Dale McGowan

Dale McGowan

Editor-in-chief. Author of books on nonreligious life, creator of podcasts on music, parenting, and death.

Dale McGowan
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When the future forgets the past

Knowledge disappears easily.

Dale McGowan
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Letting go of my last big myth

Burying the myth of god was easy compared to freeing myself from the myth of progress.

Dale McGowan
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A brief history of temporary dictatorships

The best time to learn how authoritarianism works is 20 years ago. The second best time is now.

Dale McGowan
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The dangerous missing piece in the coming election

It's not just about courtesy.

Dale McGowan
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How the Electoral College dies

There is a real chance that future elections will take place without the red-and-blue map of the Electoral College. Here's how it could happen.

Dale McGowan
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The emptying of Florida

Many Floridians currently fleeing Hurricane Milton are unlikely to return. It may be the first big step in the predicted near-emptying of the climate-exposed peninsula.

Dale McGowan
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The methadone of the people

It's tempting to imagine a future free of the opium of the people. But there's a new addiction right behind it.

Dale McGowan
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A theory of future music

A music professor tries to imagine the music of the distant future.

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Look up or don’t look up: We probably won’t see the one that gets us

Tick tick, y'all.

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The disorienting weirdness of GPT's hallucinations

We just aren't wired to grok this kind of interaction.

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For the Trump faithful, it comes down to plot armor

It's no surprise that Trump benefits from a feature you've seen on bad television.

Dale McGowan
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You think weather forecasting is bad now? Welcome to 2070

It's not just the size of the storms that future generations will deal with. It's the terrifying unpredictability.