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By Philosopher Michael Alan Prestwood

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Updated Tidbits

The latest 10 updated tidbits in about 10 minutes.

Idea 1.

A History FAQ.

How are original Daoism, Mohism, Confucianism, and Legalism related?.

In ancient China, four distinct philosophies emerged, each offering a unique perspective on how to live and govern. Imagine a spectrum, with Daoism on one end, emphasizing harmony with nature and individual freedom. The Daoists believed in living effortlessly, like a leaf floating downstream, rejecting artificial social constructs in favor of simplicity.

As we move along the spectrum, we find Mohism, which strikes a balance between nature and society. Mozi advocated for universal love and social reform, seeking to create a more equitable world. Mohism is like a gentle stream, flowing between the natural and social realms. While still acknowledging the importance of social norms, it leans more towards natural simplicity.

Confucianism, on the other hand, is like a sturdy bridge, connecting individuals to their social roles and responsibilities. Confucius emphasized moral codes, rituals, and social hierarchy to maintain order and promote personal cultivation. Confucianism prioritizes social relationships and norms, creating a sense of community and duty.

At the other end of the spectrum lies Legalism, a rigid and strict philosophy that views humans as inherently self-serving. Legalists believe that harsh laws and punishments are necessary to maintain social control and ensure stability. Like a strong dam, Legalism restricts individual freedom, prioritizing state control above all else. These four philosophies, though distinct, are interconnected, reflecting the diverse perspectives of ancient Chinese thought. Each offers insights into the human condition, inviting us to reflect on our place within the natural and social worlds.

Daoism and Confucianism profoundly shape Chinese philosophical thought and Eastern philosophy, with Mohism’s ideas still visible. Meanwhile, Legalism’s legacy underpins political control and social order in the East, particularly in China, where it often manifests through authoritarian tendencies.

I wrote that History FAQ, 

and posted it to TST 2 years ago.

 

Idea 2.

A Science FAQ.

Trivia: Did Einstein or Galileo discover the Relativity Principle?.

Galileo did! But, it was kind of a trick question, but Galileo does deserve more credit than he gets. Galileo came up with the Relativity Principle, and Einstein centuries later extended it. In the 17th century, Galileo conducted experiments that showed the laws of physics are the same regardless of an object’s constant motion. This is the essence of the Relativity Principle. For example, if you’re on a smoothly sailing ship , as long as the motion is constant, you won’t be able to tell if you’re moving or not. This is a great trivia question because even textbooks frequently credit Einstein with it. To great shame, many books ignore this nuance.

Einstein built upon it and, in 1905, published his groundbreaking work on his special theory of relativity. It incorporated the concept of constant motion from Galileo’s work but also introduced revolutionary ideas about the speed of light and the relationship between space and time. This is when Einstein introduced the world to is his famous E=mc2 formula, which simply says:

“energy equals matter, and matter equals energy.”

In 1907, with Einstein’s famous happiest thought, he realized that a person in free fall feels no gravity. This idea is known as the equivalence principle. In a very real way, Einstein’s equivalence principle is just Galileo’s relativity principle in motion. From here, he will conclude that gravity and acceleration are locally equivalent—and that gravity might be a property of spacetime rather than an ordinary force. Within the next decade, he published his general theory of relativity which explains all this by adding gravity to his framework. From Galileo to Newton to Einstein, their work helped pave the way to understanding how the universe expands.

I wrote that Science FAQ, 

and posted it to TST 2 years ago.

 

Idea 3.

A Science FAQ.

Does gravity travel, or does it exist everywhere all at once?.

Light takes eight minutes to travel from the Sun to Earth, does gravity? No, but it’s a bit more complicated than that. To keep it simple, let’s use light to describe what we know.

While light does travel, gravity exists everywhere, all at once as part of the fabric of the universe. That’s what Einstein figured out. Now, if the Sun disappeared, would we feel the effects of that gravity instantly? And then eight minutes later see the Sun disappear? Before Einstein, the answer was yes! Newton described gravity as a force that acts on objects with mass instantaneously.

Einstein showed “the effects” of gravity also travel at the speed of light. So, that “yes” answer went to “no.” So, if the Sun disappeared, we would see and feel the effects eight minutes later.

Einstein’s General Relativity says that thinking of gravity as “traveling instantly” was the wrong way to think about it. In essence, he figured out that gravity is everywhere, all at once. As it changes, those effects change the fabric of spacetime, and those changes ripple out like a wave at the speed of light.

Gravity doesn’t travel; it’s a curvature of spacetime that’s everywhere all at once. However, its effects, like photons of light ripple out like a wave. You can think of it as part of the fabric of spacetime, which is comprised of four fundamental things: gravity, two fields (electromagnetic and Higgs), and a vacuum. While the speculative graviton particle has yet to be found or proven, the others have known carrier particles: photons for the electromagnetic force, W and Z bosons for the weak nuclear force, gluons for the strong nuclear force, and the Higgs boson for the Higgs field.

