To Alpha Centauri or The Bronx and Mississippi?

I don’t know Yuri Milner.  I know that he made a lot of money by backing some of the biggest Internet social media companies.  I know that about two years ago he decided to use  $100 million of his own money to launch a project called Starshot, to explore outer space, way outer space.  His goal was to find a method to send measuring devices to our nearest star, Alpha Centauri, which is about four light years away.

Space.com

Now, four years doesn’t sound like an impossible amount of time to get to another planet, but, despite the “warp speed” button on the Millennium Flacon, going the speed of light is something that cannot be done, except by light.  Undaunted, Mr. Milner has assembled a top team of  scientists and engineers who want to be a part of this project, and they have come up with ideas that they feel, theoretically, could go almost 20% of the speed of light, if they can work out the many difficult details.  At that speed it would take 20 years to send tiny devices to Alpha Centauri.  What they would send would be a herd of very small chips. like the ones that are in your phone.  They would be sent there by a push from an array of focused lasers, which would give them a giant push, and get them up to 20% of light speed.

Will this work?  That seems to be only part of the mission of this mission.  The real fun is just getting all these skilled people to think and act together attempt to conceptualize technology, execution, and the future.  The odds of getting the machines there, getting them to work during the few moments of fly by, and then getting them to send data back through four light-years of space in manner that can be received and interpreted, are quite small.  But they have $100 million to start with, and about thirty years o figure it out.

Fascinating, encouraging, and hey, it’s his money.

EXCEPT:

I was reading an update on the Starshot program in this mont’s Scientific American, which I still get in hard copy after all these years, even though it isn’t even American any more. The articles have been cut down to three or four pages to cater to an audience with today’s attention span. 

so I was able to keep reading new articles about attempts at using the scientific method to discover other factors that influence our lives.  Science continues to do this even if the results are not 100% accurate, and the struggle for confirmation usually demands “further study.”  The lack of clarity is part of what makes the real quest for knowledge unending.  Nobody, knows it all; even if they think they do.

About ten pages further along in the same issues (March, 2017) is an article by Kimberly Noble, who is a professor of neuroscience at Columbia University Teachers College.  She has studied the effects of poverty on children’s brain development and, not surprisingly, she has found that children who spend their early lives in homes with the lowest socio-economic level show impairments in their cognitive functioning.  These impairments are not due to their genetics, or race or location, as all those factors were controlled, they are due to not having enough of whatever is needed to develop their brains to their full potential.  This includes food, social and cognitive stimulation, attention, heat, stability, and all the other parts of life that come with poverty.

She cites that there are some programs that are somewhat effective and helping children who live in poverty to overcome those dangers, such as Head Start.  She also states that correlation does not always imply causality, as there may be other factors that just haven’t been discovered that may actually be the cause of these cognitive deficiencies.  So, this theory requires further study.

One type of study she suggests would be just to give the families money.  She wonders if fancy education or training programs are necessary, or if that would just be spreading the money around to consultants and teachers, and not the families who are poor.  Why not just give them money and see what good it would do?  Her “hypothesis is that increased family income will trigger a cascade of positive effects for these families.” And that these effects will show up in the  improved cognitive skills of these children.

Her experimental design is to give 100 families $333 a month.  That’s a bit of money.  But not much.  It’s almost $4000 a year.  It’s certainly something, if you have nothing, but not enough to really move anyone out of poverty.

That’s when I began to connect the two articles in my mind.  What if, in addition to his fun and fascinating interstellar Starshot project, Mr. Milner could see his way to dropping another $100 million of the estimated over $3.1 Billion he has parked around the world on Dr. Noble’s project.

Then we could really study what it would mean to a family’s life, including brain development, stability, achievement and future, if they could move out of poverty and into the lower-middle class.  

