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| Trauma 45 |
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| Trauma 21 |
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| Scales 12 |
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| Sorrow |
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| Man with a Tangled Mind |
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| Woman with a Tangled Mind |
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| Tangled Mind 17 |
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| My colorful palette, reconfigured |
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| Grace Face 2 |
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| Grace Face 14 |
Consider long-distance transportation. Jetliners run on aviation kerosene; container ships, bulk carriers, and tankers burn diesel, bunker fuel, or liquefied natural gas. There are no batteries or hydrogen systems ready to power these vessels across oceans at the scale of today’s fleet. The same fossil fuels fire the massive rotating kilns that produce more than four billion tons of cement every year and provide the coke needed to smelt more than a billion tons of primary iron in blast furnaces—the very steel used to build wind-turbine towers and monopiles.
Then there’s agriculture and manufacturing. Nearly 200 million tons of ammonia (the backbone of synthetic fertilizer that feeds roughly half the world) and about 300 million tons of plastics start with compounds derived from natural gas and crude oil. Even space heating in much of the world still runs on natural gas. These are not niche uses. They are foundational.
Smil puts the scale in perspective: displacing roughly 10 billion tons of fossil carbon annually is fundamentally different from scaling up smartphones or electric cars. The latter happened in years; the former is a multi-decade challenge. Wishful thinking can't change chemistry or physics. Pretending we can simply “ban” oil companies ignores that the steel in wind turbines, the fuel in cargo ships, the fertilizer in our fields, and the plastics in our hospitals. They all trace back to the same hydrocarbons activists want to eliminate overnight.
Energy transitions are inevitable, but they must be guided by numbers, not slogans. Understanding the full scope of fossil fuels’ roles isn’t climate denial—it’s honesty. Until we acknowledge these dependencies, we’re not solving the problem; we’re just shouting at it.
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It seemed to me that he had some hard decisions to make. It's always hard to know when to quit something you have been passionate about. Still, there's no point in ignoring the obvious. He was never going to be a Cinderella Man, and to continue this route would only leave his brain more addled than it already was.
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On 6 June 2021 the Wall Street Journal published a review about Tris Dixon's powerful assessment of the sport of boxing titled Damage. The title of the piece succinctly sums it up: Damage Review: Boxing's Moral Quandary. Its subhead reads, "To remain a fan of the sport--to cheer on the punishment and ignore its consequences--constitutes a cruel form of enabling."
The book's subtitle is "The Untold Story of Brain Trauma in Boxing."
I grew up watching the career of Muhammed Ali from his first knockout of Sonny Liston as Cassius Clay. Audacious, fast and slippery he could indeed fly like a bird and sting like a bee. But time took its toll. They said it was Parkinsons Disease that made him so feeble later, but we were never told that Parkinsons is just one of the side effects of chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE).
For decades the NFL prided itself on its hard hits and "action" on the field, turning a blind eye on the data that revealed how detrimental the sport was to the health of its players. Broken bones and torn ligaments are one thing, but CTE is a wholly different animal.
Dixon's book goes back to early medical studies (e.g., Dr. Harrison Martland's 1928 paper on "punch drunk" fighters). It compiles neurological research linking repeated head trauma in boxing to CTE, cognitive decline, Parkinson's-like symptoms, and other irreversible damage. Every boxer sustains some level of brain injury, with effects that can appear years or decades later.
Dixon includes firsthand accounts from affected fighters and their families, such as the well-documented deterioration of Muhammad Ali and interviews with others like Micky Ward. It portrays former champions and journeymen alike as "scrapyard" figures—once-vibrant athletes reduced by cumulative trauma.
One notable element is how the introduction of padded gloves (intended to reduce cuts and acute injuries) paradoxically enabled longer fights, more head punches, and greater rotational force on the brain, potentially worsening long-term damage compared to bare-knuckle eras, which must have been brutal in their own way.
