LATEST ARTICLES

Just who do I think I am?

by Philip Yaffe

Each "Communication Corner" essay is self-contained; however, they build on each other. For best results, before reading this essay and doing the exercise, go to the first essay "How an Ugly Duckling Became a Swan," then read each succeeding essay.

Good advice is good advice no matter the source. However knowing something about its source can significantly reinforce one's desire to put that good advice into practice.

Workings of science: AI in 2156: the science of intelligence

by Kemal A. Delic, Jeff A. Riley

While most people are not familiar with the details of how artificial intelligence (AI) works, the term itself is becoming more familiar to the non-scientific community, to the point that it ("AI") has almost become part of the regular vernacular of the ordinary person. AI has been with us for a long time—from its first beginnings in ancient times in the form of automatons and other devices mimicking humans or other animals, through the middle of the last century when the term "artificial intelligence was actually coined, to the present times where it (the label rather than the actual technology) is entering the psyche of the general public. This article explores the notion that the technology we call artificial intelligence is not yet ripe but is establishing itself as a science in its own right, and that by 2156—the 200-year anniversary of the coining of the term—the technology should be in a position to deliver on its promises. ...

Workings of science: Is science limited to the sciences?

by Philip Yaffe

Albert Einstein once said, "The whole of science is nothing more than a refinement of everyday thinking." This thought was echoed by Carl Sagan, who said, "Every kid starts out as a natural-born scientist, and then we beat it out of them." These observations, and those of numerous other intellectual luminaries, strongly suggest that the common distinction made between what is science and non-science, say between physics and history, is more apparent than real. These, of course, are personal opinions based on personal observations This essay explores the intriguing idea that virtually everything is science. It also provides some recent scientific evidence that trying to distinguish between science and non-science is not only fruitless but can also do real harm to individuals and society as a whole.

The surprising benefits of a pre-first draft

by Philip Yaffe

Good expository (non-fiction) writers are good because they have interesting and important things to say. Wrong. Virtually everyone has interesting and important things to say; it's just that we aren't aware of them. Here is a technique to help you find your inner voice. ...