Marginally Compelling

An Odyssey with Dr Richard Whitaker

On the roles and responsibilities of translator and artist in The Odyssey

Aug 8 • polimath

5

2

44:09

July 2026

Fixing What Woke Broke

Are we past the excesses of "peak woke" or still stuck with the consequences? How could we fix it?

Jul 20 • polimath

20

6

3

June 2026

A Book To Protest Entropy

I write so I can think, but I brought the words into the physical world so I can remember

Jun 23 • polimath

13

2

May 2026

A Critique of Emily Wilson's The Odyssey

A podcast in which Ancient Greek scholar Jireh Gardo brings context to the controversy over Emily Wilson's recent translation of The Odyssey

May 21 • polimath

44

2

9

48:32

Abandoning Self-Respect For A Nazi Tattoo

The beclowning of the Democratic king-makers in defense of a Nazi tattoo has been funny but, when you think about what it implies, it is funnier

May 5 • polimath

169

3

36

April 2026

A Misfit Highwire Act on Sale

A free copy for yearly subscribers

Apr 27 • polimath

6

1

March 2026

FEMA Is Not Screwing Blue States

It is a red flag whenever any complex data is reduced to "red vs blue"

Mar 31 • polimath

45

6

6

We're Going To Need Humans More

We will find that the more AI streamlines our workflow, the more we will need other humans for advice, guidance, and grounding.

Mar 25 • polimath

17

2

February 2026

Trust Networks Are the Antidote to AI Hype

A review of what the hell is going on in the AI news deluge and the importance of finding people we trust to ground our expectations and thinking.

Feb 26 • polimath

16

1

Remember The Silence

To sit at the bedside of the dying is a profound and sacred thing. It's a great evil that we denied this to so many people.

Feb 5 • polimath

25

2

4

Podcast: The Dignity of Dependence with Leah Libresco Sargeant

Matt and Leah discuss her recent book "The Dignity of Dependence" and how dependence and action of care are core to the human experience

Feb 2 • polimath

7

44:36

January 2026

We Don't Believe You

The practice of using extrapolation as a substitute for evidence leads us ever further from the truth

Jan 28 • polimath

30

3