What's tragic is the sport's unwillingness or inability to seriously confront these issues—through better medical oversight, rule changes, or honest education for fighters. This is the book's most damning critique. It notes a culture of denial among some insiders who fear it harms the sport's image.
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Here are some additional links pertaining to boxing and ethics.
"2 plus 2 equals 4. In all places and for all time, 2 plus 2 equals 4. But why? What does math tell us about the nature of reality? "
In this episode of Uncommon Knowledge, Peter Robinson has assembled a panel comprised of mathematicians David Berlinski, Sergiu Klainerman, and Stephen Meyer to explore one of the deepest mysteries in science and philosophy: the reality of mathematics.
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You can find Uncommon Knowledge on the Hoover Institution channel on YouTube. If you enjoy grappling with life's biggest mysteries, or having your foundational belief structures challenged (or affirmed), you'll likely find a home here. The ideas discussed are often decidedly contrarian if you've blindly wallowed in mainstream narratives.
The program features a profound discussion on the nature of mathematics and its role in understanding reality, hosted by Peter Robinson and featuring guests David Berlinski, Sergio Klainerman, and Stephen Meyer in Salzburg, Austria. The central theme revolves around the objective nature of mathematics and its implications for comprehending the universe, exploring whether mathematical truths are inventions or discoveries.
Something I gleaned from my physicist uncle, which is re-asserted in these discussions, is that science is not a settled matter. True science is an ongoing exploration that finds answers that always end with "this is what we know for now." True science must be coupled with humility, willing to be proven wrong.
The great tragedy of science this past century is how much it has been infected by politics. As a result, massive rivers of financial support go to science projects that support political narratives. I've written before about how free speech has been squashed or discouraged. I'd not considered the degree to which free inquiry suffered in the sciences.
The purpose of this blog post is to recommend and encourage you to listen to this episode of Uncommon Knowledge titled Why Does 2 + 2 = 4. Here's what you'd be digging into.
Mathematician David Berlinski emphasizes the inherent stability and objective nature of mathematical truths such as numbers, suggesting they cannot be reduced to more fundamental entities. He asserts that mathematics has a consistent reality independent of human thought, challenging purely materialistic interpretations of the universe.
Sergio Klainerman, a mathematician known for his contributions to the study of hyperbolic differential equations, argues for the objectivity of mathematics, comparing it to physical reality. He illustrates this with the example of black holes, whose existence, while not directly observable, is predicted by consistent mathematical theories, thereby underscoring the non-empirical nature of mathematical knowledge.
Author Stephen Meyer, a philosopher of science and a leading proponent of the intelligent design movement, explores the philosophical implications of mathematical certainty, contrasting it with the empirical uncertainty of scientific hypotheses. He suggests that the high degree of certainty in mathematical proofs points towards a conceptual reality that transcends material existence, potentially indicating a divine or intelligent design.
The key concepts in this video include:
Mathematical Objectivity and Reality: The speakers explore how mathematical truths reflect an objective reality, questioning whether they are discovered or invented. This discussion intersects with philosophical notions concerning the existence of a conceptual realm.
Mathematics and Transcendence: Stephen Meyer and others discuss whether the objectivity of mathematics infers a transcendent reality, possibly residing in the mind of a divine being, challenging materialistic views of the universe.
Historical and Practical Impact: The panel examines the historical trajectory of mathematical ideas, such as the imaginary unit 'i' (square root of -1) and its significance in quantum mechanics, illustrating how abstract mathematical developments can profoundly influence scientific understanding.
Philosophical and Aesthetic Considerations: The conversation delves into philosophical mysteries around the existence of mathematical concepts, with reflections on whether beauty in mathematical theories serves as a guiding rule of thumb in scientific discovery.
Materialism and Interpretations of Reality: The limitations of materialism are discussed, with the panel considering non-material explanations for mathematical realities, echoing Newton's views on divine order.
