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Methane Monitor (aka Fart Tracker)
The Apple Watch is lots of things to lots of people – chic, attention-grabbing, fun – but at its core, it is basically a sophisticated computer worn on the wrist. Like any computer, it is only as good...
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The Revenge of the Anti-Drunks
We humans tend to oversimplify things; ergo there are only two kinds of people. The nerds embrace technology, and the Luddites oppose it. We are certain we understand the distinction, but we are...
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How Old Do I Look?
When I was in my fifties, I used to tell people I was sixty; the sought-after response was something along the lines of how good I looked for my age. This cheap trick has lost its thrill, and now I’d...
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DUI…P?
Pot has a lot to learn from alcohol. Alcohol is the senior intoxicant, having been legal in the U.S. since the 21st amendment repealed Prohibition in 1933. Still, pot is catching up; nearly one third...
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Easier is Better
“That which does not kill us makes us stronger.” (Friedrich Nietzsche) We love inspirational quotes to help us through challenging times, and this is one of the classics. My late father had another...
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If a Tree Falls
“If a tree falls in a forest and no one is around to hear it, does it make a sound?” This is a classic thought experiment from Philosophy 101, intended to kick off a flurry of questions about the...
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Fly Catcher
Reading about the latest developments in technology can really make me feel like an old fart. Consider fly swatters. For most of my life, if there was a fly that was annoying you, you rolled up a...
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Tools, Gadgets and Oreos
If you own some sort of exercise tracking device like a Fit Bit or a Fuelband, you are a ten-percenter. Market research shows that 1 out of every 10 Americans over the age of 18 has one of these...
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Who Wants to Know?
“Where ignorance is bliss, ’tis folly to be wise.” This oft-paraphrased line from Thomas Gray’s 1742 poem has certainly gathered a lot of cred over the past two hundred and seventy-some years. It is...
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Missing Links
The Drake equation is not well known outside the world of astrophysics, but it has a lot in common with the ROI calculations that motivate venture capitalists. Dr. Drake figured that half a dozen...
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Darwin’s Business Plan
“If I had my life to live over again, I would have made a rule to read some poetry and listen to some music at least once every week.” Charles Darwin Charles Darwin was not an atheist, and he started...
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Getting Lost
Recently my wife and I drove 400 miles to attend a wedding. The festivities took place in a small northern California town where neither of us had ever been. Although some planning went into the trip,...
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Hair Maker
Great inventions are often born at the intersection of two seemingly unrelated observations. Consider hot glue guns and bald guys. Observation #1: Sometimes when you pull a glue gun back from the item...
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Creep
If you’re an engineer, creep is the slow, permanent deformation of a body resulting from the continued application of heat or stress. If you’re a regular human, it might signify stealthy movement, or...
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Sampling Error
Sampling error is a useful tool in the hands of anyone who routinely gathers data, which is pretty much anyone. It has great value for two-year olds, who spend nearly all of their waking hours...
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You Are Here
The late comedian Myron Cohen told the story of a man who hid in the bedroom closet when his paramour’s husband arrived home unexpectedly. When the husband opens the closet door and asks what he’s...
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The End of the Long Haul
The “long haul” is a lot longer than it used to be. Over the last century, average life expectancy has increased by 30 years (unless you live in Monaco where you get 9 more). If you are life-planning...
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Momma’s Boy
When I was growing up, you were a Momma’s Boy, a Man’s Man, or something in-between. Most of us belonged to the in-between group. Dare I say life is a bit more complicated these days? There was a...
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Civilization, As We Know It
Civilization as we know it is all about an advanced state of culture, government, science and industry – the opposite of a savage, unrefined or uneducated condition. It is presumed to include a...
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How Does That Make You Feel?
When someone asks you if robots are taking over our jobs, there are only two possible answers: (1) Yes and (2) I don’t know. If you chose (2), then your job will probably be one of the first to go....
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