Every now and then I come across someone online who is mistrustful. They don’t trust the government, or the World Health Organization, or the traditional media, or the Centres for Disease Control, or even fact checkers. I can understand why someone would have their doubts about some of the actions of these institutions, but we […]
Imagine that you are going to be away for a long period of time, and so you ask your good neighbour to take care of the house for you. He says “Of course! No worries. I’ll be happy to.” Then he says, “By the way, we’ve got guests coming for a short stay. Can they […]
We don’t see suspenders holding up pants much these days, except on some business attire, at Pride parades, and in wedding parties. And, it is one of the quirks of the language that in the U.S. braces are the wire restraints on teeth, and in the UK suspenders are used to hold up stockings. In […]
Is coffee good for you, or bad? How about wine? What is the latest on gluten–does anyone know? Warm-up exercises are either essential or a waste of time, and homeopathic remedies are either closer to nature or criminally dangerous. It seems as though we have been fed a steady diet of junk science […]
Several years ago I met someone online whose empathy helped me with the daily tribulations that accompanied my husband’s illness and, ultimately, his death. I appreciated his friendship and looked forward to exchanging emails with him. Unfortunately, it turned out that his empathy was not without self-interest. Little by little, one small crisis at a […]
The more complex a thing is, the more likely I am to trust it. Things like online statements of understanding, loan contracts, and car maintenance estimates have become the pause before the signature. I don’t usually read them. Some of you will now be saying things like “What idiot would do such a thing?” and […]
My ventromedial prefrontal cortex is shrinking! At least, that’s my excuse. I recently read an article in the Globe and Mail which says that as we get older our ability to doubt is impaired because this part of the brain begins to shrink.* This means that we are more likely to believe Nigerians who want […]