One thing I like is how host Peter Robinson acknowledges that hs is standing in the shallow end of the pool when discussing these subjects with these others. Whether it's your field of interest or not I think you'll find the rewards of following along to be worth the work.
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Quite recently my interest in mathematics has been re-ignited by reading James Nickel's "Math Circles" on his Biblical Christian World View website. But what really captured my attention in this video was the title and its connection to Orwell's 1984. When Winston has been broken down inside the Ministry of Love, the phrase “2 + 2 = 5” is one of the most powerful symbols of totalitarian control. The Party isn’t satisfied with controlling actions—it wants to control reality. If it can make you accept that 2 + 2 = 5, then truth is no longer objective and reality becomes whatever authority says it is.
The goal isn’t just obedience—it’s belief. Winston isn’t “reformed” until he doesn’t just say 2 + 2 = 5 but when he actually accepts it and believes it as true.
We're not there yet, but there are certainly signs of that freedom of thought has been under attack these past 100 years. C.S. Lewis pointed out the erosion taking place in his Abolition of Man. If those in power can redefine the most basic truth, they can control everything else.
Because 2 + 2 = 4 seems so obvious, we can fail to grasp the implications that accompany this reality. It's only a starting point, but this episode of Uncommon Knowledge can open your mind to think more deeply about the amazing universe we find ourselves in.
On the street side of the "wall" is a replica of the Nobel Prize. On the front side are lines from his catalog of 600+ songs In front of that sits a chair where one is obliged to sit and to imagine. What was going through Robert Zimmerman's mind as he sat in school there during his teen years? If you sit here, you can try to imagine how this swirl of words drifted through his mind and flowed out from his pen.
I don't really know how the lyrics were selected, nor do I know how many people were tapped to share their thoughts or make those decisions, but it was a privilege for me to be privately invited to contribute, and later to help whittle down the lengthy list of suggestions.
That experience came to mind this week when I ran across the Word document I believe I'd submitted initially. I prefaced my seven-page submission with an acknowledgment that I knew some were unsuitable due to length, "but in sifting through the Dylan catalog I was once more reminded of how astonishing he is as a writer. The first page here is my 'top of the mountain' list. Feel free to select from the rest which are all exceptionally good."
I won't share all. We'll just call this an appetizer.
“There must be some way out of here,” said the Joker to the Thief.
--All Along the Watchtower
Anything I can sing, I call a song. Anything I can't sing, I call a poem.
--liner notes, The Freewheelin’ Bob Dylan
Art is the perpetual motion of illusion. The highest purpose of art is to inspire.
--Rolling Stone interview, 1978
You want to write songs that are bigger than life.
--Chronicles, Vol. 1
If someone had ever told me that I had the slightest chance of winning the Nobel Prize, I would have to think that I'd have about the same odds as standing on the moon.
--Nobel Lecture
How many roads must a man walk down before they call him a man?
--Blowing in the Wind
I’ll know my song well before I start singing.
It’s a hard rain’s a-gonna fall.
--Hard Rain
Through the mad mystic hammering of the wild ripping hail,
The sky cracked its poems in naked wonder.
--Chimes of Freedom
But for the sky there are no fences facin’
--Mr. Tambourine Man
He not busy being born is busy dying
--It’s Alright, Ma (I’m Only Bleeding)
In the fury of the moment I can see the Master’s hand
In every leaf that trembles, in every grain of sand
--Every Grain of Sand
You don’t need a weatherman
To know which way the wind blows
--Subterranean Homesick Blues
My love she laughs like the flowers
Valentines can’t buy her
--Love Minus Zero/No Limit
I’m ready to go anywhere, I’m ready for to fade
Into my own parade, cast your dancing spell my way
I promise to go under it
--Mr. Tambourine Man
The ghost of ’lectricity howls in the bones of her face
Where these visions of Johanna have now taken my place
--Visions of Johanna
Oh, Mama, can this really be the end
To be stuck inside of Mobile
With the Memphis blues again
--Stuck Inside of Mobile with the Memphis Blues Again
Dear landlord
Please don’t put a price on my soul
My burden is heavy
My dreams are beyond control
--Dear Landlord
I pity the poor immigrant
Who wishes he would’ve stayed home
--I Pity the Poor Immigrant
To see him obviously framed
Couldn’t help but make me feel ashamed to live in a land
Where justice is a game
--Hurricane
Señor, señor, do you know where we’re headin’?
