It is the midsummer of our discontent, and I have just a few items to report.

Ky Dickens

William James

In my June column for Skeptical Inquirer, “Ky Dickens, William James, and the Four Possibilities,” I revealed a surprising parallel between the dilemmas faced by the host and director of The Telepathy Tapes podcast and the early American psychologist. There is at least one important difference between the two: for Dickens, telepathy is a huge plus; for James, it was a major minus.

On June 26, I  had the privilege of guest-hosting an episode of Skeptical Inquirer Presents in which the Cambridge University psychologist Sander van der Linden talked about how to combat misinformation. Van der Linden is one of the top researchers in this field and has worked with both governments and social media companies to improve our information environment. He is the author of a terrific book, Foolproof: Why Misinformation Infects Our Minds and How to Build Immunity. Although I’m on record as not being sold on the immunity metaphor, it is undeniable that van der Linden is doing excellent and important work on a topic that couldn’t be more urgent. You can watch his presentation here.

Finally, I wrote an unusual piece for me—an art review of the exhibit “Little Beasts: Art, Wonder, and the Natural World” at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC. I managed to catch this remarkable exhibit while in Washington over Memorial Day weekend, and Skeptical Inquirer was kind enough to publish my brief rave review.

That’s it for now. Try to stay cool. My old folks’ summer swimming group, The Stonington Loons, is fully engaged. I will leave you with a photo of some of us plying our way through Stonington (CT) Harbor. One of those heads is mine, but it is up to you to figure out which one.

SV