# 66 On scientific customs
Dear Jamie, As agreed on the phone this letter will be the last for a while because we’ve agreed to start a new letter series on a friend’s new platform.
Category: Letters
#65 On the orthodoxy
Dear Mat, I think skyhook is a good name for a particular kind of bad explanation. Namely, one that doesn’t attempt to ground the phenomena it describes in things that we already think
#64 On the degrees of skyhookery
Dear Jamie, Your letter reminded me of one of the most mind-boggling experiences I had. I watched Derren Brown’s show Miracle. In Miracle, before the segment started, he told the
#63 On magic tricks
Dear Mat, First off, we’re accusing one another of “essentialism” and “foundationalism”. I think we’re both against those things and think that science should be done accordingly. Truce? More importantly, I feel
#62 On Foundations
Dear Jamie, Congratulations for drafting the final chapter of your thesis! You’ve already managed the whole thing with much more grace than I did. I’m writing this bit before I
#61 On cranes and skyhooks
Dear Mat, I’m pondering my reasons for adopting a no skyhooks policy. I’d be genuinely interested in what you think the political agenda is behind my stance. This rambling letter is me trying
#60 On scientific confidence
Dear Jamie However many times I’ve been truly guilty of dastardliness in past letters, my last one was a genuine effort to understand. My brain was having serious trouble remapping
#59 On how the question changes the answer
Dear Mat, Interesting letter. It was a rollercoaster from my POV because the first few paragraphs appeared to be a dastardly warping of what I was saying, yet by the end