Odin Halvorson

Mental Models

Applying the Laws of Physics to Human Connection

Why siloed thinking is a trap, how Newton's Third Law dictates our relationships, and the power of embracing what you don't know.

A photo of the "alien" cast members of Babylon 5, posing for the shot.

Sci-Fi

A Babylon 5 Retrospective: The Magic of the 24-Episode Season

Revisiting J. Michael Straczynski's sci-fi masterpiece decades later. Why the lost art of the 'filler' episode and passionate acting created a universe we'll never see again.

Cover for fanboys film: nerdy white kids dressed in star wars costumes.

Film Review

A Fanboy's Retrospective: The Earnest Cult Classic That Sabotaged Itself

Revisiting the 2009 comedy 'Fanboys'. It had a sweet premise and a stellar cast, but does the cruel, predatory humor of the early 2000s hold up today?

Retro illustration of a smiling graduate in a cap and gown and six young men in suits in front of a grand university building.

Society

Carnegie's Myth of "Useful Knowledge" Broke Modern Education

From 19th-century union busting to the 21st-century literacy crisis, tracing the deliberate marginalization of the liberal arts.

Society

The Carnival Game of Meritocracy

Why the "self-made" myth ignores who pays for the tickets, who gets to throw the darts, and who works the booth.

Movies

"Work the Problem": Returning to The Martian Ten Years Later

How Andy Weir's sci-fi masterpiece continues to inspire a sense of wonder, practical problem-solving, and a vision for space exploration beyond the profit motive.