For around $100 million, 500 families could get $40,000 a year for seven years.  i would begin it at the birth of a child, just like Dr. Noble is doing. I don’t know what would happen; that’s why we do studies.  But my hypothesis would be that after seven years most of the families would have found a way to be able to keep running at that level on their own. It would allow them a better chance at keep the partners together.  It would give them a better way to have one parent at home while the other one worked, and each parent could find work without having the home fall apart or the kids go unsupervised.  It would allow them to keep jobs making $11 an hour long enough to move up and stating making $20 an hour.  Or it would allow them to go to school and get training to make $105,000 a year. It would relieve the stress that comes from not making the rent, or from choosing whether to pay for food, shelter or medicine. Perhaps even give the family resources to get a car, which would get them to work regularly and on time.

This kind of stability would assure that the child receives proper nourishment and proper attention from two parents; parents who would be relaxed enough so that the child would not be subjected to the tension that comes with poverty.

What this study would also be doing is testing the theory behind a guaranteed annual income. That is something that will come more into focus when self-driving trucks are introduced, along with all the other robots that will run our factories, deliver goods, clean our streets and suck the pollution out of the air.

So, if any of you reading this know how to get in touch with Mr. Milner, tell him to talk to Dr. Noble and see if they can work out the details.  You can tell him I sent you.

•   *   *  *   *   *   *

Really, I strongly believe that both of these functions, basic research for space exploration, and practical research on child and family development, obviously should be paid for by our government.  That’s what governments do well, when they are allowed to function.  Mr. Milner, and all of those who possess  the top .1% and the1% and even the top 5% of wealth in this country should pay a lot more taxes to allow the government to do things like this for all of our citizens.  They should do this because the system in this country is designed to help those people become innovative, to take risks, and even to fail and try again.  They have benefitted greatly from the rules that were written to help them.  They should pay some it back to allow the society to benefit also, That way our society can develop more innovators and more problem solvers, using the talent of people from all socio-economic groups.

However, we are living in an upside-down time.  A time when science is bad and anger and scapegoating innocent people is in vogue.  We are still being sold the myth that rich people are better at distributing money, and that giving them more of it helps those with less.  We hear this often, even though it has not worked for over thirty years.  

But that is a discussion for another time.  Almost every other time it seems, which is good, because maybe, if it discussed enough, things will change.

Until then, whisper in Yuri’s ear, or anyone out there who you know who has $100 million that they don’t want to leave to their great-grandchildren because it will ruin their lives.

An Almost Civil Disagreement

Max and I disagree.

But we are civil enough to at least attempt to discuss our differences.  We both admit that neither of us should expect to sway the other one at all.  We also will try to present our ideas in terms that could possibly be consistent with the other person’s values.  But really, since we certainly don’t share values, we have a tough time understanding why the other person is such a moron, especially when the truth is so obvious.

However, to begin with, we actually both agree.  We agree that our great country, the land of the free and home of the brave; home of the creative, the entrepreneurial; beacon of hope to the world, with a government of the people, by the people and for the people, — is a mess, and headed in the wrong direction.  We also agree that part of the problem is how terribly divided the population is, and that this division has become more hostile and disrespectful. 

We disagree about America’s priorities, more specifically about what to do about taxes, health care, big government, wages, education, race relations, immigration, refugees, war, weapons, guns, banks, the Fed, welfare, climate control, energy policy, Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, All of the Bushes, Israel, Muslims, Christians, Jews, China, the Middle East, the whole defense budget, cities, suburbs, sex, the electoral college, the right to vote, abortion, transgendered people, soda and salt, and many, many other ways in which people care, govern and relate to each other.

We have some overlap in our ideas about Russia, job training, Ben Carson and gay people.

If you want to know more specifically what his positions are, then watch Fox News and read the Wall Street Journal.  He has those positions down pat, almost word for word. My ideas, which I like to think are the result of hours of thought and refection, after reading many sources, are actually close to what you get from the New York Times and NPR.

Not surprisingly, Max was raised in a rich semi-rural suburb in Virginia.  I was born in Brooklyn, NYC.  Really, that’s all you need to know.

Here are some of my generalizations of where we disagree.  If you want to read what Max  thinks, then you can go find his web page. He believes that people should be self-reliant.

Max believes in good and evil.

I believe in cause and effect.

Max believes that the most basic American freedom is the opportunity to make as much money as you can, and that the government should stop messing around with that.

