essays*
*I'm using "essay" pretty recklessly here, as this space contains reviews, academic papers, criticism, longer articles, and yes, the occasional proper essay. Such accuracy was a bit much for the site banner though.
The discussion of cryptocurrency in this paper, written in 2022, may feel quaint and almost anachronistic even a couple years later, but my argument isn't aging too poorly, particularly given the rise of AI. Science has long been examined as a modern alternative to religion, but I consider here the possibility of technology seizing the role.
I wrote this paper regarding correlation versus causation for a course on primate evolution. It sounds a bit niche, particularly because the paper itself looks at how well other research papers perform in separating correlation from causation. Despite the narrow framing, I still find it a useful tool for avoiding falling into this mental trap.
I submitted this review of Around the World in 80 Trees as part of my application for a graduate program at UChicago. That period was so transformative for me, and this book and my own journey back toward amateur tree sleuthing were inextricably linked to that change.