Author Archives: Steven Popkes

Rational Bias

Posted on May 5, 2013 by

(Picture from here.) We humans have a strong bias that our decisions are based on an intelligent, rational cognitive process. It’s embedded in our language– that was a “stupid decision.” However, anybody who has lived a fairly full life must … Continue reading →


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Posted in Writing life | Tagged , | 3 Comments

Welcome Spring

Posted on April 21, 2013 by

We live just outside of Boston. Everybody knows what’s been happening up here so I won’t go into it. I usually like to take what’s happening in my life and spin it into something I can blog about it. Not … Continue reading →


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Posted in Science | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Things Are Happening Here

Posted on April 7, 2013 by

(Picture from here.) There are a lot of things we can be upset about these days. The sequester. Intransigence in Washington. Unemployment. However, one thing we should be happy about: the state of science. A lot of things came across … Continue reading →


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Writing Principles

Posted on March 24, 2013 by

I recently discovered the Aerogramme Writer’s Studio along with io9. Both have been very interesting fodder for the writerly mind. Aerogramme has been putting up a number of rules of writing, etc. Here are some they’ve cited. Hilary Mantels 10 Rules of Writing … Continue reading →


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Brain meets Brain

Posted on March 10, 2013 by

(Image from here.) A very exciting piece of research came across my desk this week. We have been hearing about Brain-to-Machine-Interfaces (BMI) for a bit now. Not that they’ve become humdrum at this point but we’re familiar with them. Two … Continue reading →


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Everything is Material

Posted on March 3, 2013 by

Sorry about last week. The fewmets hit the windmill at work and when I looked up it was Tuesday. Science fiction is an art form in which ideas form part of the fabric of the story. The nature of SF … Continue reading →


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Welcome to Blizzard Land

Posted on February 10, 2013 by

A departure from our regularly scheduled broadcast to talk about what the elements have shown us. Friday night we had the 2013 blizzard: close to two feet on bare ground. The governor declared a state of emergency and no one … Continue reading →


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Obsessions for Fun and Profit

Posted on February 3, 2013 by

(Jane Wyman and Rock Hudson in Magnificent Obsession. Here.) I’m sorry this is a bit late. I’d planned on finishing it yesterday but life intervened. I’m a big believer in obsessions. Let’s be clear about what I’m talking about. I’m … Continue reading →


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Evolution, Competition, Cooperation and Government

Posted on January 27, 2013 by

(Picture from here.) One of the persistent memes that came out of the November election is “You didn’t build that”. I’m not going to go into how the meme is a lie how it is represented. (American Crossroads edited his … Continue reading →


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Posted in History, Science | Tagged | 1 Comment

Private Enterprise and Space Travel

Posted on January 20, 2013 by

(Picture from here.) I’m at Arisia this weekend and my first panel is “The Man Who Sold the Moon: Private Enterprise and Space Travel.” To reprise the Heinlein story, Delos Harriman is a successful businessman who is obsessed with going … Continue reading →


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Posted in Culture, Science | Tagged | 1 Comment