Gurteen Knowledge Letter
Issue 258 – December 2021
In looking back on the year, I came across two quotations that seemed appropriate for the Christmas season – both from Winston Churchill.
Christmas is a season not only of rejoicing but of reflection.
We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.
What can we all give in 2022? Showing a little more respect for each other, especially those with different views, might go a long way.
Here’s wishing you a reflective Christmas and a productive New Year.
Contents
- Writing aids critical thinking
What's the difference between writing and critical thinking? - You are never more than 4 minutes away from a banana
It's a hyperconnected world - How many people have ever lived?
About 100 billion - What can we learn from a smallpox epidemic in Boston 300 years ago?
Smallpox epidemic, Boston 1721 - Tweet of the Month November 2021
November 2021 - Help Keep My Work Alive
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Writing aids critical thinking
What's the difference between writing and critical thinking?
Jordan Peterson recently tweeted:
The best way to teach people critical thinking is to teach them to write because there's no difference between that and thinking.
Credit: Jordan Peterson
I would disagree that there is no difference, but writing certainly forces me to assess my ideas critically.
When I write and put some logic and structure to my ideas, I realize how poorly formed some of them are, which compels me to think more deeply about them. Sometimes things resolve themselves quickly, but other times it takes years.
I have so much unpublished material in Evernote that I am unhappy with which I keep coming back to, as I know, given time, something in my mind will click into place, and it will, at last, all make sense, and I can publish it.
You are never more than 4 minutes away from a banana
It's a hyperconnected world
Some time ago, at the Henley Forum, one of the speakers made the point that you're never more than four minutes away from a banana.
This struck a chord with me as it reminded me of flying from Edinburgh to Southampton at night some years ago.
I looked down at the cities and towns' lights and tried to figure out where I was. I often do this. It's not easy, but sometimes I spot a town or recognize a motorway or other distinguishing feature.
On this occasion, I was in a somewhat reflective mood, and it occurred to me that in every one of the supermarkets or corner shops in those towns, cities, and villages, I would be able to buy a banana.
It also occurred to me that I could buy a banana in many other countries worldwide, and I thought of where the banana might have been grown and its journey from its source to its final destination.
It reminded me of the connectedness of the world and our modern-day transport systems. Just how fantastic our supply and distribution channels are around the world. And what might happen if, for any reason, they were to break down. If that were the case, it would not just be a lack of bananas we would need to worry about.
It's this connectivity I've been writing about in the introduction to my blook.
So I found the speaker summed up something profound in saying that you're never more than four minutes away from a banana.
Henley Business School is almost certainly more than four minutes from Henley itself or a local shop, and momentarily I wondered if I could get hold of a banana within four minutes. It then occurred to me that there were almost certainly bananas in the restaurant. Maybe one minute's walk away. When we broke for coffee and croissants, what was on the table? Yes, you guessed it, a bowl of bananas - only seconds away.
How many people have ever lived?
About 100 billion
We are each one of about 100 billion humans (homo sapiens) who have ever lived. To my mind, it is not such a large number. I find it fascinating how the estimate was made.
What can we learn from a smallpox epidemic in Boston 300 years ago?
Smallpox epidemic, Boston 1721
Precisely 300 years ago, in 1721, Benjamin Franklin and his fellow Bostonians faced a deadly smallpox outbreak in America.
The story is fascinating and has many parallels with the current Covid pandemic. There is much we can learn from the episode. As the story shows, in 300 years, scientifically, we have progressed tremendously, but socially not so much.
Tweet of the Month November 2021
November 2021
Here is my top tweet for November.
Knowledge and cognition are not confined to the brain – other people and objects within our environment function as a part of an extended mind.
Help Keep My Work Alive
For almost 25 years, I’ve been sharing the Gurteen Knowledge Letter each month, and many of you have been reading it for five years or more. My Knowledge Café also reached a milestone, celebrating its 20th anniversary in September 2022.
If my work has made a difference to you, I’d be grateful if you could consider supporting it. A small monthly donation or any one-off contribution would greatly help cover some of my website hosting costs.
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David Gurteen
Gurteen Knowledge
Fleet, United Kingdom
