Check out my latest book!
Why I wrote the book (3 mins)
Death & compassion (4 mins)
Three Kraters Podcast (2 hrs)
Posts I Liked
Author Archives: N.S. Palmer
Why I Don’t Hug My Chinese Tutor
As regular readers know, I’ve been studying the Chinese language since last spring. I had previously taken a semester of Chinese in college, but it utterly defeated me. So I wanted payback. This time, I would beat it. I was … Continue reading
The Hidden Cause of Our Disagreement
Note: This blog post explains one cause of society’s basic disagreements. It is not intended to denigrate anyone on either side of the argument. It’s obvious which side I favor, but I’ve done my best to be fair. There’s a … Continue reading
The Plural of Anecdote is Data
It’s said that the plural of “anecdote” is “data,” so here’s some data in anecdote-sized packages. My family has so far been spared any cases of Covid-19, thank Goodness. However, a friend of mine got it and is now recovering … Continue reading
If We Can Learn, We Can Do Better
The world is scary right now. But it won’t stay that way. Things will get better. The pandemic will subside. We will mourn our dead, be they many or few. We will go on. But if we can learn, then … Continue reading
Einstein Agrees with the Lone Ranger
Albert Einstein and the Lone Ranger agree: Get over yourself. Albert Einstein was one of the smartest people of the 20th century. His ideas revolutionized our understanding of space and time. They also contributed to the development of quantum mechanics. … Continue reading
Posted in Life, Philosophy
Tagged Courage, Einstein, Life, Morality, The Lone Ranger, Wisdom
Leave a comment
Show Up for the Future
The future belongs to the people who show up for it. It’s as simple as that. I can’t tell you what will happen with the Covid-19 virus. But I can tell you that fear is at least as deadly as … Continue reading
Posted in Life
Tagged Courage, COVID-19, Faith, Fear, Future, Overcoming fear, Perseverance, Wuhan virus
2 Comments
The Weather Report on Coronavirus
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 CDC, Coronavirus, COVID-19, Infectious disease, Wuhan
2 Comments
Language Does Not Equal Reality
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 Chinese, English language, Language, Multilingual, Newspeak, Objective reality, Postmodernism
4 Comments
Somehow, We’ve Survived
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 Life, Political Science, Psychology, Society
Tagged Cults, Dogmas, Humanity, Insanity, Madness of crowds, Proof of God, Theodicy
2 Comments
A Science Experiment About Life
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 Courage, Faith, Life, Observation, Perspective, Science, Serenity
2 Comments
The Thousand-Year View 