Is the Richat structure Atlantis?
The Richat structure in Mauritania is the closest known match to Plato’s description of Atlantis. There is no positive evidence to directly tie the two together or of an ancient civilization in the Richat, but it is in the right place, matches the geography of Plato’s...
What did Plato say about Atlantis?
I’ve known for a long time that Plato discusses Atlantis and its fall. However, I never knew the context. After watching some videos on Atlantis theory, I decided to grab a copy of Timaeus and Critias and have a look at what Plato actually says about the city. Plato...
What is Universally Preferable Behavior?
Growing up as an undiagnosed Aspie, I found it interesting to see how things worked. This meant systems, patterns of behavior, and so on. Eventually this got me into archaeology and then history. More recently this has morphed into philosophy, neurology, and...
Do we need social media?
TL:DR: We do not need social media in order to live our lives happily. Social media is more of a want than a need, and in that regard it can lead to distractions, loneliness, stress, and depression. For more rewarding social interactions, try going offline for 30 days...
What is the happiness paradox?
“Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.” American Declaration of Independence If there is one aspiration to unite all of humans, then surely it is the pursuit of happiness. It’s even in the American Declaration of Independence. Should it be? Should we all aspire...
Did Leonardo da Vinci have ADHD?
Leonardo da Vinci, one of the greatest polymaths to have ever lived, demonstrated many of the characteristics and co-morbidities associated with ADHD. From his inability to complete projects and restlessness to his unique sleeping habits, Leonardo has recently been...
What are ghost populations?
Ghost populations are fragments of human DNA which belong to unknown humanoid ancestors. DNA and genome studies into 300,000 years of humanity has shown a rich and complicated picture of archaic and modern elements spread over a wide range of areas and times. Some of...
How to journal like Leonardo da Vinci
To journal like Leonardo da Vinci, you need to keep your journal with you. Write about everything - thoughts, jokes, ideas, self-affirmations, and more. You can doodle, write backwards or in code. Just get it all down. In 1994, billionaire tech entrepreneur, Bill...
What food did Leonardo da Vinci eat?
Dietary advice is ten a penny at the moment. Scientific studies which cannot be replicated are taken as gospel until contradicted and every celebrity has some goopy idea or other. So it is no surprise some are going back to long dead greats to see what their diets...
Did the Justinian Plague affect Britain?
The Justinian plague had a devastating yet unequal effect on Britain in the 6th century. The Romano-British kingdoms which still traded extensively with the remnants of the Roman Empire fell victim to the plague en mass. While some of the English were affected, many...
Who were Saelferth, Sigeferth and the Secgans?
Saelferth and Sigeferth were two prominent members of the Secgan tribe. They are only mentioned in the Finnesburg Fragment and the poem Widsith. All we can tell for certain is that Saelferth was a king and Sigeferth a landless wrecca. On top of this, I suggest in this...
Where was the Fight at Finnesburg?
The Fight at Finnesburg took place at Finn’s stronghold in Frisia. All we can guess from the Finnesburg Fragment and the episode in Beowulf is that Finnesburg was a defended hall with a settlement around it, and that it was cut off from ships by winter ice. The...
Do we need social media?
TL:DR: We do not need social media in order to live our lives happily. Social media is more of a want than a need, and in that regard it can lead to distractions, loneliness, stress, and depression. For more rewarding social interactions, try going offline for 30 days...
Can we know everything?
Is it possible to know everything there is to know? That’s a question which came to me while cooking dinner the other night. It part came from the world around me at that moment and part from movies where humans tap into unused brain space for limitless knowledge and...
What is selective ignorance?
Have you ever felt overloaded by all the information coming at you? It’s not just that so much of it is biased or inaccurate, it’s the sheer quantity. We get it on the TV, on social media, from news sites, in search engine results, from friends, and on YouTube. I’ve...
What are the virtues of isolation?
The virtues of isolation are an opportunity for self-reflection, a change to change and improve yourself, better connection with nature, and increased creativity. In addition to this, isolation can improve empathy, concentration, and memory creation. It has its risks,...