I believe that America’s greatness comes from how it guarantees freedom of speech and thought. The government is there to protect us all equally from being exploited, intimidated or harmed by anyone. I also believe that the government should do whatever it can to help all of us improve our lives, liberty and pursuit of happiness.

Max says he believes that all people are created equal and are free to do whatever they want with their lives.

I believe that the rich and powerful have always, always, exploited those who are poorer and weaker, and that they very rarely give up their advantages without a struggle, often with violence, but not always.

Although he hides behind euphemisms, Max believes that some people, mostly those like him, are intrinsically worth more than others, due to their native endowments.

I believe that we are all equal in our insignificance.

Max believes that men and women are equal, but also that they are basically different, and they should both keep to what they are best at doing.

I believe that is bullshit, sexist and exploitive.

I believe in science, and in using data to see what is going on and to help make the best decisions.

Max feels that science can be confusing and can be used to prove anything, and that good, common sense is enough to decide what should be done.

I believe that due to rapid advances in science and technology, shifts in population dynamics, and climate change, this country is going through a major transition, and once all of those things are recognized and accepted, and we learn how to integrate all of these new things into how we live and work together, our country will be much better and stronger.

Max agrees with all of that except that last three words.  He would substitute weaker and worse.

I think we both would like to find some common ground, but we don’t know where.

We have tried talking.  We have even tried listening.  But we both have very strong core beliefs that we can’t give up. It makes compromise difficult.

Why I am not always the best Therapist

In some ways I'm not the best therapist for today's conditions.  That's not why I am slowing down, I have another seventeen reasons for that, but it seems to be true.

Sure, sure I can see a lot of progress in the people I see in therapy.  About 45% do well and I push them out after a year or so and their lives are easier, happier and they function better.  Another 35% do REALLY well, and they come up from the depths of torture and despair and put something together like a relationship or just happiness and that makes me feel better.  Another 20% don't.

But, as I said in my last post  (you can click back and read it, if you haven't already), the world, especially work, is much more fast-paced and stressful than it was when I opened this practice of psychotherapy.  For many of my patients I find that part of what we do is strategize how to deal with that stress -- not just breathe deeply, but how to prioritize, how to deal with a bad boss, how to deal with the huge, constant demands that a corporation. large or small, places on an employee.

Years ago, in the 90s, when managed care was clearly going to continue to be an intrusive pain in the ass, even before they began reducing fees, I decided to expand my revenue base and do some direct consulting to some local businesses. One was to a company that made stuff, and another was to a local financial services company.  My job was to help higher, but not top, management make their employees more productive.

Well, the company that made stuff, made some real crappy stuff and treated their employees terribly.  The financial services company had a business model that was either just this side or just over the line of being sleazy.

In my head, although I didn't actually say it, my best advice would have been to get the hell out of that business.  I didn't do much consulting after that.

I often still feel that way when I deal with my stressed-out patients now.

But I also realize that they don't have too many choices, and having and holding a job is very important these days.

But since I left working at a community mental health center in 1981, I have not had a boss. I set my own hours.  No one really tells me how to work, although I do consult and collaborate. Insurance companies set most of the payments I get, but at least I don't have to deal with the worst of them.  Many of my colleagues don't take insurance payments at all.  I didn't want to go that way, but it was my choice.

Whenever I see an opportunity I try to encourage people, especially younger ones, to try to do their own thing, build their own business, do something they want to get up and go and do.

But that isn't easily done, especially if you are part of a family that needs to be supported and given some stability.

But it's tough to see so many people feeling so much stress, and having so little control of it.
A lot of them are much better at it than I ever was or will be.

Summer

Summer is certainly here.  The Big 4th of July Weekend has passed and everyone is in full summer mode.  Some are sitting on stoops, going to bar-b-ques, headed to the beach or the lake.  The city is full of events to keep the residents home to spend their money locally, or to entertain the tourists.  All the cities, large and small on the New England coast, from Newport, RI, to Bar Harbor ME are full and festive.  The visitors from Topeka probably think it's like that all year long.

