Daniel Goldman
Bio
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.
Stories (71/0)
Lockdowns are Directing the Evolution of Novel COVID Strains
Everyone in learns, in biology class, that evolution is governed by forces like natural selection. Sometimes natural selection is referred to as "survival of the fittest," though that's not quite right. Fitness merely changes the probability of different traits surviving within a population. But natural selection isn't simply a biological force. It is an environmental force. Fitness changes based on the environment. A trait that's detrimental in one environment might be useful in another. Sometimes the environment changes for natural reasons. Sometimes humans change the environment.
By Daniel Goldman3 years ago in FYI
Psychoanalyzing Fictional Characters
Psychoanalysis is a useful skill. Professionally, therapists use psychoanalysis to help treat patients. However, a lot of internet folks have a tendency to psychoanalyze friends, family, or even people they've never met. It might be helpful to use an informal analysis to judge how someone will react and how to respond to them, but people go way too far.
By Daniel Goldman3 years ago in Humans
I Regret Finishing My Degree
We all do things we regret. I've done plenty. Some of what I've done I'd rather not talk about. But if I'm going to come clean about anything, it's that I wasted a lot of money on college. No. I didn't spend all night partying only to fail my classes. I was never that kind of student.
By Daniel Goldman3 years ago in Confessions
The Depressing Idea of Hanlon's Razor
Philosophy is a fun topic. Within philosophical discourse, there's a tool known as a "razor." In particular, Hanlon's Razor states that one should never attribute to malice that which can be adequately explained by stupidity. It is one of many "razors" that exist in philosophical discussion, the most well known of which is probably Occam's razor, though there are many others.
By Daniel Goldman3 years ago in FYI
Setting the Mood to Meditate
Meditation I studied meditation and mindfulness practices while working towards my Yoga Alliance teacher certification. Meditation is an interestingly practice, because it's the practice of focusing on nothing. The goal of meditation is complete mental calm. But it's not an easy thing to obtain. The moment we think we've obtained this mental peace, we've lost it, because we've thought about it!
By Daniel Goldman3 years ago in Longevity
Reviewing Imperia Caviar
Social media algorithms are interesting. Large amounts of combined personal data from numerous individuals is aggregated in order to target ads and other posts. Sometimes these algorithms are way off and sometimes they're spot on. It may feel like an intrusion into our lives, and to an extent it is, but at least the same time, it's almost like having a 24/7 concierge service that constantly provides recommendations.
By Daniel Goldman3 years ago in Feast
My First Date With My Lovely Girlfriend
Relationships are very complicated, but worthwhile. Long distance relationships are even more complicated, but probably are becoming much more common as people spend more time meeting others online. I happen to be in a very long distance relationship, and I spend a lot of time thinking about how things will go when we finally meet in person. This story is a work of fiction, but only for now hopefully.
By Daniel Goldman3 years ago in Wander
Every Pet is a Once-in-a-Lifetime Pet
I recently had to say goodbye to my once-in-a-lifetime pet, a cat named Smokey. He was an oddball who showed up at our house one day and simply never left. For over ten years he was my best friend. When I went off to college, he was my roommate. I almost certainly spent more time with him than any human.
By Daniel Goldman3 years ago in Petlife
A Few Suggested Movies and Series With Common Themes: Food and The Human Condition
Sometimes you watch something, and you're immediately reminded of another show or movie that you've watched in the past. That's exactly what happened to me the other day. I started rewatching one of my favorite Japanese dramas recently, and it reminded me of a few other shows and a movie. If any of my readers have seen one of these productions, I'd whole heartedly suggest the others.
By Daniel Goldman3 years ago in Geeks
- Top Story - March 2021
Star Trek: The OrvilleTop Story - March 2021
I love The Orville. It has a great dynamic between characters. There’s plenty of scifi. It’s a lot of fun. And overall, I’d say it’s scifi, and Trek, done right. I don’t think it was his intention, but MacFarlane, in trying to make a show that somewhat parodied Star Trek, while also being a homage to it, really did create a spiritual successor to Star Trek instead. This article is an updated version of my original review, written near the beginning of season one.
By Daniel Goldman3 years ago in Futurism
A Few Ingredients Is All You Need
I admit it. I eat out at restaurants far more than I should. I like going to a bar, having a couple of drinks, trying new food, and really just hanging out. Perhaps it’s because I’m an ambivert, or whatever fad term people want to use. But it’s hard on my wallet, being a “starving” writer and all. So I do try to cook as much as I can. And honestly, I’m rather impressed with myself.
By Daniel Goldman3 years ago in Lifehack