In the 19th century, railroads were everything. And by extension, the businessmen who owned the railroads held a huge amount of power in the United States economy and its political landscape. Jay Gould, a savvy capitalist, was among the most colorful of these characters. Though he was born poor and haunted by illness throughout adulthood, […]
Will AI Outsmart Us?
Artificial intelligence has changed a lot since it was invented in 1955. One of the biggest shifts happened in the 1990s, when neural networks were implemented. They allowed AIs to encode information or “learn” just like the human brain, absorbing data, gathering observations, and making inferences. Neural networks are the reason why AI image generators […]
How to Know What You Stand For
Omar Little, the character from “The Wire,” had a famous expression: “A man’s got to have a code.” From the ancient Stoic philosophers to the Internal Revenue Service, codes of conduct have been important to individuals and organizations who want strong values to guide their choices. The Federal Bureau of Investigation has a code, too. Former […]
When did China Begin?
Different cultures look at the world in different ways. Since world leaders think about issues of war, peace, and international order in different ways, understanding China’s long and fascinating history is critical to understanding global politics. The old Chinese dynasties inform the more modern history of Sino-American relations. An interesting thing to understand about China is […]
Leadership is Like Gardening
For the past few weeks, it seems like everyone has been discussing Elon Musk’s demanding leadership style and whether or not it will work at Twitter. But that style is not unique to him. For decades, management culture has celebrated a harsh and demanding leadership style that isn’t necessarily working. As it turns out, being […]
The New World Order
As we face the threats of climate change, weapons of mass destruction, and invasive technologies, there’s a burning need for a new world order. Foreign policy expert Henry Kissinger says that comprehending the forces that have shaped world politics is essential to understanding the current moment. So let’s dive in. According to Kissinger, no country […]
The Original Space Race
In recent years, billionaires have been driving innovation in outer space. Jeff Bezos and Richard Branson have already been, and Elon Musk has his sights set on Mars. It’s strange to think that, in the 1960s, the Space Race was driven by the American and Soviet governments, who were locked in a dangerous, but exciting, […]
Level Up to Pro Parenting
Our kids are always watching, and they model their behavior on our own. That means if you get down on yourself for making a mistake, your kids will do the same whenever they mess up. We want to cultivate resilience in our kids, as well as a positive attitude. That means for their sake, you […]
When to Think for Yourself
Believing that your business is drastically different from others is a classic pitfall in entrepreneurship. Avoid falling into that trap. Assuming that you’re unique will prevent you and your employees from ever learning anything from outside the world of your company. It doesn’t really matter what industry you’re in, for the most part. The basics […]
How to be a Better Person
Who needs an evil sidekick when our own brains can do our dirty work? Beneath conscious awareness, our brains are programmed to always make us act in our own best interest. In theory, you may want to be selfless and help others. But evolution has its own agenda for your survival and dominance. Basically, the […]
