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McGann Freestone

The work of Jamie Freestone and Mathew McGann

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Category: Blog

Cat Links Blog, Thoughts

Brezhnev syndrome and why we’re bad at understanding others

Mathew Posted on May 17, 2022May 17, 2022

People unlike us Understanding others is hard, so hard that we default to very simple heuristics when doing so. The easiest one is empathy. We have pretty good access toContinue readingBrezhnev syndrome and why we’re bad at understanding others

Cat Links Blog, Thoughts

The meaning of science

Mathew Posted on September 28, 2021October 13, 2021

I used to be a science communicator. When I did a PhD, my research drew mainly on the philosophy of science and science studies. My postdoctoral research was getting moreContinue readingThe meaning of science

Posted on June 17, 2020June 19, 2020
Cat Links Thoughts

Nuclear policy is evil not irrational

Hey we’re all gonna die one day but did you know the US government has a plan for how we can all die together? Literally everyone should read Daniel Ellsberg’sContinue readingNuclear policy is evil not irrational

Cat Links External work

Human exceptionalism with a human face

Mathew Posted on April 23, 2019April 23, 2019

This is me on human exceptionalism for Areo, a rather good up and coming digital magazine. I point out the irony of using super-advanced scientific tools to do studies on crows toContinue readingHuman exceptionalism with a human face

Posted on February 1, 2019
Cat Links Letters

# 66 On scientific customs

Dear Jamie,  As agreed on the phone this letter will be the last for a while because we’ve agreed to start a new letter series on a friend’s new platform.Continue reading# 66 On scientific customs

Posted on January 11, 2019January 11, 2019
Cat Links Letters

#65 On the orthodoxy

Dear Mat, I think skyhook is a good name for a particular kind of bad explanation. Namely, one that doesn’t attempt to ground the phenomena it describes in things that we already thinkContinue reading#65 On the orthodoxy

Posted on December 26, 2018December 26, 2018
Cat Links Letters

#64 On the degrees of skyhookery

Dear Jamie, Your letter reminded me of one of the most mind-boggling experiences I had. I watched Derren Brown’s show Miracle. In Miracle, before the segment started, he told theContinue reading#64 On the degrees of skyhookery

Posted on December 10, 2018December 16, 2018
Cat Links Letters

#63 On magic tricks

Dear Mat, First off, we’re accusing one another of “essentialism” and “foundationalism”. I think we’re both against those things and think that science should be done accordingly. Truce? More importantly, I feelContinue reading#63 On magic tricks

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What this site is

This is a forum for the creative work of Mat McGann and Jamie Freestone. Hopefully you’ll find some good ideas on here that you won’t see anywhere else. There’s a blog, podcasts, satire, science communication, research, media appearances, a catalogue of our old stuff, etc.

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