An astounding fact: researchers at GiveWell have determined that the most effective charities in the world have as much as 1,000 times the impact per dollar of the least effective charities. 1,000 times. That means that—in terms of how much a gift helps other humans—donating $1,000 to an ineffective charity is equivalent to donating $1 [...]
If mankind were contacted by an alien race, how would the world react? How would people change? In his novel, Contact, the late, great astronomer Carl Sagan explores this fascinating question. I recently had the pleasure of reading Contact, and one of the aspects I most admired about it was Dr. Sagan’s humble suggestion that communication [...]
“You’re gonna like the way you look. I guarantee it.” Everyone reading this probably recognized that opening sentence. It’s the snappy little catch phrase thrown in at the end of every Men’s Warehouse commercial. These types of ostensibly encouraging messages are a staple in the world of fashion and beauty product advertising (You can be [...]
A few weeks ago, my sixteen year-old cousin asked her Confirmation advisor whether people who don’t believe in Catholicism go to Heaven. “No,” he replied. “They go to Hell.” My cousin was deeply troubled. She went home and told my aunt, “I don’t know if I can believe in a God who would send friends [...]
Most people drift through days robotically, feeling vaguely lost and dissatisfied. They filter through the system, doing what they’ve been told to do, living out cookie-cutter lives, and distracting themselves whenever possible. This may sound like a cynical viewpoint, but I’m afraid it isn’t. I’ve definitely been one of those people for periods of time. [...]
Since the day you were born, you’ve been conditioned to think in certain ways. It might seem like you’ve been free to choose your own attitudes and ideas, but for most people, this isn’t really the case. You see, in any society, there is a status quo — a current standard of the most popular [...]
If you don’t use Reddit, you should. Reddit.com is a magical place — a place to laugh, to gaze, to learn, to share, and to converse. For those who are unaware, Reddit is a social news and entertainment website where users (known as Redditors) submit content in the form of a link or text. Other [...]
David Foster Wallace is one of my personal heroes. Maybe you’ve never heard of him. Wallace (or DFW) was a novelist, essayist, short story writer, and arguably one of the most notable geniuses of the past few decades. Time magazine cited his novel, “Infinite Jest”, as one of the top 100 novels from 1923 – 2005. [...]
I broke my neck in a skiing accident last week, and it was both an awful and profound experience. I was in beautiful Crested Butte, CO, spending a few days on the slopes, coasting about without a care in the world. It was delightful while it lasted. Unbeknownst to me, a near-death experience was waiting [...]
This world contains a colossal amount of scary, evil nastiness. Helpless children are gunned down with increasing regularity in our schools. Real, honest people face constant discrimination because of the color of their skin pigment. Innocent civilians are murdered daily because of wars over whose God knows best. Dedicated life partners are denied marriage because of a natural [...]