Deserts of Plenty

A thought experiment.... if you knew for certain you wouldn't fail, what would you undertake to do?

THIS IS NOT ADVICE. A few years ago, I started getting some symptoms that I just assumed were 'due to getting older'. Well, all of those symptoms are gone through, I assume, a combination of eating better, exercising, better sleep, etc. Maybe we don't have to accept things as inevitable?

In 2019, Donald Trump said that Covid came from a lab in Wuhan China, not a wet market. President Trump, as a messenger, meant that several media outlets, as well as people, put that info into the 'nutty conspiracy camp' and even Facebook banned such speculation. Today, it turns out he was likely right. What has that cost been?

Stories are very powerful and persist even when they're false. Often, like Procrustes Bed, we'll change events to fit into the story we've concocted. But, how do we know it's true?

Fire can be good or bad or neutral depending on context. Carbon Dioxide is plant food but it can also pose an existential threat to the planet. Donald Trump can say things that are right! But, so can Joe Biden. In short, two things can be true at once.

We need to get certain macronutrients in our diet. We need certain amino acids (proteins) and fatty acids. However, there are no essential carbs. Why? Why do human beings get dental caries at a much higher rate than other animals?

When we engage with others with whom we disagree, what is/are our actual goals? Are we trying to change behaviour and attitudes OR do we just want to yell at people?

The average body temperature of human beings, at least in the US and likely other 'affluent' nations, has dropped over the past 100 or so years. Why? Did you know that?

...would trade places with you in a heartbeat.

Nutrition, Hydration, Sleep, and Motion. These four things are generally agreed upon ways to help you live a healthier, longer life.

In the 1980's an upstart names Barry Marshall proved that peptic ulcers were caused not by stress and spicy food but by bacteria. Despite being laughed at, he proved it, and the best gastric researchers in the world had to accept it. Would Dr. Marshall be rewarded or villified today?

Hollywood's slavish desire for profits has had dire consequences on the soul of the English speaking world who consume their products.

Events can seem good or bad when they happen but, in the end, it's often difficult to say. The Black Death ravaged Europe in the 14th century but the Renaissance, the Enlightenment, the middle class, European philosophy, art and even Democracy may never have happened without it.

In poker, one goal is to get the money in the pot while you are in the lead. Sometimes, you lose even when you've done everything right. I learned from poker that being focused on process or systems is much better than focusing on results.

Narcissists can cause havoc in our lives, particularly in the lives of empath/saviour personality type. This is a guide to help you survive relationships with narcissists. For Informational Purposes Only

Here are six things you can start RIGHT NOW that science suggests will effect your life in a positive way. As these things are free to do, there isn't a big industry pushing them so you may have not heard of them. Once again, I'm not a doctor so please don't take this as advice. If you hear something you like consult a health professional before attempting.

Belief Persistence is the idea that things we believe can persist even when we know they cannot be true. We also have beliefs about who we are and when that turns out not to be true, it can be devastating. How can we protect ourselves against belief persistence and prepare for a day when we have to change our beliefs about ourselves.

The student appears before the master who is holding a club. They say, "Say this is a stick and I will beat you with it. Say it is not a stick and I will beat you with it." What does the student do? In our lives, people can put us in similar 'no win situations'. How do we get ourselves out of them?

70 Percent of lottery winners wind up broke 0nly a few years after winning it big and many are miserable. Individuals who beat cancer, and remain cancer free for five years, are reportedly much happier than the general population. What's going on?

Antifragility is a term coined by Nassim Nicholas Taleb in his book "Antifragile: Things That Gain From Disorder." It refers to a property of systems or organisms that thrive and improve when exposed to stressors, volatility, and uncertainty. Unlike fragile things that break under pressure, antifragile entities become stronger and more resilient over time. The concept of antifragility can be appli...

Does this sound like you? Or MOSTLY like you? - you're good in a crisis - you're the black sheep in your family - you prefer receiving gifts of time and experience vs stuff - you had a rocky/distant relationship with your dad - bringing joy to other people brings you the most pleasure - you're a people pleaser who struggles with conflict and saying 'no' - you'd rather eat a ton of shit than have s...

In this week's episode, Ralph discusses the concept of Unknown Unknowns, the things we don't even know that we don't even know.

In this week's episode Ralph discusses: we are awash in calories but devoid of nutrtion we are awash in experiences but devoid of connection human interaction and transaction why do we act against our own self interests seeing is not believing, believing is seeing and more