Cultural memes about a specific phenomenon can give us general insight to the human condition. Cryptocurrency is characterized by volatile valuations that are endured by loyalists in the name of privacy, decentralization, and, if you’re lucky, a lambo. Like any new enterprise, crypto creates neologisms (or neoacronymisms, to be more precise). Two of the […]
Apache Fire Trail is just one of the many hikes at Red Rock State Park. We love the name of this trail because it reminds us of the wisdom of native cultures, and the ideas that get sparked on the trail. The trail is named after the House of Apache Fires built by Jack and Helen […]
Halloween is a time for dressing up. It can also be a time for thinking up new possibilities. Trying on a new character opens the door to telling a new story. Doing this the day before or after Halloween could be risky, but this holiday is a special time when permission is widely granted to […]
Discover the grandeur of Sedona’s resplendent red rock country, and take a deep dive into your own personal life. What is happiness in my life? What does success look like for me? Why is success important? By asking and answering questions like this, getting a better understanding of your own inner life is just a […]
Here at SPEX, we love to look at life in all of its dimensions. However, you might be wondering what is SPEX? We are a friendly, fun group of philosophers who love being out in nature as much asking the big questions in life. Taking a tour with SPEX will give you a better understanding […]
Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook CEO, recently said: I am optimistic. I think you can build things and the world gets better. But with AI especially, I am really optimistic. Source: Zuckerberg and Musk are both wrong about AI | Ars Technica I agree. But with every new technology, starting with the very first hominid who picked […]
Today in 1854 Henry David Thoreau published Walden. At SPEX we like to use Thoreau’s Walden as a starting point for many of our programs. Walden is a great example of what can happen when we step outside, wander onto a trail, or push off from shore into the pull of a river. We gain […]
Philosophers can come up with some pretty wacky ideas. Or at least it seems so. When Cicero said that , “Somehow or other no statement is too absurd for some philosophers to make,” he was mulling over some odd philosophical recommendations of his day, including Platonic instructions for dreaming and the Pythagorean prohibition on eating […]
I’m picking up where I left off on the last post about Laurie Anderson and the importance of being tender. One of the most tender moments in her film was when she described the walks she used to take with her rat terrier, Lolabelle, in northern California. LAURIE ANDERSON’S HEART OF A DOG After 9/11, […]
Death makes us think about life. Laurie Anderson’s documentary/art film Heart of a Dog invites us to think about both. These serious subjects are balanced by an approach that is both comic and courageous. Anderson is brutally, and beautifully, honest. But she’s not necessarily easy to follow. That’s why I’m glad I watched the interview […]