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J. Powell Taylor (Read The Inevitable Dr. Entropy)

@jpowelltaylor.com
227 followers 46 following 1K posts

Kobo: www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/the-inevit… Patreon: www.patreon.com/posts/155618601 Kindle: www.amazon.com/dp/B0GX3147V6

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J. Powell Taylor (Read The Inevitable Dr. Entropy) @jpowelltaylor.com · 29/08/2026
A close family friend, who is only 13, is in his first paid production, an original musical called Kidz in Space. It is aimed at young kids but has been entertaining and the cast are very talented! If you live in #ashlandoregon, check it out this weekend at the Ashland Armory.
The playbill for Kidz in Space - A Musical Odyssey
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J. Powell Taylor (Read The Inevitable Dr. Entropy) @jpowelltaylor.com · 28/07/2026
Got my 2000 words in on the Cognitive Psychology textbook today. Still rough but progress is progress.
It would be disingenuous to attribute the rise in cognitive psychology to a handful of people who attended a symposium in the mid 1950s. It makes for a nice story, and some have criticized how that story has been simplified to the mythical revolution that is often told today. While Miller and Chomsky, Simon and Newell, and Neisser were showing that a conception and study of the mind was possible, they were by no means the only ones. Nor did behaviorism completely disappear asa sub-discipline of psychology. However, there was a very clear rejection of the radical behaviorism of Skinner as more and more researchers turned to an interest in the mind.
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J. Powell Taylor (Read The Inevitable Dr. Entropy) @jpowelltaylor.com · 27/07/2026
Gradual progress. Just plugging away to push the story forward. I like to hit 2000 words when I can, but even writing 300 words is progress. I've written about 1500 so far today, so I consider it a win.
Chapter 14 folder in Scrivener with Part 1 and Part 2 listed within it.
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J. Powell Taylor (Read The Inevitable Dr. Entropy) @jpowelltaylor.com · 23/07/2026
Spent the morning writing about the history of cognitive psychology. What better place to start than in mathematics, with Alan Turing? Written in Scrivener and, you'll note, I am just getting the narrative down right now. A lot will change in editing, especially the addition of dates and citations.
There is likely no true starting point for the rise of cognitive psychology but I will begin the story of that rise with mathematician Alan Turing (YEARS). Turing, considered by many as the father of computer science, was instrumental in helping the Allies crack the German ciphers used by their Enigma Machine. He published, in his short life*[1], some of the most important works for the development of modern digital computers. Of special note was the abstract model of any universal computing device called a Turing Machine, which denotes the functions necessary to operate on any valid, computable sequence. That’s a lot of words to basically say that Turing described how any computing device can be created to process data. Such devices are so universal that people have developed Turing Machines in Minecraft (CITE), in PowerPoint (CITE), and the video game Doom, using the monster movements on the maps as digital switches (CITE). Even the card game Magic the Gathering can be shown to operate as a Turing machine (CITE).