What is Universally Preferable Behavior?
Growing up as an undiagnosed Aspie, I found it interesting to see how things worked. This meant systems, patterns of behavior, and so on. Eventually this got me into archaeology and then history. More recently this has morphed into philosophy, neurology, and...
Is Unconscious Bias a Myth?
We all know, especially those of us who work in business or are interested in equal rights (or both), how unconscious bias is supposed to work. There is a tranche of rhetoric and dogma which says that people - by this we usually mean white men, are innately biased...
Should We Make Everyone Normal?
No, we should not try to make everyone normal. Firstly, it is subjective to determine what normal is anyway - is it the majority? the average? Furthermore, it impinges on the basic human rights to force others to conform to an arbitrary standard or definition of...
Logic
What is Logic? The Way of the Runari: A Brief Introduction The Principles of Runari 5/12 “Writing structure is logical. Writing method at its best is instinctive. That way you get the benefits of both styles – improvisation within calculation.” Stewart Stafford “There...
Responsibility
What is Responsibility? The Way of the Runari: A Brief Introduction The Principles of Runari 4/12 “You cannot escape the responsibility of tomorrow by evading it today.” Abraham Lincoln “A true gentleman puts responsibility upon himself but not upon others.” Confucius...
Freedom
What is Freedom? The Way of the Runari: A Brief Introduction The Principles of Runari 3/12 “The only freedom which deserves the name is that of pursuing our own good in our own way, so long as we do not attempt to deprive others of theirs, or impede their efforts to...
Create
What is Creation? The Way of the Runari: A Brief Introduction The Principles of Runari 2/12 “‘If you wish to rule the state, first pacify your family. If you wish to pacify your family, first discipline yourself. If you wish to discipline yourself, first make right...
What are Plato’s Five Regimes?
Plato’s five regimes are, in this order, aristocracy, timocracy, oligarchy, democracy, and tyranny. Of these, Plato favored aristocracy in his ideal state and branded the other four as imperfect societies. The Greek philosopher Plato is one of the most famous...
What is Plato’s Theory of Forms?
When did you learn that a table is a table? Chances are it was when you were but a toddler. A parent no doubt told you that this was a table and that was a table, so your brain processed the information and created a notion of the table. Or did it? Do we put together...
What is Aristotle’s theory of forms
In my previous piece on Plato’s theory of forms, I asked the question - how do we know a table is a table? As Plato’s most famous student, it is no surprise that Aristotle too had an opinion on Forms. What may surprise those new to Aristotle is that he rejected his...
Who invented capitalism?
Adam Smith is erroneously associated with the invention of Capitalism. As is the corpulent theorist, Karl Marx. However, neither of them invented the term nor popularized it. That being said, Marx is the originator of the idea of capitalism. This article will look at...
The 5 traits you need to become a Master
The five traits you need to obsess over in order to become a master are growth, negative feedback, truth, skills (not knowledge) and failure. In a recent video (see below), Modern Health Monk, AKA Alexander Heyne, outlined his five traits you need to become a master....
What are ghost populations?
Ghost populations are fragments of human DNA which belong to unknown humanoid ancestors. DNA and genome studies into 300,000 years of humanity has shown a rich and complicated picture of archaic and modern elements spread over a wide range of areas and times. Some of...
What is Homo Luzonensis?
In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit. Tolkien was thinking of a low hillock crowned by a great tree probably somewhere in his native Warwickshire. After his philological discovery he came to the conclusion there were three hobbit races - the harfoots, the...
What is the English name for bear?
Ok, I have a thing for bears. It’s not the cuteness though it might be a childhood evolution of loving Winnie the Pooh. They are surprising human-like in some aspects, are powerful despite all the fluff, and have permeated our mythologies. So you can imagine my shock...
What are Machiavelli’s three types of intelligence?
As someone who is on the autism spectrum, I’ve always been curious about the different ways in which people think. If I had a pound for every time what I think is a simple statement is met with a completely unexpected interpretation and response, I’d be richer than...