The Mental Machinery of the Chess Master

A strong player has spent years exploring the intricacies of chess. She studies her prior matches the way a football coach studies game tape.

The Blindfold and the Chestnuts

"We’re all wearing blindfolds, every moment of our lives," the teacher said, "and they come off far less easily than this cheap piece of cloth.”

The Bear in the Moonlight

“Probability is for the nights like these,” she continued. “It is for the nights of half-light. It is for the nights when we can make out a form, but cannot tell its precise shape."

20 Easy Steps for Trading Up from a Paper Clip to a House

8. Create a second corporation called “Paper Clip Investments” and fill the board with sycophantic yes men.

Black Boxes (or: Just Say No to Voodoo Formulas)

We’ve all got black boxes in our lives. A black box is a little mystery that you take for granted. It’s something you use without thinking, without skepticism, without once opening the lid to peek at the workings inside. For all you know, it might be powered by wind, water, cold fusion, hamster wheels—or even … Continue reading Black Boxes (or: Just Say No to Voodoo Formulas) →

A Math Professor Consults on a Hollywood Movie

The person who wrote that line is deeply confused about either equations or intercourse. I dare not ask which.

Is Memorization Necessary, Evil, or Both?

At The Atlantic today, I have an essay weighing in on the decades-long debate over memorization, trying to cut a middle path between two extremes: 1. "Memorization is the enemy. It's the antithesis of critical thinking and conceptual learning. Memorization's defenders are wilfully blind soldiers marching for an outdated tradition." 2. "Memorization is an essential tool for students. It's … Continue reading Is Memorization Necessary, Evil, or Both? →

Student Engagement, Method #47

“Let’s start the day with a warm-up.” “Does anyone have questions about the homework?” “Please discuss this problem with your partner.” “In your communism journals, describe the suffering of the proletariat at the indifferent hands of blood-loving capitalists.” “On the back of the quiz, denounce your parents for perpetuating the fat complacency of the bourgeoisie.” … Continue reading Student Engagement, Method #47 →

The Humor Writers and the Too-Big Sofa

“What do numbers even mean, anyway?” said David. “I say we try it.” So, being idiots, we did.

The Human and the Cosmic

Rest in peace, Neil Armstrong – you who did what any human could name, and what none could fathom.