Testing ideas by experiment is essential — what else are you going to rely on, authority figures? But what kind of ideas are tested by experiment? Science can’t answer normative ideas, like “how should I raise my child?” or “what kind of hat is best?” It also can’t answer semantic ideas like “is a hot dog a sandwich?”

The way we walk is determined by:

• Paths and signposts


• A general suspicion of loiterers


• Maps


• Our tendency to pick a destination


• Our habit of walking in straight lines


• Property ownership and people's attachment to the idea of privacy


• Our desire not to draw too much attention to ourselves


• How our parents walked


• What kind of shoes we're wearing


• Our observation

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