Monthly Archives: September 2025

White Paper: Elite Participation in Grassroots Chess: Implications of Hikaru Nakamura Playing U.S. State Tournaments to Accrue FIDE-Rated Games for Candidates Eligibility

Posted on September 16, 2025 by nathanalbright

Executive summary In late August and early September 2025, GM Hikaru Nakamura—world #2 and 2024 Candidates co-runner-up—entered two U.S. state-level events (the Louisiana State Championship and the Iowa Open), scoring perfect results to accelerate his progress toward the 40 classical … Continue reading →

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White Paper: Distinguishing Cancel Culture from Consequence Culture in Contemporary Society

Posted on September 16, 2025 by nathanalbright

Executive Summary The terms cancel culture and consequence culture are frequently invoked in contemporary public discourse but are often conflated. Both describe the social response to words or actions deemed offensive, unethical, or harmful. However, they differ in intent, process, … Continue reading →

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White Paper: Vulnerability by Association: How Group Identification Shapes Intragroup Behavior

Posted on September 16, 2025 by nathanalbright

Abstract This paper explores the vulnerabilities individuals face not from their own actions, but from the actions and reputations of those with whom they are identified. These vulnerabilities are particularly acute in contexts where collective identities—whether ethnic, religious, political, professional, … Continue reading →

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White Paper: The Long-Term Societal Effects of Political Assassinations Against Non-Elites

Posted on September 16, 2025 by nathanalbright

Abstract Political assassinations typically target high-profile leaders or revolutionary figures. However, when such violence is directed at individuals outside of formal political power—activists, journalists, community leaders, or even ordinary citizens—the psychological and structural consequences are distinct. Ordinary people see victims … Continue reading →

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White Paper: The Principle of Least Effort and Its Implications for Human Behavior

Posted on September 15, 2025 by nathanalbright

Abstract The principle of least effort, first systematically articulated by George Kingsley Zipf in the mid-20th century, states that human beings naturally gravitate toward minimizing effort in the pursuit of goals. This principle operates across cognitive, linguistic, social, and economic … Continue reading →

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White Paper: The Political History of Laconia: Bronze Age Foundations

Posted on September 15, 2025 by nathanalbright

Executive Summary Laconia’s political history cannot be understood without tracing its roots back into the Bronze Age. Long before Sparta’s rise as a hegemonic power, the Eurotas valley and its surrounding regions formed part of the Mycenaean world, with elite … Continue reading →

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White Paper: The Edge of Biblicism and the Necessity of Tradition or Authority

Posted on September 15, 2025 by nathanalbright

Abstract Biblicism—defined as the conviction that the Bible alone is sufficient for faith and practice—has been a powerful force in the history of Christianity. It emphasizes direct engagement with Scripture and distrust of external authorities. Yet, in practice, biblicism confronts … Continue reading →

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White Paper: What the Talmud Says about Jesus and Paul—and How Scholars Read Those Passages Today

Posted on September 15, 2025 by nathanalbright

Executive summary Rabbinic literature contains a small, uneven, and often-censored set of passages that many scholars read as references to Jesus (“Yeshu/Yeshu ha-Notzri”) and virtually no secure references to Paul. The Jesus traditions appear in scattered tannaitic and amoraic sources … Continue reading →

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White Paper: Induced Ovulation in the Animal World and the Question of Consent

Posted on September 14, 2025 by nathanalbright

Abstract Induced ovulation is a reproductive strategy found across diverse animal taxa, in which ovulation is not spontaneous but triggered by mating or other external cues. This paper explores the biological mechanisms and evolutionary logic of induced ovulation, compares it … Continue reading →

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From Persecutor to Apostle — The Historical and Theological Significance of Paul’s Conversion

Posted on September 14, 2025 by nathanalbright

[Note:  This is the prepared text for a sermon delivered to the The Dalles congregation of the United Church of God on Sabbath, September 13, 2025.] Introduction: Remembering What We Wish to Forget Most of us carry memories we would … Continue reading →

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