[1] Turing was weeks away from his 42nd birthday when he died of cyanide poisoning. The poisoning was self-inflicted, though some have suggested it was unintentional. He had suffered greatly at the hands of the British government, who offered him either prison or chemical castration for the crime of being gay. He chose the chemical castration and died less than two years later. Queen Elizabeth II pronounced Turing posthumously pardoned in 2014, 60 years after his death.
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J. Powell Taylor (Read The Inevitable Dr. Entropy) @jpowelltaylor.com · 22/07/2026
Do artists need to show their work to prove they don't use A.I.? Nah. That can be faked. It can be a fun behind-the-scenes, though! Here is my Chapter 13 opener in Scrivener. I'm expecting 25 chapters, so halfway there. I'm also writing an open-access Cognitive Psychology textbook in Scrivener.
A screenshot clip of Scrivener, reading, "The worst part of going crazy is the gnawing doubt, the awareness that you aren’t thinking normally. It is the ‘turn back’ sign that warns you that madness lay ahead. You see it coming."
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J. Powell Taylor (Read The Inevitable Dr. Entropy) @jpowelltaylor.com · 21/07/2026
Excuse me. I'm bathing here.
Roman, a grey tabby, sitting on a bath mat like he's a people.
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J. Powell Taylor (Read The Inevitable Dr. Entropy) @jpowelltaylor.com · 13/07/2026
Martial arts camping trip, complete.
A tent in a field.
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J. Powell Taylor (Read The Inevitable Dr. Entropy) @jpowelltaylor.com · 05/07/2026
It's a party in the USA.
Fire works, complete with lens flare
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J. Powell Taylor (Read The Inevitable Dr. Entropy) @jpowelltaylor.com · 02/07/2026
Home improvement project initiated...
A carpet, half ripped up exposing the plywood underneath.
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J. Powell Taylor (Read The Inevitable Dr. Entropy) @jpowelltaylor.com · 28/06/2026
Savannah Bananas @ Party Animals in Autzen Stadium, Eugene, OR. A truly frenetic atmosphere.
Autzen Stadium in Eugene, OR, set up as a baseball field for the Savannah Bananas. The seats are packed.
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J. Powell Taylor (Read The Inevitable Dr. Entropy) @jpowelltaylor.com · 24/06/2026
Life: I'm all out of lemons. How about a blown tire.
A flat tire replete with holes in the tire wall.
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J. Powell Taylor (Read The Inevitable Dr. Entropy) @jpowelltaylor.com · 22/06/2026
These bath mat buddies get along pretty well. Roman (on the right) is the proud slayer of a housefly today. His sister, Calibri, often catches her own tail before she falls off the windowsill.
Calibri, a mostly black cat with a wedge of white on her face, and Times New Roman, a grey tabby with a similar wedge of white on his face. Both are curled up on a white, foam bath mat.
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J. Powell Taylor (Read The Inevitable Dr. Entropy) @jpowelltaylor.com · 22/06/2026
Father's Day baseball double header (a summer college league) with my kids and my parents. Happy dad's day to all!
The Medford Rogues take the field!
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J. Powell Taylor (Read The Inevitable Dr. Entropy) @jpowelltaylor.com · 13/06/2026
Neat!
Colored boxes indicating victory in Hank Green's 4x3
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J. Powell Taylor (Read The Inevitable Dr. Entropy) @jpowelltaylor.com · 12/06/2026
Hanging out with Dash
A black and white cat laying on a blanket next to a pile of wooden clothes hangers.
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J. Powell Taylor (Read The Inevitable Dr. Entropy) @jpowelltaylor.com · 02/06/2026
Save this for future comics, y'all. It'll be useful again soon.
It's relatable humor from Weinersmith!
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J. Powell Taylor (Read The Inevitable Dr. Entropy) @jpowelltaylor.com · 01/06/2026
Hey, y'all. I made a dumb little piece of flash fiction. I almost didn't post it because I thought it wasn't funny enough. Trusted readers convinced me it lands. Hopefully, you think the same. Please enjoy (and share!): The Alchemist - A Parable in Two Pages.
The Alchemist
A Parable
“No!” the alchemist screamed, “It must be living matter! Blood, bark,
bone. See Gerard? He brought sheep dung.”
It was far too much sheep dung. They needed only a token amount.
Gerard threw it in the cauldron all the same.
“But the water is surely not—” said dimwitted Henri.
“The water is essential to the mixing process. It will evaporate out.”
The alchemist waved Henri away. With ink-stained fingers, he noted
the excess sheep’s dung in his recipe book. They were almost finished and
the Count’s arrival was imminent.
“Hurry,” the Alchemist said. “Add those hornets. Scoop the entire brain
from that skull, Liam!”
“Sir,” said Gerard, “The cauldron is difficult to stir.”
“More water!”
“The pond is almost—”
“The pond is of no consequence.”
The Alchemist panted feverishly as he noted each addition to the brew.
Livers, pine needles, old books, and scraps of the Count’s lavish feasts
simmered over the coals.
“Alchemist!” said the Count upon his arrival. “Is it finished?”
“We are just pouring the mold.”
The Count sweated profusely in the humid air of the workshop. “It is
rank in here,” he said.
“That is the smell of success, sire.”
“My money is not endless. Show me what my patronage has bought
me.”
The Alchemist’s assistants tipped the steaming cauldron into the mouth
of a giant tin funnel. The sludge filled the mold perfectly to the top of the
hole.by the Alchemist’s fervent acquisition of a million tokens of life for this
experiment. He had grown impatient.
When they finally cracked open the mold and the billowing steam had
cleared, the creation stood, two legs and two arms and a faceless head. It
stepped forward, brownish-grey and speckled with bits of leaves and hair and
paper and dung, and it bowed.
“Is it alive?” the Count said, awe quieting his voice.
“It is made from life itself, sire.”
“What can it do?”
“Anything you want.”
“Command it to shine my shoes.”
“Lulm.” The name did not precisely roll off one’s tongue. “Shine the
count’s shoes.”
The Lulm bowed. It did nothing.
The Alchemist commanded it again. This time, it knelt, smearing the
shine from the Count’s spotless shoes with its clay-like hand.
“Incredible,” said the Count. “Can it cook?”
“Cook, plow a field, clean your home, anything you wish, sire.”
A dollop of rancid brown Lulm plopped on the Count’s other shoe.
“What will my serfs do?”
The Alchemist grinned. “Anything else. Perhaps they can serve the
Lulm.”
The Count clapped his hands together, pleased as a penny.
“The next one should be even better.”
“I’ll leave you to it, then. Lulm, follow me. You will drive my carriage.
Good work, Alchemist.”
The workshop fell into silence. The Count’s carriage was bound for
several ditches but he was out of their way for now.
“Okay, Henri. Clean out the mold. Gerard, find us another pond to
drain. We have a better Lulm to make. How about less excrement this time?”
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J. Powell Taylor (Read The Inevitable Dr. Entropy) @jpowelltaylor.com · 27/05/2026
The downside was the long, winding road to get there. It was 1 lane for either direction, meaning we had to judge where to pull over to let people drive by. At one point, a sign instructed us to honk while rounding a blind bend. The trail was safe but had lots of warnings to stay on it! 3/3
Sign reading: DO NOT PASS THIS POINT. FATALITIES HAVE OCCURRED. 35 CFR 1.5(1). Violating a closure: $100.