I wrote that Science FAQ, 

and posted it to TST 2 years ago.

 

Idea 4.

A Philosophy FAQ.

Was Einstein’s Theory of Relativity ever irrational?.

Yes — like all ideas, it started that way.

When someone comes up with new speculation, they are uncovering one of the latent ideas embedded in the landscape of reality. Reality is what it is, and descriptions of it must align with it. All ideas of minds are either true direct descriptions, true indirect ones, disproven, or speculation. They are empirically true, rationally true, or irrationally false in a binary logical setting. 

New speculation awaits testing, and it is not always easy to know if it aligns with reality or not. Proven direct ideas are empirical ideas, and the indirect ones are rational.

Einstein’s general relativity, published in 1915, was exactly that: new speculation. It was internally elegant, interesting, but untested; false in a binary logical setting. It challenged Newton’s gravity: an established empirical idea. And at the time, Einstein was not the only challenger rethinking gravity. Physicist Gunnar Nordström had his own theory. Both Einstein and Nordström believed their ideas described reality.

Then came 1919. During a total solar eclipse, Arthur Eddington’s expedition observed starlight bending around the Sun — exactly as Einstein’s equations predicted. One could say, that is the moment Einstein’s idea became empirical. Over time, it was tested, confirmed, and refined. Today it is one of our clearest direct descriptions of reality. The math within relativity remains rational because math is an indirect language of structure, but Einstein was not using math merely to describe math. He was using it to describe the material world directly.

That is how ideas evolve. They begin as irrational. Some are disproven. Some get ignored. Some get proven. So yes — even Einstein’s idea was irrational at one time. That is not a flaw. That is the process of science and philosophy at work.

I wrote that Philosophy FAQ, 

and posted it to TST 10 months ago.

 

Idea 5.

A History Story.

Albert Einstein (1879 to 1955).

born 1879
Lived 1879 to 1955, aged 76.

Albert Einstein was born in 1879 in Ulm, Germany. As a child, he was curious, independent, and not especially impressed by rigid schooling. He did well in math and science but disliked rote learning. He loved puzzles, music, and thought experiments—the kind of questions you can carry around in your mind for years. For Einstein, curiosity was the wellspring of knowledge. After studying physics in Switzerland, he struggled to find an academic post and took a job as a patent clerk in Bern. That quiet job gave him time to think. In 1905, still outside the university world, he published the papers that would change physics.

His rise was remarkable. In that one year, Einstein explained the photoelectric effect, strengthened the case for atoms through Brownian motion, introduced special relativity, and gave us the famous relationship between mass and energy: E = mc². Before long, the unknown patent clerk became one of Europe’s most important scientists. He was awarded the 1921 Nobel Prize in Physics, not for relativity, but for explaining the photoelectric effect—work that helped open the door to quantum physics. His genius was more than curiosity, of course, but curiosity kept him questioning what others took for granted.

Einstein’s greatest achievement came with general relativity. In 1915, he reframed gravity itself. It was no longer just a force pulling objects together, but the curvature of spacetime guiding how things move. That idea transformed cosmology and gave us a new way to understand the universe. His work also helped shape modern particle physics and quantum theory, even though he later resisted some of its stranger implications. His curiosity led him to question the familiar picture of reality and discover something deeper.

In 1933, Einstein left Europe as the Nazis rose to power and settled in the United States. He spent his final decades at Princeton, famous not only as a scientist but as a public intellectual, humanitarian, and moral voice. Yet scientifically, he became increasingly isolated. He searched for a unified theory that could bring gravity and electromagnetism into one grand framework, but he never found it. Even so, the quest fit the man. Einstein spent his life looking for the deeper unity beneath the surface of reality. Whether your goal is wisdom or genius-level understanding of a subject, both begin with curiosity.

I wrote that History Story, 

and posted it to TST 6 months ago.

 

Idea 6.

A Philosophy Story.

General Relativity.

Nov 1915

General Relativity incorporated gravity into the mix with special relativity. It describes gravity not as a force, but as the curvature of spacetime caused by massive objects. According to General Relativity, the curvature of spacetime around an object like the Earth causes objects to fall towards its center, which we experience as gravity.

In November 1915, Einstein expanded on his Special Theory of Relativity with his General Theory of Relativity, which he published formally in 1916. This theory introduced the concept that gravity is not a force as traditionally conceived but rather a curvature of spacetime itself, caused by mass and energy. General Relativity provides a comprehensive description of gravitational phenomena and has been confirmed by numerous experiments and observations, including the bending of light by gravity and the precise orbit of planets.

I wrote that Philosophy Story, 

and posted it to TST 2 years ago.

 

Idea 7.

A Philosophy Quote.

