What is the value of critical thinking or is there still value in critical thinking? (9/24/2026)

During one of the bi-weekly Zoom meetings I attend we ended up discussing critical thinking, its value and whether people still practice critical thinking. This got me thinking (critically) and I consulted Claude, the AI application from Anthropic. 

Claude told me that “(C)critical thinking lets you form beliefs and make decisions based on evidence and sound reasoning rather than assumptions, habit, or persuasion. A few concrete payoffs:

Better decisions — you weigh evidence and consider consequences instead of going with your first instinct or what feels comfortable

Resistance to manipulation — harder to fool with bad arguments, misleading statistics, or emotional appeals once you're used to asking "what's the evidence for this?"

Problem-solving — breaking complex issues into parts and questioning assumptions often reveals solutions that surface-level thinking misses

Intellectual honesty — you get more comfortable updating your views when new evidence shows up, rather than defending a position just because it's yours

It also matters at a social level: people who think critically together tend to have better discussions, make fewer collective mistakes, and are less susceptible to groupthink or misinformation.”

Welcome to the rabbit hole. As I told you in my previous post, I will not blindly embrace AI, but there is a lot to unpack here. I guess you can call that critical thinking. It seems to be clear that critical thinking remains valuable because it helps us evaluate evidence, resist manipulation, solve problems, and revise our beliefs when new information challenges them. I will leave you to ponder this, but I will add my two (political) cents to this summary by Claude.

The sentence “Forming beliefs and decisions based on sound reasoning rather than assumptions, habit and persuasion” really hits home to me. I feel like we live in an era of gaslighting, where persuasion and manipulation seem to be the order of the day in high level political circles (read the Whitehouse). When someone does not agree with you, you label it “FAKE NEWS.” Yes, I copied the capitalization from our leader who now has an approval rating in the low 30%. Approximately 70% of the folks in this country now agree that this is gaslighting. More and more of them are understanding that we are now being manipulated by their republican leaders.

Are we making better decisions when using critical thinking. On a personal level we all do. But even on a social level when we practice group-thinking. I think we are increasingly worried about data centers. We protest against them and I am very impressed by the no-kings rallies that are still being organized. Individually, the current inflation rate and the gasoline and diesel prices have forced us to make better decisions in the stores and on the road. This also ties in with problem solving. Remember, your vote matters!

Intellectual honesty is an interesting part of the equation. I sometimes think that our leader is being manipulated by his staff (read nazi sympathizers Stephen Miller and John Gorka) and the multi-millionaires around him. Honestly, I do not think that there is a lot of intellectual maturity in our 80+ year-old leader. He is in it for the glory (naming buildings after himself, monuments and gold statues), the money and maybe the riches that his progeny will accumulate.

Well, I told you we would be going down the rabbit hole. I cannot resist linking critical thinking and the current political climate that we are in. I think more people are thinking more critically. I do not want to infer that they are critical of our current leadership; although that might be the logical outcome. Again, I am hopeful and think that with critical thinking people are examining all sides of the coin and finally form a belief that is based on evidence and sound reasoning rather than assumptions and persuasion by a gaslighting demagog.

One final question remains; how can we stimulate critical thinking in the masses versus the current sheepish behavior that is exhibited by the MAGA republicans and their cronies in elected offices? We may need to revisit the ancient Greek philosophy schools or things that John Dewey tried to tell us. Dewey suggested that “the purpose of education should not revolve around the acquisition of a pre-determined set of skills, but rather the realization of one's full potential and the ability to use those skills for the greater good.” That’s how we learn to think critically.

To repeat myself, Education Matters, and Your Vote Matters!

A generic photograph from Shutterstock depicting education.

Do we really need AI? (9/18/2026)

If you have been following the news, you have probably noticed how prominently artificial intelligence (AI) appears in the headlines. Much of the debate focuses on the data centers AI requires and the communities resisting their expansion. These weeks, some AI experts reportedly warned that AI technology could threaten humanity within the next 10 to 30 years. I wonder if they actually meant human civilization instead humanity in its entirety. But even if isolated indigenous communities in Africa, South America, and Asia survived such a catastrophe, the warning raises a more immediate question: What is AI for, and why do we believe we need it?

Copilot, Gemini, Claude, ChatGPT, and Groc are some of the names we hear about. I have played with all of them in a very limited fashion except for Groc; I refuse to touch things that Musk touches. The AI systems are fun and interesting, I already see it’s evolution over one year. It was a year ago that I asked a few of the AI programs to write my eulogy. I presented the AI eulogies in my men’s group; but did not feel like publishing it here.

To repeat my question: Why do we actually believe we need AI? Yes, at times makes computations easier, it even assists me with complicated questions such as: should I pay off the mortgage on my home, or what is the best route between Yorktown, Virginia and Tyler, Texas avoiding highways as much as possible and driving no more that 200 miles per day? I had an answer to both questions within minutes. I could have figured out the answer to both questions on my own; however, in both cases Claude did it much faster than I could have done it.

