big ideas
look up and think big
remembering Dan Sachs
A monumental stone building remains long beyond the form of its namer’s dust. But the fragile, decaying matter of human lives, connected in ordinary ways, prevails. Not merely prevails, but grows. Daniel M. Sachs, Princeton Class of 1960, was a mighty footballer and a top-honors student. He attended Worcester College, Oxford, on a Rhodes Scholarship, … Continue reading remembering Dan Sachs
seek good regulatory levers
Suppose you were a government regulator. After extensive notice and comment and careful study, you determine that everyone should get up an hour earlier. You also determine that they should eat lunch an hour earlier and go to bed an hour earlier. In Paris in 1784, Benjamin Franklin calculated that such changes in behavior would … Continue reading seek good regulatory levers
solving the crisis in boys' education
“I feel squirmy,” said my student I was tutoring on the subject of the Italian Renaissance to the tune of $50/hour. “I feel like wiggling around, you know?” he complained. “Why IS that?”–which is what makes him interesting. “Because you’re a twelve-year-old boy, that’s why. Can you stand on your head?” For more, see the … Continue reading solving the crisis in boys' education
gardener Francis Galbiati
A gardener shows what he’s made and grown over the years. Tend your garden.