Category: Society
-
The Benefits of Software
The benefits of software are often one or more steps removed from the software developers who actually do the work. Here are a few examples from my career as a software developer. Why does this matter? Software developers feel good about their work when it is well designed. This is an intrinsic motivator. That being…
-
Better?
There are people who do better than me in every area of life. Ramit Sethi is wealthier than me. Lee Smolin, Carlo Rovelli, and others are much better physicists than me. Robert Reich, Richard Feynman, and others are better teachers than me. Linus Torvalds, Donald Knuth, Bjarne Stroustrup, and others are much better computer programmers…
-
Positive Changes
We live in a time of change. I suppose that all people who have ever lived would agree. Which is to say that humans have always faced times of change. The question is whether we’re moving our world in a positive or negative direction. In many ways, the world is better off now than when…
-
Improving How Society Works for ALL People
If you’re among the 1% of people who make LOTS of money in the USA, you might think everything here is working fine. That’s NOT the case! When 99% of people are not seeing productivity gains reflected in their paychecks, the system is NOT working for our society. While other issues matter, income inequality is…
-
The Question of Free Will
Throughout the ages, people have debated the question of whether we have much of a choice in the actions we take. While we seem to have the appearance of Free Will, sometimes we also seem to be bound to our individual fates. I’m excited to see James Clerk Maxwell join in the conversation. The Life…
-
Convenience
Modern progress is characterized by a movement toward convenience. Using a telephone is more convenient than sending a telegraph. In some ways, streaming content can be more convenient than watching DVD’s. When dishes and laundry had to be hand-washed, this activity took much more time than when dishwashers, washing machines, and dryers could be used.…
-
The Age of Things
Things matter. What things impact our lives at this time? Phones, airplanes, cars, social media, computers, cameras, the printing press, agriculture, fire, and more are worthwhile candidates. Let’s consider the age of things with regard to how they impact our lives. As a kid, I checked out lots of books from the local library. (The…
-
Underwhelmed
I’m feeling underwhelmed. On July 4, 2025, people in the USA are celebrating Independence Day. I’m thrilled for the people who are enjoying the revelry. I hear the firecrackers from China, and I think of the tariffs that may make them scarce next year. Mostly, I’m upset about the Big Beautiful Bill that is going…
-
Wealth in Society
When I was a kid, the United States of America had a strong and vibrant middle class. This led to lots of innovation and growth. Here’s a report that provides a decent look at the data. The key take-away is that income and wealth inequality has risen significantly since the 1970’s. In practical terms, this…
-
Wealth Building
I’ve written about this topic previously. In this post, I want to keep it as simple as possible. We pretty much all know how to build wealth. Simply spend less than you earn; then, save and invest the rest. The concept is simple. Putting it into practice is not so easy. The problem is that…