So why do we need it? I am afraid that society is getting dumber. The other day I gave the cashier a ten-dollar bill for something that cost $9.85 and he seriously had to examine the screen to see how much cash he needed to return. OK, we do not need AI for that, a simple calculator could figure that one, although he should have paid attention in math classes in school.

Reportedly, AI has now solved one of the remaining algebra problems that challenged researchers. Something we really do not need. The New York times reported that OpenAI disclosed 6 new incidents of “concerning” AI behavior.

How could AI wipe out humanity? All the sudden all airplanes fall out of the sky; boats drift aimlessly on the oceans; all traffic lights stop; electricity disappears; water stops running; hospitals stop functioning; and ever the computers in vehicles stop working. This may not be a quick end; it may take a week or two. Who needs a nuclear Armageddon? Survivalists may hang on a little longer, but even their battery banks have computer chips in them. In an interview Peter Thiel would neither confirm nor deny that the super-rich are expecting or even planning for this (the end of humanity) to happen. Is this why Musk is trying to father a super race? But can you imagine the inbreeding among these kids in future generations? Boy, I need to write a science fiction novel about this scenario.

I wonder if we need a kill switch, in addition to slowing things down? But the AI is spread over multiple computers so killing one may have no effect. Moreover, it would probably be able to replicate itself. Quite an interesting conundrum. But will it really happen or is that disgruntled AI employee just out for publicity, fame and money for his appearance in front of the media or maybe even a future book. Time will tell. All that I know is that we probably can use some checks and balances on AI.

I asked ChatGPT to turn me into a Roman emperor using a regular photograph of my wife and I. Very convincing isn't it?

Amazing is far too Simple (09/05/2026)

“You have such an amazing experience.” That is something we hear every so now and then. However, the recent floods in Nepal brought back memories that make the word “amazing” feel far too simple. As some of you obviously have discovered in my posts, we lived in Nepal in the 1980s, from 1981 through the first half of 1983, and the news this week was deeply distressing. We have been glued to the news about the disaster. We endured two monsoons during our time in Nepal; and let me tell you they are not fun. The monsoon unleashed a torrent of rain when it reaches Nepal and since the Himalayas are among the youngest mountains, they are very unstable. The result was that in our first year there, we had to navigate through landslides that literally happened the night before. I also pulled two companions out of a raging stream before they got swept away. That scene still plays itself out in front of my eyes, now 45 years later. It was very distressing. By the second monsoon, we had learned enough to leave on vacation and take a trip that carried us around the world.

While what happened in Nepal recently occurred during a monsoon, it most likely the consequence of a global phenomenon called global warming or climate change. Glaciers are becoming unstable and then monsoonal rains on top of these unstable ice sheets can result in what happened in Nepal.

But let’s get back to our lives with those amazing experiences that these people allude to. I realize that this sounds somewhat self-indulgent, but these postings are a mix of what has been and is going on in my life, as well as some of my observations. In addition to Nepal, we have spent time in many foreign countries and in regions throughout the U.S. This includes Uganda during a civil war, Nepal, Yemen and the Netherlands. In the U.S. we lived in Delaware, Utah, New Mexico, Ohio, North Carolina and Virginia. I alone briefly lived in Washington State. Here in Virginia people may ask whether we were in the military or if we were missionaries, and the answer would be “no.” We wanted to explore the world and there is no better way to do that than working in international development. You get to play tourist for at least two years in one country or region. But eventually I chose to complete my education and we returned state-side.

Recently, some folks have labeled us a “cute couple.” While I am not absolutely sure what that means, I assume it has to do with our age, the time we have been together and how we interact with each other and the people we meet. Yes, we now realize that during our 49-year marriage we definitively have lived a very full life. It has been full of experiences that many folks do not have. While many experiences were joyful, fascinating and simply good, some were absolutely awful, but all together, I cannot help feeling very blessed. I once concluded that if I were to die now, I would have lived a wonderful life. Not that I wish it would end, there are many more adventures and experiences I want to enjoy. Right now, the adventures include camping throughout the US and Canada, and visits to my grandson and of course his parents.

A while ago I realized that I will probably never see him graduate college, some 20+years from now. I sincerely hope to publish all my blog posts in book-form one of these days to leave some sort of legacy. Even the recent disaster in Nepal should be part of that.

I apologize for this somewhat strange post. No, it is not meant as a form of bragging. For me it is more like soul searching. To conclude, maybe our lives have been extraordinary to some, and we should not be arrogant about it? Was our experience intentional or accidental? I think the answer is emphatic, yes! It has been a fun ride, and I hope it will continue, but hopefully with fewer natural disasters and other mishaps. I hope that I can continue informing, educating and sometimes maybe a little bragging.

Photo from 1982, when we we were on our way to Mustang on the Tibetan plateau for work.