In the course of his travels, Gulliver came upon an island very much like our own. Not unlike how it was for us, the complementarity of their genitalia was for most of their history the sine qua non of reproduction,… Read More ›
Everything You Wanted to Know About What’s Going On in the World But Were Afraid to Ask
THE TRUTH ABOUT TRUTHERS
Hans Kuhn observed that a scientific hypothesis survives, and rightly so, until a better one comes along. But surely there are some hypotheses which, notwithstanding we don’t yet have – perhaps we’ll never have – an alternative to replace it,… Read More ›
THE HOLOCAUST INDUSTRY
In the same way that my first year students have a penchant for starting their papers with “For thousands of years philosophers have wondered …”, I like to start mine with “Of the things I care least about, in a… Read More ›
IN MY UNQUALIFIED OPINION …
If I asked your opinion of the various candidates in the upcoming municipal elections in Otterpiddle, Ontario, I’m guessing you’re going to say you don’t have one. In fact I’d be pretty gobsmacked if you did. But if I asked… Read More ›
Texting and Driving
TEXTING AND DRIVING Most accidents are caused by carelessness, most car accidents by careless driving. Careless driving can be caused by any number of things, including impairment but also a desire to impress one’s buddies. Or, less plausibly, one’s date…. Read More ›
Trigger Warnings
TRIGGER WARNINGS I take it that no one thinks we have a categorical obligation not to upset each other. But many of us think, myself included, that we have the right to try to protect ourselves from being upset. And… Read More ›
Protected Competition
PROTECTED COMPETITION Look, if we want to stay in shape we have to exercise. Exercise is boring, and so we won’t do it unless we can challenge ourselves by adding some kind of skill to what’s otherwise just raw movement…. Read More ›
Burkinis and Bathrooms
BURKINIS AND BATHROOMS Sometime during the Apartheid years in South Africa there was a proposal to do an end run around international condemnation of the regime’s racism by having certain rights – presumably the important ones – attach not to… Read More ›
