Practical knowledge

Charles Darwin’s "golden rule": write down at once what contradicts you

Darwin noticed that facts contradicting his theory were forgotten far more easily than those that supported it. So he created a simple rule, which today we would call a defence against confirmation bias.

3 November 2026 / 3 min read

Benjamin Franklin’s thirteen virtues: a notebook for character

In his youth Benjamin Franklin set out to achieve "moral perfection". He did not achieve it. But the method he invented to try is one of the earliest examples of habit tracking.

3 November 2026 / 2 min read