Author Archives: Brendan

Spacetime and the limits of human knowledge

Last night, while doing some math research for fun (and isn’t that just like me?), I found out that the universe is flat. By which I mean: the geometry of space-time has now been measured. It’s within 0.4% of flat-Euclidean, … Continue reading

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The Fermi Paradox Is Personal

Today, for my work-in-progress science-fiction novel, I’m researching the Fermi Paradox. Before you ask: No, I’ve never seen a UFO, and I find the conspiracy theories about government cover-ups implausible. I’m researching the Fermi Paradox because last night, while walking … Continue reading

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Brendan’s review of Barbie (2023)

Tonight I saw Barbie. I think people are going to be watching this movie, talking about it, finding inspiration in it, arguing about it, loving it, hating it, thinking about it, studying it, and in some way engaged by it, … Continue reading

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Midjourney and the Hyper-Real

Here’s a problem with AI-art, that I haven’t seen discussed elsewhere. It has nothing to do with copyright issues, or what images it “scrapes” off Google, etc. One of my favourite philosophical concepts is “the hyper-real” – a concept created … Continue reading

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Game Design Notes: The Flag of the Commonwealth of Summerland

I’m working on a tabletop RPG project which imagines if Robert Kirk’s “The Secret Commonweath of Elves, Fauns, and Fairies” (1815) had a scientific enlightenment and became a democratic republic. One of my questions: what would the flag look like? … Continue reading

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Clarence Comfort, My Grandfather. 1921-2022.

Two days ago, my grandfather died. He was a great man; he was one of the greatest men I have ever known. In August of last year, when he and my grandmother celebrated their 70th anniversary, I contributed the following … Continue reading

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Review of The Ministry For The Future, by Kim Stanley Robinson

Review by Brendan Myers. Kim Stanley Robinson’s The Ministry For The Future is a 2021 novel about a global diplomatic and humanitarian institution by the same name, commissioned to be the voice of future generations whenever there’s any kind of … Continue reading

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The Climate Reckoning Is Not Happening — Or, Has Reality Become Too Painful To Face?

Looking to the future, can we ask when The Wild Ride will end and The After will begin? I think it will end on the occasion when the climate crisis reaches a peak of destructive immensity beyond anyone’s ability to … Continue reading

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Bill and Ted Face the Music: a study of GenX and Millennial tension?

Have you seen the trailer for the new Bill And Ted movie coming out? It gave me an awful feeling. Not that it wouldn’t be fun– in fact I think it will be great fun, and I plan to see … Continue reading

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How shall we face the earth, under the conditions of the climate crisis?

These are the first several paragraphs of my work-in-progress book on philosophy and ecology. Some other draft selections from the book can also be found here and here and here. I invite your comments! -Bren. How should we human beings … Continue reading

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