Author Archives: N.S. Palmer

About N.S. Palmer

N.S. Palmer is an American mathematician.

The Weather Report on Coronavirus

Posted on February 25, 2020

A lot of media people are sounding the alarm about a new strain of coronavirus, a pneumonia-like illness. They’re warning everyone to stock up on groceries, buy face masks, and avoid going outside. To me, it seems like an over-reaction. … Continue reading →

Posted in Life, Psychology, Science, Society | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Language Does Not Equal Reality

Posted on February 15, 2020

Every Saturday, my friend Jim Grey publishes a “recommended reading” list of interesting blogs from the previous week. Today’s list linked to an article about the benefits of speaking multiple languages. Jim explained: “I used to speak German very well. … Continue reading →

Posted in Epistemology, Philosophy, Psychology | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Somehow, We’ve Survived

Posted on February 14, 2020

For a couple thousand years, people have been trying to prove that God exists. None of those proofs are much good. They can only convince people who already want to believe in their conclusion. But maybe the best proof of … Continue reading →

Posted in Political Science, Society, Psychology, Life | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

A Science Experiment About Life

Posted on February 7, 2020

Science is basically about observing the world and trying to deduce its fundamental laws. It can get a little more complicated, but that’s the essential method. So let’s try a science experiment about life. It’s easy, it’s informative, and you … Continue reading →

Posted in Life, Psychology | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Don’t Live Like a Victim

Posted on January 28, 2020

Don’t live like a victim. Even in the most fortunate life, some bad things will happen. To you. To me. To everyone. Sometimes, it’s because of what other people do. Sometimes, it’s just a matter of luck. And sometimes, it’s … Continue reading →

Posted in Human Relations, Life, Psychology | Tagged , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Forgive Us Our Microaggressions

Posted on January 25, 2020

I have a question, but please don’t take it in the wrong way. I don’t mean to offend anyone. I’m just curious. How is a microaggression different from nothing at all? “Microaggression” is one of those new words made up … Continue reading →

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Perfection or Nothing?

Posted on January 10, 2020

The French philosopher Voltaire warned that “the perfect is the enemy of the good.” Pursuit of “perfect” but impossible goals makes us reject possible goals because they’re imperfect. And we often make things even worse than they were in the … Continue reading →

Posted in Human Relations, Life, Political Science, Psychology, Society | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments