This is short 3-minute speech by writer and performer Aaron Freeman about why you want a physicist to speak at your funeral. It originally appeared on NPR1. You can listen to it right here, or read the transcript below: Why You Want a …
The Ovarian Lottery — A Thought Experiment from Warren Buffett
The "Ovarian Lottery" is a short thought experiment popularized by Warren Buffett. The idea is borrowed from John Rawls, a Harvard philosopher and author of A Theory of Justice. There are also earlier references like "Ovarian Roulette" from Dr. …
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The Parable of the Beggar: The Treasure You Seek is Within You
The parable of the beggar is a short story about true wealth and enlightenment from The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle (Amazon). The Parable of the Beggar: The Treasure You Seek is Within You A beggar had been sitting by the side of …
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The Blind Men and The Elephant: A Short Story about Perspective
The parable of the blind men and the elephant dates back to Buddhist, Hindu, and Jain writings. Apparently, the Buddhist text Udana 6.4 contains one of the earliest versions of the story—dated all the way back to around c. 500 BCE. …
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The Five Balls of Life: A Very Short Story about Balance
It turns out I've been incorrectly attributing the five balls of life quote until now! Previously, I thought this quote came from James Patterson. But, thanks to Mark Turner's investigative work, it looks like the original source is a 1991 Georgia …
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A Lifetime by the Numbers — “Sum: Forty Tales from the Afterlives” by David Eagleman
I was compelled to pick up Sum: Forty Tales from the Afterlives by David Eagleman (Amazon) after Derek Sivers said it's his favorite book of all time. For context, Derek has read 250+ books—so this is quite the recommendation. David Eagleman is a …
