Tag Archives: Civility

Not seeking re-election

Posted on September 21, 2022 by George Putnam

I have been elected to two 3-year-terms on the Cambridge selectboard. My second term ends at town meeting in March 2023. I am not seeking re-election. When I retired from a career in business at the end of 2016, I … Continue reading →

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Rumble Strip: Town Meeting

Posted on February 7, 2021 by George Putnam

The Rumble Strip podcast by Erica Heilman on 2/05/2021 titled “Town Meeting” is excellent! It is well worth 30 minutes of your time. [Town meeting] is the most civilized and surprising social gathering of the year, every year. [Erica at … Continue reading →

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Complementarity and Civility

Posted on November 17, 2018 by George Putnam

Niels Bohr was one of the most important physicists of the 20th century, a peer of Albert Einstein. In the previous post, I used Michael Frayn’s play Copenhagen to introduce Bohr and his contribution to quantum theory – the principle … Continue reading →

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Questions for Zac and Lucy

Posted on October 11, 2018 by George Putnam

The library in my town of Cambridge, the Varnum Memorial Library, hosted a Candidates Forum last night for Zac Mayo and Lucy Rogers who are running for an open seat in the Vermont House of Representatives, representing Cambridge and the … Continue reading →

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Illusion of Explanatory Depth

Posted on October 4, 2018 by George Putnam

Zac Mayo introduced me to the concept of the “illusion of explanatory depth” (IOED): Most people feel they understand the world with far greater detail, coherence, and depth than they really do. For example, how well do you feel you … Continue reading →

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Holocaust Scholarship

Posted on January 14, 2018 by George Putnam

The following recent news release is about Holocaust scholarship at the University of Vermont (UVM): Two UVM scholars earn fellowships at U.S. Holocaust Memorial Museum This is good news. Congratulations to UVM, Associate Professor Susanna Schrafstetter, and Professor Alan Steinweis. … Continue reading →

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