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McGann Freestone

The work of Jamie Freestone and Mathew McGann

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Category: Essays

Posted on August 9, 2016August 9, 2016
Cat Links Essays

One way AGI might not happen

Basically, comp sci hasn’t had its arse handed to it yet.  Some people think some physicists are arrogant condescending arseholes. It’s more true to say that most physicists reliably become arrogant and condescending for aContinue readingOne way AGI might not happen

Posted on April 14, 2015March 22, 2019
Cat Links Blog, Essays

Islamophobic? Maybe

There is a significant overlap between those who criticise Islam and those who have a cultural fear of Middle Eastern Muslim migrants. The latter is surely what people mean when they speak of Islamophobia:Continue readingIslamophobic? Maybe

Posted on January 7, 2015January 17, 2015
Cat Links Essays

What I want to do

No absurdist black comedy here, no self-referential meta-games, no antitheistic polemics. This is actually a sincere post, summarising what I’ve really been thinking about for five years and what IContinue readingWhat I want to do

Posted on September 5, 2014March 24, 2015
Cat Links Blog, Essays

The philosophy of mathematics: interesting

In fact it’s a fascinating topic and one that I’m weirdly obsessed with, so much so that when some friends decided to form a  quarterly essay club I decided toContinue readingThe philosophy of mathematics: interesting

Posted on February 2, 2014July 24, 2014 Do it
Cat Links Essays

The Struggle

Completing an ill-conceived PhD thesis is a lot like strangling to death, someone you once loved. It’s been four years of wonderful freedom and tenure. Through this time you’ve nurturedContinue readingThe Struggle

Cat Links Essays

Science Communication: Hopeless?

Mathew Posted on January 25, 2014January 31, 2014

Last year my colleague (and — I suppose — friend) Mathew McGann and I participated in the Canberra focus group for the Australian Science Communicators (ASC) audit of how the discipline is doing in Australia. The resultsContinue readingScience Communication: Hopeless?

Cat Links Essays

How to Sound Smart to Dumb People

Mathew Posted on December 14, 2012February 2, 2014

Reading this article by my friend Zoya Patel, editor of Lip magazine, about people who use the word feminazi, I was reminded of something I used to tell my students about the language they chose to use inContinue readingHow to Sound Smart to Dumb People

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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