Published Works
“Your web article [on the Free Energy Principle] is beautifully crafted – and very easy to read. You must have spent an enormous amount of time on this. I particularly liked some of the points of emphasis; for example, the implicit appeal to constraints… These issues are now taking center stage in certain application domains….” (Neuroscientist)
“Thank you for sharing with me your enthralling book which includes backing the [Revised Egyptian Dynastic Model] with your careful and rigorous investigations, elucidating insights and powerful arguments. I wish you every success with the dissemination of the work.” (Orthodox Rabbi & Archaeologist)
“Your project [on Orthodox Jewish Law] is very impressive... I'm sure that as it progresses, the quality and reliability of your work will speak for itself.” (Orthodox Rabbi)
“May God give you strength and wisdom to continue doing holy work.” (Orthodox Rabbi & Kabbalist)
“A few more people like you and the Messianic era is ready to dawn...” (Orthodox Rabbi)
Books
Ticket To Heaven
What if the answers we need have been with us all along?
Although we are the most scientifically advanced and educated human beings in history, we are also the most miserable. Many of us have a vague sense that there is something missing, but nobody can put their finger on what it is.
Ticket to Heaven is an examination of the Western world's collapse, a review of the human condition, and a blueprint for a truly utopian society. By building bridges between different fields and finding common patterns between discoveries, author Zachary R.J. Strong reveals the fundamental truths that Western societies have been neglecting, and how applying those truths to our policy and behavior will give us the utopia we seek.
Papers
Psychology & Neuroscience | Education | Philosophy | Physics | Theology | Technology
Psychology & Neuroscience
The Bicameral Expert
On the neuropsychology of intuition and its role in modern society
- A defining feature of expert performance is the speed at which complex decisions are made.
- Experts use intuition, a form of pre-cognitive knowing, to make difficult decisions quickly.
- Intuition is guided by pattern recognition – the comparison of new information to “chunks”, “schemas”, or “scripts” stored in long-term memory. Experts relying on intuition can quickly compare new information to what they already know and have seen before.
- Intuitive thinking is managed by the brain’s right hemisphere, which some neuroscientists believe is also responsible for the phenomenon of “inner voices”.
- In order to develop expertise, we must develop knowledge of patterns which can be used by the right hemisphere to quickly identify and respond to new information.
Scaffolds & Sophistry
On the relationship between consciousness, language, and competence
- Modern humans have access to a tremendous amount of information, and are faced with the challenge of deciding what information is reliable. Many people struggle with this.
- The human need for information is driven by how we think. Humans construct a mental model of the world, which they use to make decisions and anticipate likely outcomes.
- Conscious access to these mental models is mediated by language. Specifically, language is the medium through which humans construct narratives about the world.
- Unconscious access to these mental models seems to be pre-verbal, symbolic, and “beyond words”. It is governed by intuition and feeling.
- The real issue with lies, deception, and misinformation is that they corrupt the mental models of people subjected to them. This affects both their conscious narratives and their unconscious intuition.
- Sustained exposure to lies, deception, and misinformation can result in ideological possession, an extreme form of mental corruption which leads to radicalization.
- The sophistication of someone’s mental model is related to their stage of “ego development”, which can be measured through language-based tools like the WUSCT.
- People at lower stages of development are more vulnerable to ideological possession.
- The development of consciousness is one of the most important functions of education, yet is not a primary concern.
Shared Pain, Shared Perspective
The Value of a Distributed Healing Approach to Mental Health
Despite unprecedented advances in psychology, neuroscience, and pharmacology, the proliferation of mental illness in Western societies has left experts guessing at solutions. However, a review of indigenous and traditional approaches to neurodivergence reveals that social interventions support not only better outcomes in recovery and reintegration, but also have benefits for societies involved in such support. These claims are supported by elements of Western literature as well, strongly indicating that distributing the care load away from “experts” and onto family members, friends, and communities is a superior approach.
Education
Critical Thinking & Intellectual Virtues
A Framework for Teaching and Evaluating Critical Thinking
Many educators lack methods to teach or assess critical thinking, and most educators lack a definition for the concept. In response to these challenges, I developed an approach to fostering critical thinking based on intellectual virtues. A framework of four “cardinal” intellectual virtues (Precision, Objectivity, Openness, and Humility) provides the basis for a framework of ninety-six distinct knowledges, values, skills, and behaviors.
Philosophy
A Commentary For All And None
Explaining Nietzsche's Love of the Downgoing and For His Fellow Man
It's a beautiful day in the neighborhood
A beautiful day for a neighbor
Would you be mine? Could you be mine?
Physics
Theology
Technology
Tandem Intelligences
The Exciting Future of AI-Human Collaboration in Marketing
In a world where artificial intelligence and other digital tools are so popular, how can the average person use these technologies to do more work - and better work? This short guide explores the use of AI and highlights ways that people can use AI tools effectively and ethically.