Because you are human — The serial entrepreneur, Elon Musk, founder of Tesla and Space X, was interviewed by the podcast host Joe Rogan. As they famously smoked herb, Rogan asked, “How do you keep inventing shit? There’s not a million Elon Musks. There’s one mother fucker!” Musk seemed troubled by the implication: that being…

The biological purpose of the conscious mind — Among the tall brown grasses of late summer, in the long pink light of a fading sun, my friend said, “I finally saw your TEDx talk. I want to tell you that it’s bullshit. You know me, I got to be truthful.” We had been hiking in what I thought…

What is the purpose of joy and suffering? — “I’m not going to hand over my kid. You don’t even know him!” Her tears fall onto my office couch. He responds, “Fuck you, Alyssa! He’s my kid too. And you are the reason I don’t know him.” He pauses, looks away. “Still a bitch.” I’m supposed to help this…

Who’s running this joint anyway? — It was late winter. A blustery morning. I was mountain biking. Raindrops pattered high branches. But below the canopy, the world was still dry. A sudden wind bent the redwoods. And then I saw it. To my left. Now behind me. I skidded to a stop. I was surprised I…

(but we could Go Down Loving) — Last Saturday my wife and I went to Trader Joes. We arrived twenty minutes before opening and were 30th in line. Everyone was spaced outside the store in six-foot gaps. Within ten minutes 50 people lined the street behind us. We strategized: Split up. Get meat, we are low on…