Lincoln County Road or Armageddon?
Seems like I been down this way before
Is there any truth in that, señor?
--Señor (Tales of Yankee Power)
Precious angel, under the sun
How was I to know you’d be the one
To show me I was blinded, to show me I was gone
How weak was the foundation I was standing upon?
--Precious Angel
The enemy is subtle, how be it we are so deceived
When the truth’s in our hearts and we still don’t believe?
--Precious Angel
Now he worships at an altar of a stagnant pool
And when he sees his reflection, he’s fulfilled
--License To Kill
What good am I if I’m like all the rest
If I just turn away, when I see how you’re dressed
If I shut myself off so I can’t hear you cry
What good am I?
--What Good Am I?
Well, my sense of humanity has gone down the drain
Behind every beautiful thing there’s been some kind of pain
--Not Dark Yet
I got my back to the sun ’cause the light is too intense
I can see what everybody in the world is up against
--Sugar Baby
Lot of things can get in the way when you’re tryin’ to do what’s right
--Honest With Me
As I walked out tonight in the mystic garden
The wounded flowers were dangling from the vines
--Ain’t Talkin’
In Scarlet Town where I was born
There’s ivy leaf and silver thorn
--Scarlet Town
Another day that don't end
Another ship goin' out
Another day of anger, bitterness, and doubt
I know how it happened
I saw it begin
I opened my heart to the world and the world came in
--False Prophet
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Figures like Leonardo da Vinci and Leon Battista Alberti were not only artists but thinkers who sought underlying order in the world. They were deeply influenced by classical ideas of harmony, especially the belief that mathematics revealed the structure of reality. This conviction shaped both painting and architecture.
One of the most intriguing patterns associated with Renaissance art is the Fibonacci sequence and its related “Golden Ratio.” While not always applied consciously in a strict numerical sense, its proportions—roughly 1:1.618—appear repeatedly in compositions. Painters arranged figures, horizons, and focal points along these invisible lines, creating balance that feels natural rather than forced. The eye is gently guided, not commanded.
What makes this especially compelling is that these patterns mirror those found in nature: the spiral of a shell, the arrangement of leaves, the unfolding of galaxies. Renaissance artists believed they were not imposing order but participating in it—echoing a design already embedded in creation.
In this sense, pattern is not decoration. It is revelation. It is the quiet framework beneath the visible surface, the hidden scaffolding that gives a work of art its unity and power. And once you begin to see it, it is hard to unsee—the world itself starts to look like a carefully composed canvas.
Elton Trueblood once suggested that if the world is the product of an Infinite Mind, its beauty should not surprise us. That idea becomes more than philosophical speculation when you begin to trace patterns—not just in art or music, but in mathematics itself.
Educator/mathematician James Nickel describes how for him this realization did not come through formal schooling, but almost by accident. While preparing to teach high school mathematics in the early 1980s, he began exploring resources that connected numbers to the real world—books on geometry in art, the growth patterns of nature, and the Fibonacci sequence. What struck him was not merely the elegance of the numbers, but their recurrence—in shells, architecture, spirals, and proportions that seemed to echo across creation.
Equally striking was what had been missed. Traditional math education, with its emphasis on deduction and abstraction, often stripped away this sense of wonder. Geometry became a system of proofs rather than a language describing reality. The “pattern” was still there, but the meaning had been muted.
And so the rediscovery of pattern becomes, in a sense, a recovery of vision—learning again to see what was always present.
Check out this interview with author/mathematician James Nickel on The Wonders of the Fibonacci Sequence.
