Entries by TK Thorne
The Forgiveness of Whales
In protest of the looming rollbacks to wetland and species protections, I am reposting this today with updates. Until recently, scientists thought humans were the only species with specialized brain neurons responsible for higher cognitive functions such as self-awareness, compassion, and language. They were wrong. Fifteen million years before humans, whales began evolving these special […]
The Future of Struggle by T.K. Thorne
“Struggle” is not a word I naturally embrace. I recently posted this: My housekeeping style can be summed up in 7 words: “There appears to have been a struggle.” Okay, I stole that from a dish towel in a gift shop somewhere. I like order around me, but housekeeping is, indeed, a struggle. The effort […]
People Are a Lot More
“People are a lot more than their political inclination.” I read that statement today in a Washington Post article about an older man who found happiness in a wildly diverse group of coffee drinkers at a local café. People came there every day to sit and talk about everything, including politics, bringing pointedly different views. […]
Who Are We, Again? by T.K. Thorne
Yes, I’ve been obsessed with this question. I totally understand if you are rolling your eyes. But I think it is the key to unlocking a door that has been locked for a long time, maybe since humanity’s first glimmers of consciousness stirred. The story we tell ourselves is that we are the same from […]
When Truths Collide (Part 2)
“Everything is true but false, all at once,” Jim Reed wrote in his tiny treasure of random thoughts, “What More Can I Say?” The serendipity and resonance of the Universe are startling. Or, Dang, I’ve been thinking about that! SEE MORE
When Truths Collide — by T.K. Thorne
At times, the need arises to hold two concepts in opposition as true. This is discombobulating. My mind craves order and simplicity. I blame that on evolutionary biology. Our most basic level of brain development is reptilian—edible/not edible; fight/flight, sleep/wake, the red team/the blue team. It doesn’t get simpler than that. So, the brain fights […]
Do Anti-Zionists Hate Jews?
I never do this. But I am doing it. Rabbi Jonathan Miller wrote a piece titled “Do Anti-Zionists Hate Jews.” It was not a statement or position about Israeli policy but rather about an important principle. I found it made a lot of sense and helped clarify my own thoughts, so I am sharing it, […]
Slash & Burn: Or Just Rearrange a Few Words?
I stared at it, bracing myself. It was a headline. It was subtle and chilling, and I couldn’t help wondering if I was complicit. READ MORE
My Brother and Pluto -by T.K. Thorne
Well, this is something that doesn’t happen every day! My brother had a “small planet” (asteroid) named after him! (I know I’m not supposed to overuse exclamation points, but I can’t help it.) He earned this through his work on the New Horizons project—a NASA mission to study the dwarf planet Pluto, its moons, and […]