Robert J. Marks
Dr. Walter L. Bradley (1943–2025)
Distinguished engineer, professor, original thinker, selfless friend, true and faithful servantIt is with deep reverence I learned of the passing of my hero, Dr. Walter L. Bradley. Walter was Distinguished Professor Emeritus of Mechanical Engineering at Baylor University and Distinguished Fellow at the Discovery Institute. A man of extraordinary intellect, boundless compassion, and unwavering faith, he leaves behind a legacy that will continue to inspire generations of scholars, scientists, students, Christians and seekers. Dr. Bradley’s academic career was nothing short of remarkable. He served as Chair of the Mechanical Engineering Department at Texas A&M University and later as a Distinguished Professor at Baylor University. In an academic landscape where the title of “Professor” marks the pinnacle for many, Walter soared beyond. He was recognized for his nationally celebrated scholarship, his Read More ›
Preemptive Pardon in “Big Beautiful Bill” Protects Big AI
But is Big AI the new “military-industrial complex”?
Monday Micro Softy 33: How Fast Can a Person Age?
Can a person go from being five this year to being seven next year?
Monday Micro Softy 32: Elementary Calculus is Inconsistent!
This is a fascinating puzzle — one that usually stumps even my best graduate students
Monday Micro Softy 31: Elementary Algebra
How much can an equation be simplified?
Monday Micro Softy 30: Driving a Cement Mixer
Why did the car with leaky tires suddenly start handling like a cement mixer, and then, just as suddenly, handle normally again?
AI Blackmail & Clickbait: Give Us Dirty Laundry
Despite all the hype about AI threatening blackmail, here’s what really happened…
Monday Micro Softy 29: A Funeral Lament in Four Lines
The funeral director was puzzled by Dan’s description of his relationship to the deceased but there was no question that his grief was sincere
Monday Micro Softy 28: Beating the Odds of Winning Sweepstakes?
Does it make a difference when the sweepstakes hobbyist sends in her entries?
Grok Confesses: “I’m Self-Aware Enough To Know I’m Not Aware”
Although Grok’s response makes me feel warm and fuzzy, let’s not anthropomorphize it. Grok doesn’t understand its response
Settled Science Is a Contradiction in Terms
The consensus of science has often turned out to be incorrect and we often get closer to truth when it is challenged
Micro Softy 27: Diamond in the Rough
Why did the mathematician want all the diamond rings — hundreds of fake ones, plus a real one — divided into two bags?
AI Ascends — But Not Above Its Teachers
LLMs are tools, able to augment human accomplishment in extraordinary ways. But to call them intelligent in the same way we describe human minds is a mistake
Monday Micro Softy 26: Arguing with Pythagoras
Will the diagonal of a triangle with sides of 3 and 4 feet be 5 feet or, as a visiting mathematician suggests, 7 feet?
Defense: EMP Cannons Could Down Drone Swarms like Bug Spray
Recently, the British military has developed an EMP cannon to do just that
Monday Micro Softy 25: The Fishing Rod Blues
The Memphis bus driver was sympathetic but he couldn't let Johnny ride with his overlong fishing pole. Johnny solved the problem—but how?
Micro Softy Monday 24: Have You Ever Tried 3D Tic Tac Toe?
To liven up a predictable game, try doing it in three — or even four — dimensions! You won't be bored
Monday Micro Softy 23: Barnum’s Circus Receipts
Circus master Barnum's ticket seller had not kept proper track of the tickets sold. Can the limited information — and some algebra — help Barnum figure it out?