Beyond is a waterfall. A silly teenager stands just beyond the sign in a soccer jersey.
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J. Powell Taylor (Read The Inevitable Dr. Entropy) @jpowelltaylor.com · 27/05/2026
At the end of the hike were four very tall waterfalls cascading down the back of Haleakala (which we drove up a few days later.) 2/3
The largest waterfall of four cascading down a large cliff.
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J. Powell Taylor (Read The Inevitable Dr. Entropy) @jpowelltaylor.com · 27/05/2026
One of my favorite hikes in Maui was the Bamboo Forest, which was about a mile long and fairly easy with occasional bridges and walkways. It rained sporadically during our hike. The part with thick bamboo, as you can see here, was like wooden wind chimes. Knock-knock-knock. 1/3
Tall bamboo found in the Bamboo Forest in Maui
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J. Powell Taylor (Read The Inevitable Dr. Entropy) @jpowelltaylor.com · 25/05/2026
A sunset from above the clouds on Haleakala. We're back home now, so this was yesterday before a red-eye back to the mainland. Pictures of cats can resume henceforth.
The sun resting atop the clouds on the horizon, making a beautiful orange sunset.
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J. Powell Taylor (Read The Inevitable Dr. Entropy) @jpowelltaylor.com · 24/05/2026
Science City, Mars -- I mean Maui.
The observatories of Science City at the top of Haleakala on Maui, surrounded by barren lava rocks.
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J. Powell Taylor (Read The Inevitable Dr. Entropy) @jpowelltaylor.com · 20/05/2026
Feeding time!
Tropical fish and sharks being fed chum by a scuba diver in an aquarium exhibit in Maui.
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J. Powell Taylor (Read The Inevitable Dr. Entropy) @jpowelltaylor.com · 20/05/2026
The chosen sting ray will save us all.
A sting ray in the Maui Ocean Center aquarium, swimming through a beam of light.
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J. Powell Taylor (Read The Inevitable Dr. Entropy) @jpowelltaylor.com · 19/05/2026
Maui, where lush meets moonscape
A view of lava rocks with tropical trees in the distance on Maui
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J. Powell Taylor (Read The Inevitable Dr. Entropy) @jpowelltaylor.com · 18/05/2026
Timeline vibe reset.
Maui as seen across a bay on an overcast day.
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J. Powell Taylor (Read The Inevitable Dr. Entropy) @jpowelltaylor.com · 16/05/2026
Anyone recognize this little guy?
A pretty black shell with orange spots nestled in the crevices of a black rock on the beach.
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J. Powell Taylor (Read The Inevitable Dr. Entropy) @jpowelltaylor.com · 15/05/2026
Here are some sea turtles to brighten your timeline.
Sea turtles basking on golden sand next to rocks that are similarly colored as the turtles.
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J. Powell Taylor (Read The Inevitable Dr. Entropy) @jpowelltaylor.com · 13/05/2026
Adventure time! #ziplining
A man in an orange helmet wearing a zip line harness
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J. Powell Taylor (Read The Inevitable Dr. Entropy) @jpowelltaylor.com · 12/05/2026
I am fortunate to be able to travel a little during worsening economic times. Not a bad place to do a little daily writing. #maui #writinglife
Palm trees on a manicured lawn at a condo complex in Maui featuring blue skies and the ocean in the distance.
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J. Powell Taylor (Read The Inevitable Dr. Entropy) @jpowelltaylor.com · 09/05/2026
Peek-a-boo!
A grey tabby poking his head out from draped clothes. A black and white cat's posterior pokes out as well.
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J. Powell Taylor (Read The Inevitable Dr. Entropy) @jpowelltaylor.com · 08/05/2026
Roman found an inconvenient pile of fresh laundry for nap time.
An adolescent grey tabby lounging in a pile of assorted blankets, towels, and other laundry.
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J. Powell Taylor (Read The Inevitable Dr. Entropy) @jpowelltaylor.com · 03/05/2026
Decent seats, though
T-Mobile Park as seen from the right field stands on the first level.
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J. Powell Taylor (Read The Inevitable Dr. Entropy) @jpowelltaylor.com · 03/05/2026
The Mariners stadium is a totally different experience than minor league baseball.
A sense crowd on the concourse of T-Mobile Park.
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J. Powell Taylor (Read The Inevitable Dr. Entropy) @jpowelltaylor.com · 02/05/2026
