Category Archives: Evo Psych

The Cognitive Science of Religion, Filed Under “Gaming”

Posted on October 29, 2014 by

http://hubpages.com/hub/The-Cognitive-Science-of-Religion This is a fascinating and important area of inquiry. I used to think that disavowing religion was like denying your blind spot, not because I think that everyone secretly believes in God but rather that if they don’t, they’ll … Continue reading →

Posted in Dungeons & Dragons, Evo Psych, Games, Politics, Religion | Tagged , , | 2 Comments

The Craft and Art(?) of Roleplaying Games

Posted on October 4, 2014 by

Since I wrote my essay for Baen early this year, I’ve continued to navel-gaze about rpgs. I’m far from having exhausted the topic for myself. Here are some of the strongest conclusions about them that I’ve arrived at:

Posted in Dungeons & Dragons, Evo Psych, Games, Writing | Tagged | Leave a comment

The Fallacy of Politics

Posted on October 4, 2014 by

If we really want progress, we should recognize a much more fundamental and deep divide than conservative versus liberal: those who use logical fallacies in argument and those who don’t. Liberalism and conservatism are the poles of constructive debate; as … Continue reading →

Posted in Evo Psych, Politics | Leave a comment

What the Manipulators Don’t Want You to Know

Posted on October 3, 2014 by

My wife reported that hospital charity care-costs in Oregon have been reduced by a third due to Obamacare. Why did it take so long to begin reforming healthcare? It’s amazing the irrational crap we put up with, isn’t it? But … Continue reading →

Posted in Evo Psych, Evolution, Politics | 2 Comments

Two Books to Read and Re-read

Posted on September 10, 2014 by

I’ve been collecting thoughts offline about the dismaying politicization of science by the left and right. The file has gotten long. It occurs to me that if you read just two books with close attention, you’ll be equipped to cut … Continue reading →

Posted in Evo Psych, Evolution, Politics | Leave a comment

“On the Nose” and the Value of Play

Posted on September 3, 2014 by

Lucius introduced me to the phrase “on the nose” in criticizing a passage I wrote: “In this bit where the guy’s wife is asking him questions, it’s too on-the-nose. People don’t usually talk like this, pursuing a straight-line goal. They … Continue reading →

Posted in Dungeons & Dragons, Evo Psych, Games, Lucius Shepard, Writing | 4 Comments

Dungeons, Dragons, Oblimids, and Archetypes: What You’ll Find Here

Posted on August 23, 2014 by

Geeky stuff, mostly. I’m an editor, student of multiple languages, gamer, and software developer, interested in science and especially evolution and its products, from strange creatures to the even stranger human mind. I’ve worked for Wizards of the Coast and Microsoft Games, among … Continue reading →

Posted in Evo Psych, Games, Monsters | 1 Comment