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TST PRACTICE

By Philosopher Michael Alan Prestwood

Science

Practice by Topic: Science

💪 Wisdom Builder: Science

Knowledge in Motion

--Observation--

Natural philosophy begins with science.

Science

Observe and measure.

Recent Tidbits:

Stories, Quotes, and FAQs.

The wisdom builder tidbits that feed the columns, articles, and trainer.
SCIENCE
Featured Story
Updated This Week
History
Story
born 1879
Albert Einstein (1879 to 1955)
Lived 1879 to 1955, aged 76.
Curiosity and Einstein
Before Einstein, mass and energy seemed separate, and gravity was understood as a pulling force. His curiosity opened the door to a deeper picture: mass and energy are equivalent, while gravity reflects the curvature of spacetime. His example reminds us that wisdom begins with curiosity and grows by testing our ideas against reality.
Featured QUOTE
Philosophy
Quote
“We are all connected to each other biologically, to the Earth chemically, and to the rest of the universe atomically.”
We Are Stardust
Carl Sagan had many similar quotes to this.
Carl Sagan reminds us that we are intimately connected to the universe. The particles that form our bodies are borrowed from a cosmic pool of just 17 particles and four forces. Even more humbling, the molecules within us were forged in the hearts of stars, linking us directly to the vast cosmos that surrounds us. The wise perspective is humbling: we are not separate things dropped into the cosmos—we are temporary arrangements of the cosmos itself.
Featured FAQ
New This Week
Science
FAQ
What keeps an electron from collapsing into the nucleus?
Electron Ground State
Thinking well sometimes means recognizing that nature doesn’t always work the way our everyday experience suggests. Rocks fall until something stops them, but electrons follow quantum rules. Their ground state is an energy floor, not a physical barrier. Understanding the difference helps us avoid forcing familiar explanations onto unfamiliar parts of reality.
Updated Tidbits
Science
FAQ
Trivia: Did Einstein or Galileo discover the Relativity Principle?
Relativity
10 Oct 2026
(Updated 2 days ago)
Science
FAQ
Does gravity travel, or does it exist everywhere all at once?
Effects of Gravity
10 Oct 2026
(Updated 2 days ago)
Philosophy
FAQ
Was Einstein’s Theory of Relativity ever irrational?
Idea of Ideas
10 Oct 2026
(Updated 2 days ago)
No more posts to show
Science
Observe & Measure
Good philosophy emerges from science.

Our Clearest Lens of Reality: New looks at scientific results with a focus on the philosophical. To understand reality beyond the empirical, you must first understand what we see.  At the core of what we see is the cosmos guided by forces controlling particles evolving into life. 

Note: To explore the process of science, visit Philosophy of Science tab under Truth Hammers in our Critical Thinking topic. 

Deep-Dive Articles
TST COLUMN
29 Dec 2024
Debut
Philosophy
Article
The Fermi Paradox is Too Anthropocentric
Fermi Paradox
Sun 29 Dec 2024
(2 years ago)
Updated 4 months ago.
TST COLUMN
30 Oct 2024
Debut
Philosophy
Article
Building Tomorrow’s AI: The Rise of LLMs and Inference
AI Approaches
Wed 30 Oct 2024
(2 years ago)
Updated 7 months ago.
TST COLUMN
05 Jun 2024
Philosophy
Article
Speculative Ideas in Science: Rip-Bang, Bigfoot, and Beyond
Idea Theory Framework
Wed 5 Jun 2024
(2 years ago)
Updated 4 months ago.
TST COLUMN
01 Jan 2028
Philosophy
Article
The Nature of Time
Time
Sun 2 Jun 2024
(2 years ago)
Updated 7 months ago.
TST COLUMN
29 May 2024
History
Article
Dawn of Humanity: Sapiens in Their First Millennia
Ancient Humans
Wed 29 May 2024
(2 years ago)
Updated 6 months ago.
No more posts to show
Must-Reads
TST COLUMN
23 Feb 2025
Debut
Science
Article
The Double‐slit Experiment Explored
Wave-Particle Duality
Sun 23 Feb 2025
(2 years ago)
Updated 7 months ago.
TST COLUMN
06 Jul 2024
History
Article
The Evolution of Vocabulary in Ancient Humans
Communication Origins
Sat 6 Jul 2024
(2 years ago)
Updated 1 week ago.
TST COLUMN
01 Oct 2027
Philosophy
Essay
Consciousness: From the Soul to the Abyss
Consciousness
Sun 7 Apr 2024
(3 years ago)
Updated 4 months ago.
New Ideas
TST COLUMN
21 Aug 2024
Debut
Science
Article
Speculation on Quantum Entanglement: A Missing Mass Puzzle
Missing Mass Problem
Wed 21 Aug 2024
(2 years ago)
Updated 7 months ago.
TST COLUMN
01 Aug 2024
Debut
History
Paper
Holistic Paleolithic Framework: A New Look at Prehistory
Paleolithic Era
Thu 1 Aug 2024
(2 years ago)
Updated 1 week ago.
TST COLUMN
28 Apr 2024
History
Article
EQ: The Story of Ancient Human Brains
Brain Evolution
Sun 28 Apr 2024
(3 years ago)
Updated 6 months ago.
Updated Articles
TST COLUMN
21 Jan 2026
History
Article
The Universe Before the Telescope
Astronomy
Thu 11 Apr 2024
(3 years ago)
Updated 4 months ago.
TST COLUMN
01 Apr 2023
Debut
THINK WELL
Article
Researching Evolutionary Traits: The Occam Approach
Evolution
Sat 1 Apr 2023
(4 years ago)
Updated 4 months ago.
TST COLUMN
01 Jul 2024
Debut
Critical Thinking
Article
Terrence Howard: Debunking Terryology
Terryology
Mon 1 Jul 2024
(2 years ago)
Updated 4 months ago.
No more posts to show
Explore Science-first Philosophy
NATURAL PHILOSOPHY
Science-first philosophy with one goal: flourishing for all. It begins with the split between reality and thought, then adds tools for thinking clearly and living legal, moral, and fair. That fairness includes accepting that others will hold their own religious beliefs.
Science-first philosophy with one goal: flourishing for all. It begins with the split between reality and thought.
TWO PATHS
Today's Thought
Humanity stands between deep time and tomorrow, learning to seek truth, refine belief, and flourish within reality.
Subscribe to add a bit of science and philosophy to your life.

