Author Archives: Carlos C. Tapang

We have personal norms of behavior. These norms guide us even when we are alone living in a forest. What are the sources of these norms, these ethics, these guides to behavior, like “brush your teeth at least twice a … Continue reading →

Dear Interlake Parents, I am a parent of a graduating student (my other kid graduated last year). You have the right to know about what’s being taught in your kids’ schools today and you need to know. Not all schools … Continue reading →

The survival of any species depends not just on how complicated the neural sensory system of such species is, but also on how accurate a model of the world is represented in that sensory system. Even the simplest of animals (say a … Continue reading →

What is confirmation bias? Its dictionary definition is “the tendency to interpret new evidence as confirmation of one’s existing beliefs or theories”. You’ve heard this phrase used against you when you were debating with a sibling who have not convinced … Continue reading →

The new BBL reminds me of an old optical illusion that demonstrates very well how human minds work: Do you see the old lady or the young woman? A lot of people can only see one or the other. There … Continue reading →

I have just discovered something about myself. Somebody had suggested it some years ago, but I ignored it. Today, after taking a couple of simple online tests, the results indicate that I may have Asperger’s Syndrome, a mild form of Autism. Here’s the … Continue reading →

At parties, I often end up talking politics with my friends. (Ideologically my politics is nearest to Libertarians, but I have consistently voted Republican.) On the one hand, I am glad that, even without Trump (and at times, especially if … Continue reading →

I am for Duterte because he’s the only candidate who has indicated agreement (one time or another) with each one of  the three goals of the CoRRECT Philippines movement in reforming the constitution: Establishment of a Free Market in the Philippines; Start … Continue reading →

Encryption technology has just become a political battleground. It should have been obvious that, like powerful weapons, it can be used to do bad as well as good. Here is the stark reality of this technology. One of the two radical … Continue reading →

What is Religion? Let’s first clarify what is religion. Religion should be personal. It is a set of personal beliefs about why we are here in this world, where we are going, and how we should behave with respect to … Continue reading →