by Phil Houseal | Oct 2, 2024 | All Articles, Education, History, Philosophy
Oct 2, 2024–Do you know anyone who shies away from going to parties and public events? Maybe you consider them to be aloof or distant. They seem not to be interested in spending time with anyone. They forsake parties, avoid luncheons, never go to movies or backyard...
by Phil Houseal | Sep 25, 2024 | All Articles, Education, Philosophy
Sept 25, 2024–In the 1980s I brainstormed the idea of harnessing the energy of “people walking around” by installing turnstyles on the sidewalks of New York. My theory was that the small bursts of energy generated by people pushing through narrow openings would create...
by Phil Houseal | Sep 18, 2024 | All Articles, Education, History, Philosophy
Sept 18, 2024–Don’t walk under a ladder. Don’t let a black cat cross your path. Knock on wood. Step on a crack; break your mother’s back. We’ve all heard these and other superstitions since we were in grade school. They sound childish and were the source of harmless...
by Phil Houseal | Aug 21, 2024 | All Articles, Education, People of the Hill Country, Philosophy
Aug 21, 2024–Name as many animals as you can, in one minute. Congratulations, you just helped researchers calibrate a digital test for brain health. Recently I set an appointment to help Austin-based BrainCheck conduct such a research study. A polite gentleman...
by Phil Houseal | Aug 7, 2024 | All Articles, Education, History, Philosophy
Aug 7, 2024–The first time more than two cavemen got together to go hunting, one of them stepped up and said, “Here are the rules.” Only it sounded like, “Ug, oomba dooga. sheboygan.” Every meeting ever held since that time, has started with someone reciting the rules...
by Phil Houseal | Jul 3, 2024 | All Articles, Education, Philosophy
July 3, 2024–Making decisions might go smoother if we shaved them using Occam’s Razor. Occam’s Razor is a philosophical rule, which I’ve always understood as the simplest solution is usually the correct one. More accurately stated, Occam’s Razor is “a principle of...
