Lunch with a Jumping Spider

I think about jumping spiders a lot. If you have had a conversation with me in the last several years that lasted more than 5 minutes, you already know this. But what are the spiders thinking? A friend once bought me a mug with a spider on it that reads “Sometimes I wonder if jumping […]

Guest Post: Silicon Valley’s Monstrous Quest for Immortality

“Conquering death would be humanity’s greatest achievement…This will become the primary objective for the human race. I think it’s inevitable.” -Bryan Johnson, speaking to The Information in 2024 about his “Don’t Die” philosophy. “I’m a huge fan of death. I’m a groupie for death. I think it’s the metronome of our existence. And without rhythm, […]

The Benefits of Tiny Friends

If you ever have the opportunity, I highly recommend making a tiny friend. How tiny, you ask? I think it helps if your friend is big enough to be visible to you (though this isn’t strictly necessary) but small enough to be outside of the category of beings you would normally consider friend material. The […]

The Personalities of Jumping Spiders

This is Diego. He is a Phidippus johnsoni jumping spider, and he lives on a jade plant in my front yard. There are several spiders of this species that can be found on the jade plant on any given day, but I know when it’s Diego I’ve spotted. Adult males of this species are around […]

The Archaeology of You

This post ran back in 2018 and digging it up was another act unearthing oneself, something I end up doing when rummaging in my car, when I clean my desk. Our own lives are archaeology. Put a trowel in your hand and go through your past. Bounce ground penetrating radar through your heart. See what […]

What is an internal world model anyway?

There was a brief moment in my life when I thought it was obvious what an internal world model is. Self-evident, even! It’s the homunculus version of the cosmos as represented inside the confines of our skulls. Like this Emily Dickinson poem I found in one of Maria Popva’s always illuminating articles about consciousness: The […]

Is that when you decided to remove your implant?

Item code: Partial transcriptDate: 20330503 05:06:35Source: NeoBrane 1.8 cortical interface ExoRAM®™ cacheNote: Data retrieval partial due to implant damage got it done last year because Noah told me it did multiple orgasms for men. Before that I had the Neuron.XI. Which was fine, but it didn’t do that. Actually they specifically said it was impossible, […]

On Sticker Charts and Shoddy Science

Introduction I hate flossing. My mouth is small, my teeth crowded, the spaces between them difficult to reach. Twice a year, my dental hygienist entreats me to floss more frequently. Sometimes I assent, and mean it, and actually manage to make it work for a few months until I invariably get sick or injured or […]