirkovic
Light reading generally requires three things: Short, easy to read, and on a light-hearted subject. This book is none of those things: it consists of over 500 pages of scientific essays on the end of the world.
Setting the tone is the first chapter by astrophysicist Fred Adams about the inevitable death and decay of the universe. The basic message is that in 100 billion years, we w...
July 10, 2013
It’s time to get rid of “willingness to pay”.
JDN 2456484 EDT 09:35.
Most laypeople, if you asked them what economics is about, would probably answer with one word: “money”.
This could hardly be more wrong; it’s like saying that physics is about computer readouts and medicine is about needles on the dials of blood pressure cuffs. But I can forgive the mistake, because it is one that a large number of economists seem to make on a regular basis.
You’ll actually hear economists say things like: “The tsunami killed 300,000 people, equaling an e...
It's time to get rid of "willingness to pay".
JDN 2456484 EDT 09:35.
Most laypeople, if you asked them what economics is about, would probably answer with one word: "money".
This could hardly be more wrong; it's like saying that physics is about computer readouts and medicine is about needles on the dials of blood pressure cuffs. But I can forgive the mistake, because it is one that a large number of economists seem to make on a regular basis.
You'll actually hear economists say things like: "The tsunami killed 300,000 people, equ...
July 8, 2013
What is cultural authenticity?
JDN 2456482 EDT 10:27.
This past weekend I spent driving around northern Michigan with my boyfriend, visiting his hometown of Petoskey and then going even further north for a pow-wow in Sault Ste Marie. I’m worn out from the packed schedule and long hours of driving, but here I am going to work all the same.
I was struck—and honestly, disappointed—by the way the pow-wow seemed somehow… inauthentic. The mix of modern polyester t-shirts and awkward facsimiles of traditional Native American dress,...
