"Nonsense," Isn't

Image of Jamie Holmes, Geoff Oliver Bugbee

How long do you live in the question?

Since we take curiosity seriously around here, I thought I'd just turn over this blog post to the listeners of Jamie Holmes' talk on "Nonsense," which highlighted how crucial ambiguity is to human flourishing. Mystery and contradiction are indispensable to the arts, of course, but also to the sciences which often begin with a hunch, a model, a thought experiment.

To our loyal readers and fans - THANK you!

Stay curious™

Wayne

"Our minds are consistency machines," Jamie Holmes @ideafestival #if16 #staycurious

— London Saunders Roth (@LondonSRoth) September 28, 2016

"Uncertainty makes us more pattern-hungry." - Jamie Holmes @IdeaFestival #IF16 #staycurious

— Graham Shelby (@GrahamShelby) September 28, 2016

“IQ isn’t what matters most…it’s how we deal with what we don’t understand” #JamieHolmes. @IdeaFestival #staycurious #IF16

— APB Speakers (@apbspeakers) September 28, 2016

Cultivating our comfort with uncertainty has a moral dimension in our politics, says Jamie Holmes at @ideafestival #IF16

— Scalawag (@scalawagmag) September 28, 2016

"Reading short stories lowers need for closure. It's safe, and it makes us more empathetic" - Jamie Holmes @ideafestival #staycurious

— Abby Shue (@arshue) September 28, 2016

"When we're in a bad mood, we retreat to the familiar. When we're happy, the familiar can be boring." - Jamie Holmes @IdeaFestival #IF16

— Graham Shelby (@GrahamShelby) September 28, 2016

"Art is product of uncertainty" Jamie Holmes @TechRepublic @ideafestival #if16 pic.twitter.com/h4yGqOuODN

— Hope Reese (@hope_reese) September 28, 2016

"Uncertainty is an emotional amplifier. Pleasure gets more pleasurable. Anxiety gets more agonizing" - Jamie Holmes @IdeaFestival #IF16

— Graham Shelby (@GrahamShelby) September 28, 2016

A high need for closure negativity influences some of our most critical decisions @ideafestival #IF16

— junesargent (@junesargent) September 28, 2016

Lots of questions from high school students at @ideafestival about how uncertainty and need for certainty has shaped political climate

— Caitlin Bowling (@CaitlinBowling) September 28, 2016

How do we lower our need for closure? Read fiction. “We’re entering other people’s worlds.” Jamie Holmes #IF16 #staycurious

— IdeaFestival (@ideafestival) September 28, 2016