One central idea each month. Imagine adding 12 life-changing ideas to your worldview each year. The column is just the starting point. The supporting research includes tidbits and a deep-dive article. Build wisdom at your pace with the TST Trainer, listen on the road, and dig deeper when you can. When inspired, share your opinions, questions, or pushback here on TST.

One central idea each month. Imagine adding 12 life-changing ideas to your worldview each year. Build wisdom at your pace with the TST Trainer, listen on the road, and dig deeper when you can. When inspired, share your opinions, questions, or pushback here on TST.

The Prestwood Column
October 2026
The Prestwood Column
Oct 2026

THIS MONTH: Persuasion.

By Michael Alan Prestwood
Take control of disagreement by managing your emotions, choosing your ground, and deciding where you want the conversation to go instead of merely reacting to the last thing said.
LISTEN NOW!
Listen to the column, or the research behind it.
Column 8 of 8 in the series.
Using science to decode the invisible forces that shape political identity.

Column Research

Stories: Science Philosophy Critical Thinking History Big Bang Metaphysics Evolution Biases Futurism Ancient History Ethics Reasoning

1 Essay + 6 Tidbits
1 Focus
Plus a bonus deep-dive article.
This Month:
— Persuasion —
The best persuaders do not attack identity; they create room for reconsideration. Roger Williams offers a useful model: engage people within their own framework, find common ground, and let persuasion grow from dialogue rather than force.
Greetings!

Earlier this year I wrote my 5 column Understanding MAGA series and the feedback has been almost entirely positive. I think because the series is not partisan, despite the headline grabbing title. It’s really just a fair look at how people end up in something like MAGA. I’m very proud of the series. If you haven’t read it yet, start here:

The only real feedback I got was along the lines of interesting, but how can we convert someone? So, this month’s topic is persuasion. To tackle persuasion, we’ll use one of history’s great persuaders as our role model: Roger Williams.

–Michael Alan Prestwood
6 Research Tidbits
Wisdom Builder Crossroads
The research, stories, and questions that inform this issue.

1 Story »

The Great Quaker Debates!
9 Aug 1672
You can believe another person is deeply wrong, argue your case forcefully, and still defend their right to disagree.

2 Quote »

“All men are prone to differ. It is no new thing in all former ages, in all parts. Each party is most right in his own eyes.”
In disagreement, take control of your response instead of letting emotion or the last comment control where the conversation goes.

3 Science »

Do facts actually change minds?
Take control of debate by correcting the claim without turning the person into the target. Focus attention on what is true, not on proving the other person wrong.

4Philosophy »

When does persuasion become manipulation?
Persuasion respects agency; manipulation tries to take control of it.

5Critical Thinking »

How can you tell when a debate has stopped being productive?
Take control of disagreement by recognizing when a debate is no longer productive and exiting before frustration turns into anger.

6History!

What is the history of debate?
A thinking person understands that good debate finds a way to test ideas, expose weaknesses, clarify differences, and move everyone a little closer to truth.
The Deeper Dive!
Linked Article
History
Article
Roger Williams Biography and Dedication to the Freedom of Conscience
Historical Perspective
Big changes rarely happen all at once. Long before the American founding, Roger Williams was putting ideas like liberty of conscience into practice in Providence. Wisdom means seeing those deeper foundations—how ideas emerge, get tested in real life, and sometimes grow across generations into principles later societies take for granted.
The Prestwood Column
Menu
October 2026
Column Research….
1. Timeline Story
The Great Quaker Debates!
2. Linked Quote
“All men are prone to differ. It is no new thing in all former ages, in all parts. Each party is most right in his own eyes.”
3. Science FAQ »
Do facts actually change minds?
4. Philosophy FAQ »
When does persuasion become manipulation?
5. Critical Thinking FAQ »
How can you tell when a debate has stopped being productive?
6. History FAQ!
What is the history of debate?
Bonus Deep-Dive Article
Roger Williams Biography and Dedication to the Freedom of Conscience

TST Archive

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Curated wisdom for a world in motion!

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Thoughtful insights. Conversational.

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A monthly deep dive into timeless ideas.

A Science-First Book about the Ideas That Shape Us

30 Philosophers: A New Look at Timeless Ideas explores how human understanding has evolved — from ancient questions to modern scientific thinking.

Written by natural philosopher Michael Alan Prestwood, the book blends philosophy, science, and history into clear, human stories focused on explanation over authority and meaning over memorization.

For those who value better thinking over being right.

The Book Video
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