But, fireworks afterwards!
Fireworks exploding over Cheney stadium
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J. Powell Taylor (Read The Inevitable Dr. Entropy) @jpowelltaylor.com · 02/05/2026
11-7 is a tough loss.
A scoreboard for the Rainiers vs. the Aviators showing Aviators - 11 and the Rainiers - 7
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J. Powell Taylor (Read The Inevitable Dr. Entropy) @jpowelltaylor.com · 02/05/2026
Featuring an unhealthy dinner.
Fish and chips, a soda, and a bag of popcorn.
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J. Powell Taylor (Read The Inevitable Dr. Entropy) @jpowelltaylor.com · 02/05/2026
No kitties tonight because I'm on the road. So here's some minor league baseball. Go Rainiers!
Cheney stadium, home of the Tacoma Rainiers, as viewed straight along the third baseline from the back row.
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J. Powell Taylor (Read The Inevitable Dr. Entropy) @jpowelltaylor.com · 30/04/2026
Last chance to snuggle before this lap is gone for a week. You'll have to seek out the other laps in the house for a little while, kittens.
Young cats, one a grey tabby and the other mostly black, curled in a yin yang with each other.
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J. Powell Taylor (Read The Inevitable Dr. Entropy) @jpowelltaylor.com · 29/04/2026
Dash is content to hang out while the kittens aren't bothering him or hogging my attention.
An adult black and white cat lounging on a grey blanket.
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J. Powell Taylor (Read The Inevitable Dr. Entropy) @jpowelltaylor.com · 28/04/2026
Calibri insists the clatter in the kitchen wasn't her chasing a bug. I am not convinced.
A black and white cat, not fully grown yet
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J. Powell Taylor (Read The Inevitable Dr. Entropy) @jpowelltaylor.com · 27/04/2026
Here are Roman and Calibri.
A black and white cat napping cheek-to-cheek with a grey tabby on a teal chair.
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J. Powell Taylor (Read The Inevitable Dr. Entropy) @jpowelltaylor.com · 13/04/2026
Leela in a negligee astride Zapp Brannigan, who is pushing her up. The text reads, "That would be more than enough time"
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J. Powell Taylor (Read The Inevitable Dr. Entropy) @jpowelltaylor.com · 12/02/2026
Here's a couple for you too.
A black kitten with a white chest and a white wedge on its face sits next to a gray tabby kitten with similar white patterning.
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J. Powell Taylor (Read The Inevitable Dr. Entropy) @jpowelltaylor.com · 09/12/2025
Today I learned:
"Algorithms were invented in 825 AD by scientist Mohammed Algorithm" sounds like a batshit insane sentence but it is literally completely accurate followed by a screenshot of a Wikipedia article describing Muhammad in Musa al-Khwarizmi.
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J. Powell Taylor (Read The Inevitable Dr. Entropy) @jpowelltaylor.com · 25/11/2025
Bender from Futurama leaning over a prone, drooling Professor. The rest reads, "Stuff costs more than it used to! Young people use curse words!"
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J. Powell Taylor (Read The Inevitable Dr. Entropy) @jpowelltaylor.com · 20/11/2025
The incestuous investments and propping up of AI has Nvidia at its center. Is it a house of cards or are they building a strong foundation for future chip manufacturing. It doesn't look really stable to me, but I am not an economist.
A complex chart showing the network of investments, hardware, software, and services featuring Nvidia, OpenAI, Oracle, AMD, Microsoft, Intel, and others.
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J. Powell Taylor (Read The Inevitable Dr. Entropy) @jpowelltaylor.com · 13/08/2025
A diner sign that reads "Please - One teen to a malt" from Futurama (Episode: Roswell that Ends Well)
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J. Powell Taylor (Read The Inevitable Dr. Entropy) @jpowelltaylor.com · 10/08/2025
Where o where is your spell-checker, Zach?
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J. Powell Taylor (Read The Inevitable Dr. Entropy) @jpowelltaylor.com · 30/07/2025
Truer than true.
A tweet from Emily Murnane that reads, "Any time there's any nepotism discourse, I do unfortunately feel the need to revisit Brooklyn Beckham's photography book"

Attached to the tweet is a photo of a page with an elephant entirely in shadow. The page reads as a poem: 

"elephants in kenya (sic)

so hard to photograph but
incredible to see"
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