Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

​So tell me, what’s the scariest movie you ever saw? Rich still talks about Alien . “I had no idea what the movie was about,” he says. “I bought a box of Milk Duds and never ate a single one. I clutched that candy so hard that by the end it was just a mangled…

​Would you dress up as a comic book superhero to attend a wedding? Some friends of mine recently turned down a chance to do just that, and it got me thinking about all the loony ways modern couples try to give their Big Day an extra jolt of pizazz. Wearing zombie costumes. Getting married where…

I’m telling you this for your own good: Don’t ever hand me a microphone and encourage me to burst into song. “If your singing was a meal,” someone once told a would-be crooner, “it would be a burnt, undercooked TV dinner.” That about sums up my skill level in this arena. Think I’m exaggerating? Many…

​“Are the aliens on their way now or are they already among us?” I asked with interest, pulling out my notebook. It’s not often I get to consult a true expert on intergalactic invaders, and I wanted answers. “Oh, they’re here,” said Justin, a member of the watch group Allies for Humanity . He sounded…

​“This is an outrage,” I said to Rich over breakfast on Sunday. “Books are being banned all over America, and nobody’s ever challenged a single one of mine. What am I doing wrong?” A few days earlier I’d noticed the sign below in a bookseller’s window. Googling book banning in the land of the free,…

​In the noble sport of pig racing, the first thing that comes charging out of the starting gate is a flock of terrible puns. “You Never SAUSAGE a Show!” proclaims the gaudy trailer of the touring athletes, who sport names such as Shaquille O’Squeal, Luke Sky Porker, Lady Hoga, and Spongehog Porkpants. These are the…

​At first I thought she was cradling a monkey in her arms. Then I realized the grandmotherly goth lady was holding a baby werewolf doll, its wizened little face covered in fine, wavy hair. With a twinkle in her eye, she set down the were-infant and picked up another little bundle of joy. “This is…

​“A warning light just came on in the car,” Rich announced Friday morning. “Saying what?” “That the warning light is no longer functioning.” “But … if it’s not functioning, you can’t trust what it’s telling you. Which could actually mean it’s functioning perfectly.” Oh, horrors. This was like that classic riddle: you come to two…

​“Unless you’ve been living under a rock,” I read on a food blog, “you’ve likely heard of aquafaba.” Oh dear Lord, I thought. What fresh hell was this? Having plunged deep into vegan cooking sites in search of a treat to make for my sister’s upcoming visit, I discovered several promising recipes requiring this unknown…

When I heard California was adding rabbits to city police forces, I have to admit I was a bit flummoxed. What were they supposed to do, investigate the case of Peter Cottontail and the missing carrots? Unravel the mystery of how the Easter Bunny produces all those eggs every spring? But then I learned the…