For me, still working, still doing at least three full days a week, the divide between work and play is huge.  I feel so fortunate that my family, all three generations now, is happy, healthy, enthusiastic and even prosperous.  It becomes even more difficult to turn the pages of the Sunday paper and read about what goes on in Egypt, Mali, Syria, China, Spain, and even Florida and Texas.  It is even more painful to see what happens with our very own government, grinding to a halt in Washington, D.C, helping no one, solving nothing.

That is also what upsets me in my practice.  So many of the patients i have to deal with have problems that are due as much to politics as they are emotions, neurological, genetic or family dynamics.  I see a 58 year-old man who knows he will never be able to get a job that pays close to what he has had before. His unemployment support has ended.  His wife is exhausted from dealing with his feelings of hopelessness.

I see a 25 year-old woman who is working as a waitress and wants to go back to nursing school but she already has $32K in student loans.  Her father is dead and her mother makes $14 an hour.  She would have to take all of her courses, do her clinical rotations, and also be working full-time to support herself,. A friend of hers from high school, whose grades were never as good as hers, has father who is buying her a condo near school and paying all of her expenses.

I have about a dozen more examples for this: cases in which $25K would be much more help than two years of therapy.

Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day.  Teach him to fish and he will starve to death if there are no fish to catch.

Terrible, terrible, terrible

Anyone who knows or ever knew a six-year old has to be totally stunned and heart-broken at what happened on Friday. It is one of the scariest and most meaningless kind of acts that anyone can commit.

The U.S. is faced with another awful, expensive dilemma, as another part of our infrastructure is found to be neglected, underfunded, and ignored, and that again, it is revealed what happens when a problem is left to grow instead of being solved.

The first problem, and one I admit I have an interest in, is the huge amount of mental and emotional difficulties that are not dealt with.  There is a growing number of kids who are on the autism spectrum and/or have really difficult behavior problems.  These kids either don't get help and end up in jail, or they bounce from school to agencies, to probation to special schools, and if they are getting the treatment they need, and some do, it is very expensive.

Could this kid have been found and his behavior averted if there were more services available?  Perhaps.  That is very difficult to know. It is certainly worth the effort.  I think some of my patients could have gone that way, perhaps, but they got at least some attention.

And the other part is guns, especially automatic weapons, that can shoot dozens of rounds very quickly.  I have asked on some of the web sites I visit on which there are some gun advocates, for an explanation of why American citizens need to be armed.  I have not yet received an answer that I really understand.  I do not expect it to be rational, as perhaps my abhorrence of the availability to such weapons may not be rational, but I would like to understand the thinking, or the feeling.

Yes, gang member have guns, and drug dealers have guns, and so do legitimate hunters and backwoods men.  But we don't live in the 1820s any more.  We live in a time when all of our lives are greatly intertwined.  There are many more restrictions we have to live under if we are to have a society that functions.

But I really believe that there are many people out there who believe that the Muslim in the White House is about to declare Sharia Law, and that if we are not armed out women will be taken away. I guess tehy feel that if it can happen in Egypt, it can happen here.

Love, Money Power and Sex

Most of us know about Maslow and his hierarchy of needs.  Before you can build up to using your full potential, he hypothesized, you need to have your basic needs met, beginning with food and shelter, and working your way up through acceptance, love, and esteem, until you can feel totally free and secure, and then you can "self-actualize."

It was a good idea, popular and easy to understand.  It really was never supported by research, as it seems many people can skip some steps, while others get stuck enjoying the food, shelter and sex level.

But whenever I have been asked about what motivates people now, in the 21st Century, and I believe  (again, with no real research to back it up) that the big factors are Love, Money, Power and Sex.  Possibly today, with the way the world is, Fame, could be added as something many people seem to desire.  Being famous for being outrageous  and making a sex tape, seems to be worth as much as bringing peace to the Middle East or curing cancer.

The other things about Love, Money, Power and Sex (Fame), is that they are so tightly combined.  People want to be loved and respected.  Money almost can buy love, Power can bring Sex, Sex is related to, but isn't quite Love. Money is almost Power.  Men Love women who are attracted to Money and Power and will have Sex because of that attraction. Some women like to obtain Power to attract Sex partners, some get Power so they don't have to have Sex.  All of this is intertwined and everyone gets involved.

