Daniel Goldman
Visit my homepage. I am a polymath and a rōnin scholar with interests in many areas, including political science, economics, history, and philosophy. I've been writing about all of these topics, and others, for the past two decades.
The Economic Value and Social Benefits of Volunteer Work
Volunteer work is generally considered to be any unpaid work. Volunteers help with a variety of social issues, and without them, the world would be much worse off. Volunteers help people and pets in need. They help build homes, provide food, and more. These services add so much economic and social value to society, and yet they're sadly overlooked.
Daniel GoldmanPublished about a month ago in HumansDNA is not a Blueprint
Education is hard. Unfortunately it’s often necessary to simplify a concept for people to understand it when they’re first learning about it. Educators want children to learn concepts about how biological systems work, but some concepts are too complicated to explain in an accurate way. DNA is one of those topics. Sadly, as students learn, their simplified understanding of the topic is rarely corrected.
Daniel GoldmanPublished about a month ago in FYIScience Misconceptions
Folk science and actual science differ considerably in many cases. While they may not have much bearing on every day life, these misconceptions are still troubling and should be corrected by science communicators and educators. While the list is nearly endless, here are just a few science misconceptions.
Daniel GoldmanPublished 2 months ago in FYIThe Misuse of the word “Myth”
I originally wrote this article for a theme on Medium: reasonable doubt. I had largely forgotten about this piece until the (Un)common knowledge competition was announced. Pretty much everyone knows what a myth is, so it might be odd to have an article on the topic published in FYI and submitted to a challenge about uncommon knowledge. But the reason I'm rewriting this article for the challenge is because the average person's understanding of the term is simply incorrect.
Daniel GoldmanPublished 2 months ago in FYIAh, That's Some Robust Theory You've got there!
Science communication is broken. And I don't just mean when scientists are communicating to the average person. Scientific papers are riddled with poor terminology that illustrate a severe lack of understanding of the mechanisms that underlie scientific inquiry.
Daniel GoldmanPublished 2 months ago in HumansA New Age of Puppetry
Puppet shows have always been a way for people to take on different personalities, and speak more comfortably while directing attention towards the puppets and away from themselves. While there are still a number of popular shows featuring puppetry, and a few well known puppeteers, including Jeff Dunham, puppetry isn't as popular as it once was, with one exception.
Daniel GoldmanPublished 3 months ago in Geeks
My Love for Sushi and Chirashi Don
I love sushi. I’m a sushi addict, and often eat it at least twice a week. I love it for a number of reasons. One of the main reasons however is because of the variety. In a single meal you can have a half a dozen different types of fish or other ingredients, all served with (hopefully) high quality rice. I love sushi for its simplicity and respect for individual ingredients.
Daniel GoldmanPublished 6 months ago in FeastBeing Black Without Being Born Black
For centuries, people believed that humanity could be split into biological races. Those who were black were born from black families. Those who were white were born from white families. Race produced race, just as kind produced kind. But those notions have long been rejected by science. Genetic data indicates that race is not biological. We cannot determine lineage based on outward appearance.
Daniel GoldmanPublished 7 months ago in Longevity
