Many writers seem to take it for granted that a good tool ought to disappear. The best notebook is supposedly the one that gets out of the way, the best jigsaw is the one that works right so you don’t have to think about it, and the best computer is the one that you don’t [...]

After posting a little while ago about infinity, I realized that I have a couple of mathematical readers. So I thought I would share a bizarre equation I read about a few weeks ago. It is incredibly frustrating, because no one I talk to can figure it out, but it’s worth blogging about because it [...]

In my diary one day, I wrote the following mantras I have used to help me do things right. It’s funny how easily I forget the jelly bean principle; when I find myself staring at a decision, the long-term goal is always ready to abscond to the short term urge. And so having on [...]

We used to have an old Oreo cookie tin with instructions on it: “How to eat an Oreo.” The step-by-step procedure directed every fortunate eater to take the cookie apart by slowly twisting each section in an opposite direction, and then to lick the frosting out and nibble the wafers separately. I always wondered what [...]

A big jar of jelly beans. Back when I was young—goodness knows how long ago—I used to dream about having a big jar of jelly beans on my desk, that I could luxuriously dip my hand into whenever I wanted. There was a store in the mall, a place where jelly beans were stored in [...]

“Symkyn” is the name of one of the main characters in Chaucer’s “The Reeve’s Tale.” The name is actually Simon, but “Symkyn” is a diminutive used as his nickname. How come it is the diminutive form of a name that is always used for endearment or familiarity? How come small things are always so irresistible?
There [...]

Think: There is an infinite amount of whole numbers. There are half as many odd numbers as whole numbers. Therefore, the amount of odd numbers must be less than infinite.
But: Since the amount of whole numbers can grow forever without running out, there will always be more odd numbers. Therefore, the amount of odd numbers [...]

If you are around babies a lot, you probably know how hard it is to take them to a fireworks show. The younger ones get frightened out of their wits. Those same babies, however, at the older and more experienced ages of three or four, spend days asking when the Fourth of July will come [...]

When I interviewed for an editing job last summer, I met my soon-to-be boss at a Starbucks near our house. It is an exciting place—not your ordinary, run-of-the mill coffee stop. There is a fireplace in the lobby, and several nooks crowded with tables and chairs or couches. On a Saturday morning the shop will [...]

Yes, this post has a bizarre title. Who would say that patriots are killers? George Kateb would, in an essay at Cato Unbound. His exact words are: “The idea of patriotism is inseparable from killing and dying for your country. A good patriot is a good killer.”
Kateb’s Argument
You should read Kateb’s argument before reading my [...]