A lot of orthodox religions seem to have a lot of doctrines relating to Power and Sex.  Almost all give the Power to men, to determine who has Sex.

So it is never too shocking when Powerful men, politicians, generals, business tycoons, movie stars, get swept up in the excitement and the glory of their position, and end up combining admiration, Love, lust and Sex all in one bundle and find themselves enjoying the company of beautiful women twenty years younger than they are.

It's a terrible fate that ends up in scandal. Everyone loves a scandal, and they all involve Love, Money, Power and Sex.


So now, I am looking for someone to write my biography.  Preferably a women in her mid-thirties -- but older than my daughter, with a knock-out body and a good vocabulary.

When I raised the idea with my wife she just said "good-luck with that" and then she added that she would like to edit the book before it gets published to keep it real.

What I've learned in my absence

Yeah, yeah, I went away and left you unattended, my dear blog.. I have been sitting here waiting to get started, and then things just kept happening. Yes, we tried to get away from the constant cold of February for a few days, and we were fairly successful. We found a spot that was warm, not hot, but warm. That was good enough. We did our taxes, that was a pain in the ass; numbers up numbers down, not much left over, send that to the government.

People in this country don't trust their government. They fight wars to protect their freedom to elect the government, and then they hate the government they have elected. They find it difficult to pay $400 a month for an inefficient, confusing program run by the government. They would rather pay $700 a month for what is pretty much the same program run by people who get rich off the extra money, usually by denying services.

But that brings me to other things that kept me busy over the past month. Writing more checks. There was Haiti, that was bad, and the cancer people, the diabetes people and so many other diseases. Then the orphans, from Haiti, Africa, Romania, Afghanistan, etc. There are refugees In Africa, in Asia, in the Middle East. Yes, there is the Middle East, with war victims, terror victims, endless peace initiatives, and educational projects. That is true close to home too, with hospitals, wounded veterans, homeless shelters, battered women's homes, all in need. And our schools too. City schools need support, kids need scholarship money, money for sports, money for computers, money for lunch.

So this is what I've learned since I've been away:

The World Sucks --- send a check.

creeping changes

This economic stuff is bad. Many people are either losing their jobs, or afraid that they could. Money is tight. People are finally afraid of credit cards/

These are not bad things.

Many of the couples I see who usually fought about money-- using it as one of their flash points, even if it wasn't the real issue they were fighting about, which is usually control, recognition, and who should carry the emotional load -- now they talk about survival.

In some ways people are very tense about making the bills. In some ways people are more relaxed because the pressure to make tons of money, to keep up, to buy more and bigger, is gone. Even the people who have money, have less.

Making tons of money is not trendy any more. It looks bad. If this were France in 1787 all those auto execs, and big bankers would be on their way to the guillotine. There is a lot of popular support for that.

There are signs that things are changing. Having a job seems more important than just making money. How you get your money is beginning to matter again.

May there will even be a return of things like ethics and integrity.

Well, let's not get carried away.

$600 an hour?

A friend sent me information about an article in the NY Times bout some NY therapists who get $600 an hour. The article talks about how some of those therapists get sucked into pander a bit to these clients. I guess if someone is going to pay you $600 an hour it must be tough to say things that might drive them away.

As hourly workers go, $600 is right up there. I know there are lots of lawyers who charge more, but most of those charges are paid by big corporate entities. The people who get really rich these days are the ones who can leverage their money, either through many shares of stock, or selling thousands of copies of one thing, form diet books, to hula-hoops.

I truly doubt that these therapists who are getting about 6 times what I get are not saying anything more pithy or life-changing than what I say. As most of you realize by now, I am one of the most skilled and effective psychotherapist on the planet. I just have chose to market my services in some average mill city in New England. I guess that's my fault.

I still have not caved in to the American ideal that those who have more money are worth more as people. I ma not impressed, much to my wife's discontent.

Not that I am against money. If someone wants to send me a check for all of these words of wisdom I'd probably cash it. But, as you can see, I give it away for free -- which either makes me dumb or foolish,

or else makes these words priceless.