“The superior man is modest in his speech but exceeds in his actions.”.

  • Confucus.
  • circa 470 BCE.

Confucius emphasizes the importance of humility in speech and excellence in action. A superior person doesn’t boast but lets their actions speak louder than words. This wisdom encourages humility and integrity, valuing deeds over talk. It’s a call to show our character through what we do, not just what we say.

In Chapter 5 of 30 Philosophers, Confucius is explored through the lens of “normalcy.” This chapter delves into how we define what’s acceptable and typical in our interactions and surroundings. Confucius’s insights, like those in Analects 14.29, remind us that staying calm yet intentional in our actions shapes not just our lives but the “normal” we help others experience.

Consider the family setting: staying silent when your uncle makes racist remarks subtly reinforces his worldview. Confronting such ingrained beliefs in one conversation might be unrealistic, but small actions make a difference. Rather than trying to change him in an instant, Confucius’s teaching on humility in speech paired with purposeful action suggests that influencing “normal” can be done gradually. Each family moment offers a chance to create a new standard, for him and the family as a whole.

I wrote that Philosophy Quote, 

and posted it to TST 2 years ago.

 

Idea 8.

A Science Story.

Galileo: Observation Corrects the Map.

1610

Galileo did not change the heavens. He changed how humans described them. When his telescope revealed a rough Moon and moons orbiting Jupiter, it exposed a gap between inherited ideas and the material world itself. That gap is the split: reality is one thing, our models of it another. Wisdom begins when we remember the difference.

Translated from early Italian, Galileo wrote the following in his Il Saggiatore (The Assayer) in 1623:

“Philosophy is written in that great book which ever lies before our eyes—I mean the universe.”

I wrote that Science Story, 

and posted it to TST 8 months ago.

 

Idea 9.

A Philosophy FAQ.

OVM Worldview Lenses.

The three OVM Worldview Lenses categorize the way a mind sees the world: empirical pragmatism, rational pragmatism, and irrational pragmatism.

How a mind generally approaches topics?

In ordinary usage, when the term lens is used withing viewpoint prevention, it can overlap with perspective and viewpoint, but not in TST. In TST, a lens is an available worldview approach to things like truth, belief, and ethics, a viewpoint is a thinking position available for any mind to consider, and a perspective is the position of a mind on a specific topic.

OVM Worldview Lenses is a specific TST term.

These lenses describe how a worldview generally balances evidence, reasoning, practical usefulness, and personal belief. All three are pragmatic in that they consider the usefulness of ideas, but they differ in how they balance usefulness against truth. The empirical pragmatist embraces empirical and rational truths while striving to exclude irrational beliefs, allowing reality the final say. The rational pragmatist also accepts the common framework of empirical and rational truths but makes room for selected personal, cultural, or faith-based beliefs that have not earned the same public justification. The irrational pragmatist goes further, allowing usefulness, emotion, identity, or preference to override empirical evidence and sound reasoning, sometimes rejecting shared truths altogether.

Within OVM, these are three defined worldview lenses, not fixed personality types. A person may generally approach life through one lens while using another on particular topics. The distinction is not simply what people believe, but how they manage belief when personal meaning or practical usefulness conflicts with what the evidence supports.

I wrote that Philosophy FAQ, 

and posted it to TST 1 week ago.

 

Idea 10.

A Philosophy FAQ.

OVM Perspectives.

The four OVM Perspectives categorize a mind’s position on a particular topic: believer, explorative agnostic, apathetic agnostic, or skeptic.

Where you personally stand on a topic?

In ordinary usage, the term perspective often overlaps with viewpoint or even lens, but not in TST. In TST, a perspective is the position of a mind on a specific topic, a viewpoint is a thinking position available for any mind to consider, and a lens is an available worldview approach to things like truth, belief, and ethics.

OVM Perspectives is a specific TST term.

People hold different positions on different topics. A believer accepts a claim. You might be a believer in things like science, vaccines, evolution, and the Moon landing. A skeptic says a topic is false. You might be a skeptic in things like unicorns, astrology, and Valhalla. Agnostics are in between and there are two types: explorative and apathetic. An explorative agnostic remains uncertain but actively investigates. You might hold explorative agnostic perspectives on things like ghosts, the afterlife, or String Theory. An apathetic agnostic remains uncertain but also wants to be left along. You might hold this perspective for things like the disappearance of D. B. Cooper, what a particular passage of the Catholic Bible says, or the specific political topic of the day. Everyone can benefit by understanding where their interests are and bowing out of dialogue for topics they are apathetic about.

These perspectives describe how someone approaches a specific subject, not their entire worldview or personality. A person can believe one claim, doubt another, and remain agnostic about many others. Understanding these differences helps us discuss difficult subjects without reduction to labels.

I wrote that Philosophy FAQ, 

and posted it to TST 1 week ago.

 

The end.

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