Sharing what I have learned from what I have read: A blog by Joe Abittan
I am always fascinated by the idea, that continually demonstrates validity in my own life, that the more we learn about something, the more realize how little we actually know about it. I am currently reading Yuval Noah Harari's book Sapiens: A Brief History of Humankind, and I am continually struck by how often Harari … Continue reading Understanding the Past
This morning, while reading Sapiens by Yuval Noah Harari, I came across an idea that was new to me. Harari writes, "Chaotic systems come in two shapes. Level one chaos is chaos that does not react to predictions about it. ... Level two chaos is chaos that reacts to predictions about it." The idea is … Continue reading Availability Cascades
I entered a Master's in Public Administration program at the University of Nevada in 2016. I started the same semester as the 2016 election of President Donald Trump. I was drawn toward public policy because I love science, because I have always wanted to better understand how people come to hold political beliefs, and because … Continue reading Why We Talk About Human Nature
As I got about half-way through my undergraduate degree, a key thought process in my brain began to change. It was an intentional change on my part, and one that took quite a lot of effort. After several years I was able to stop seeing agency in things that were not alive. I was able … Continue reading Seeing Agents