Josiah Royce critiques San Francisco society during the Gold Rush era, describing inflated housing prices, business-obsessed men suffering mental strain, unconventional women leading society, and weakened family structures marked by frequent divorces and social fluidity.
A mathematician argues that AI replacing mathematicians threatens human understanding rather than advancing it. The author contends that theoretical research aims at general comprehension, not mere achievements, and that human participation in the communal project of understanding is essential to well-being in a humane society.