A passage from Paul’s Epistle to Titus leaves us perplexed. The passage is this One of them, a prophet of their own, said, “Cretans are always liars, evil beasts, lazy gluttons.”(Titus 1:12) This statement is strange, not only because it is self-referencing (i.e., it claims something about itself) but it is self-contradicting (it implies about itself thatContinue reading “Are All Cretans Liars?”
Author Archives: mikeoara
An Experiment in Evolution
Is Darwinian evolution fact? I believe it is not, but who am I to judge? I am not a biologist, nor a paleontologist, nor a geologist. However, I am a software developer and I can develop programs to simulate various phenomena from real life. About a year ago I developed a program to simulate evolution.Continue reading “An Experiment in Evolution”
Politically (In)correct
In February 1956, Khrushchev delivered his famous secret speech at the congress of the Communist Party, in which he criticized Stalin for his abuses and cult of personality. It was a surprise not only for the delegates to the congress, but for the whole world. Aurel Popescu was at that time a “living space” inspectorContinue reading “Politically (In)correct”
Shaky Loyalty
I picked up this story from an Audible course, “The Fall and Rise of China.” In the 60s, somewhere in a remote Chinese village, there was a young man who came from a middle-class family. His “origin” was thus not a good one (“good” meant coming from a poor peasant family), therefore he had littleContinue reading “Shaky Loyalty”
My COVID Manifesto
Any online discussion about COVID is instantly generating passions, debates, and arguments. My own opinions are of a different kind and hope not to upset anyone. Here is my COVID manifesto: In all discussions about COVID, I take a humble position, recognizing my ignorance and leaving space for those with other opinions. They may orContinue reading “My COVID Manifesto”
Boltzmann Brains
The ever-growing knowledge of the complexity of the Universe and Life is leading many thinkers to the conclusion that such systems cannot appear at random but have an Intelligence behind them. They fit too much together and are fine tune to result in the possibility of stars, planets, life and finally, humans. The list ofContinue reading “Boltzmann Brains”
Philosophical Zombies
I will attempt to explain what Philosophical Zombies are and why they matter. Do not worry, philosophical zombies do not exist in reality, or at least we do not know of any. They are purely mental constructs used to make a “thought experiment” and draw conclusions. A philosophical zombie is defined as a being whichContinue reading “Philosophical Zombies”
When Democracy Fails
There are a number of sacred caws which dominate the minds of most Americans: free market, democracy, progress, capitalism, freedom. Neither of these are bad in themselves, on the contrary, they have produced better fruits compared with their opposites: controlled economy, authoritarianism, stagnation, socialism, social control. The problem is when we make them into sacredContinue reading “When Democracy Fails”
And Brutus is an Honorable Man
Imagine this: You want to say something which contradicts the social, political, or economic power above you. If you say what you really believe, you will be in trouble, fired, imprisoned, or cancelled. You must say what is expected of you, but in doing it, you want to express the opposite of what is expected.Continue reading “And Brutus is an Honorable Man”
Chain of Friendship Beats Unjust Punishment
This was happening in Romania, in 1975, when, at the age of nineteen I was doing my military service. After three months of basic training in a military unit, we all dreamed not of great acts of courage in battles, not of promotions, not of decorations, but of our kind and compassionate mothers who pamperedContinue reading “Chain of Friendship Beats Unjust Punishment”
Three Beautiful Songs Which I Detest
Here are three songs, well-known and with a powerful impact in the generations in which they first were first played. They have beautiful tunes, which are in perfect harmony with their message. These are the songs which we occasionally find ourselves humming, sometimes to our own surprise. They all have powerful messages which mold theContinue reading “Three Beautiful Songs Which I Detest”
Healing the Ethnic Wounds – The Turks
As I have announced earlier, I will write about reconciliations between nations, including only the cases closer to me, as I was born and grew in Romania. For most of its history, Romanian fought the Turks. They were our fierce and feared enemies. Our grievances After the Ottoman empire moved in Europe (finally conquering Constantinople)Continue reading “Healing the Ethnic Wounds – The Turks”
Healing Ethnic Wounds
In United States we often hear – unfortunately more and more – about racial tensions, racial injustice, and racial guilt. It is sad that we read or hear a lot about the negative aspects, and less about how to forgive, correct and heal. I had little exposure to racial problems, mostly limited to what IContinue reading “Healing Ethnic Wounds”
Turning the Tables
My mother has given me a wonderful example how to turn the tables on some powerful bureaucrat. This happened sometimes in 1983. I have left Romania in 1980 and did not plan to go back as long as Ceausescu was in power. I missed my parents and they missed me. Finally, my mother decided toContinue reading “Turning the Tables”
My Job Interviews
One can find articles, on internet or in various magazines, which advise job seekers how to behave during an interview. There are of course good behaviors, making a job offer more probable, and bad behaviors, which would rapidly disqualify a candidate. The articles offering advise often concentrate on fine points, with the assumption that thereContinue reading “My Job Interviews”