Author Archives: Carlos C. Tapang
Open Letter to Interlake Parents
Dear Interlake Parents, I am a parent of a graduating student (my other kid graduated last year). You have the right to know about what’s being taught in your kids’ schools today and you need to know. Not all schools … Continue reading
Resonant Models
The survival of any species depends not just on how complicated the neural sensory system of such species is, but also on how accurate a model of the world is represented in that sensory system. Even the simplest of animals (say a … Continue reading
Confirmation Bias and Guitar Strings
What is confirmation bias? Its dictionary definition is “the tendency to interpret new evidence as confirmation of one’s existing beliefs or theories”. You’ve heard this phrase used against you when you were debating with a sibling who have not convinced … Continue reading
A Critique of the Revised Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL)
The new BBL reminds me of an old optical illusion that demonstrates very well how human minds work: Do you see the old lady or the young woman? A lot of people can only see one or the other. There … Continue reading
Asperger’s Syndrome
I have just discovered something about myself. Somebody had suggested it some years ago, but I ignored it. Today, after taking a couple of simple online tests, the results indicate that I may have Asperger’s Syndrome, a mild form of Autism. Here’s the … Continue reading
How Free Speech Prevents a Mindless War of Bullets and Bombs
At parties, I often end up talking politics with my friends. (Ideologically my politics is nearest to Libertarians, but I have consistently voted Republican.) On the one hand, I am glad that, even without Trump (and at times, especially if … Continue reading
Why I am for Duterte
I am for Duterte because he’s the only candidate who has indicated agreement (one time or another) with each one of the three goals of the CoRRECT Philippines movement in reforming the constitution: Establishment of a Free Market in the Philippines; Start … Continue reading
The Power of Passwords
Encryption technology has just become a political battleground. It should have been obvious that, like powerful weapons, it can be used to do bad as well as good. Here is the stark reality of this technology. One of the two radical … Continue reading
Communism, Islam, and Political Correctness
What is Religion? Let’s first clarify what is religion. Religion should be personal. It is a set of personal beliefs about why we are here in this world, where we are going, and how we should behave with respect to … Continue reading
What is Missing from the HyperLoop
Travelling in a semi-vacuum tube offers two very significant advantages: speed that is several multiples of jet-plane speed, and low energy required per kilometer travelled, per kilogram of transported mass. However, the HyperLoop as currently envisioned does not take advantage … Continue reading
Perpetual Cycle of Life 