Reasonable People

The mythical median voter

Most people have an above average number of legs, and what that means for our political imagination

May 11 • Tom Stafford

14

5

4

The better algorithms of our nature

Engagement, bridging, and the design of digital platforms which don't pander to our weaknesses.

May 3 • Tom Stafford

9

6

3

April 2026

The 1,000 neuron challenge

A competition to design small, efficient neural models might provide new insight into real brains—and perhaps unite disparate modeling efforts.

Apr 25 • Tom Stafford

3

2

When trusted signals collapse

A case study in what can happen when AI levels the field

Apr 18 • Tom Stafford

19

8

5

Let's talk about the badger penis

Trust me, I'm going somewhere with this.

Apr 13 • Tom Stafford

14

4

Update for paid subscribers

An early view of some material for paid subscribers

Apr 11 • Tom Stafford

2

The Surprising Deceptions of Individual Choice

What you say you want, what you actually want, and what you get

Apr 5 • Tom Stafford

24

4

7

March 2026

Hostile interpolation

rhetorical style in the attention economy. Or, It's not you, but it's them

Mar 28 • Tom Stafford

14

8

7

Quick facts on speed reading

Understanding what doesn't work can help us with what actually does

Mar 23 • Tom Stafford

12

6

1

The wisdom of deliberative crowds

Pooling answers is good, but collectively agreeing a system is better

Mar 16 • Tom Stafford

17

5

Interception at 10,000 miles an hour

And what it tells us about the nature of intelligence

Mar 8 • Tom Stafford

8

4

5

February 2026

Specifically right, generally wrong

Have I stumbled upon a dark pattern for generating engagement?

Feb 28 • Tom Stafford

6