A wonderful area for speculative academic work is the unknowable. These days religious

subjects are in disfavor, but there are still plenty of good topics. The nature of

consciousness, the workings of the brain, the origin of aggression, the origin of language, the

origin of life on earth, SETI and life on other worlds... this is all great stuff.... See more

The willingness to admit ignorance. Modern science is based on the Latin injunction ignoramus – ‘we do not know’. It assumes that we don’t know everything. Even more critically, it accepts that the things that we think we know could be proven wrong as we gain more knowledge. No concept, idea or theory is sacred and beyond challenge. The centrality

... See more

When we try to force nature into the boxes of culture, we lose the breathing room where boredom, awe, and contemplation take place. In mystery, we don’t need to feel like everything is functional or productive. Mystery makes life feel less like a self-improvement project and more like a chance to be inspired. When we define things with premature... See more