Maggie Jackson's Blog

I’m excited that the renowned global philosophy-design magazine New Philosopher is publishing an excerpt from the introduction to Distracted in its latest issue. In this excerpt, I argue that rising levels of inattention and splintered focus are indicative of a dark age. “It’s a darkening time when we think togetherness means keeping one eye, hand, or ear on our . . . read more

I’m excited to announced that my latest book will be published by Prometheus in mid-November this year. The book explores the surprising upsides of being unsure in an age of flux and angst.

From the introduction: “Far from automatically miring us in cognitive paralysis, uncertainty plays an essential role in higher-order thinking, propelling people in challenging . . . read more

I’m excited to announced that my new book, Uncertainty’s Edge, will be published by Prometheus in mid-November this year. The book explores the surprising upsides of being unsure in an age of flux and angst.

From the introduction: “Far from automatically miring us in cognitive paralysis, uncertainty plays an essential role in higher-order thinking, propelling people . . . read more

As we continue to grapple with a fast-evolving virus, extreme fall-out from climate change, and the resulting social divisions, uncertainty remains in the news and on people’s minds. And our scorn, fear, and dread of this deeply human mindset is clear. I hear laments from friends and see almost-daily headlines riddled with fear of the . . . read more

Today uncertainty is a keystone, a mantra, a lament of our times, yet few understand the critical role that epistemic or psychological uncertainty plays in our cognitive lives. Being unsure, ie not-knowing, is a gadfly to higher-order thinking, a stepping stone to resilience, and a lever to finding the tempo and space we need to . . . read more

Thrilled! I am honored the 2018 edition of Distracted is the winner of the Media Ecology Association’s 2020 Dorothy Lee Award, one of the most prestigious book awards for works exploring technology and culture. Past winners include New York Times columnist Thomas Friedman and UCLA media theorist Peter Lunenfeld.

In these challenging times, it’s important . . . read more

It’s easy to ignore the drumroll of scientific findings that reveal our own guilt in instigating the increasingly plagues of extreme weather. It’s easy to think of rising floods, temperatures, and pollution as far removed from our daily habits of idling the car to keep it warm or cool; running the AC when not really . . . read more

Here’s Part III of my recent interview with one of the UK’s leading environmentalists, Rob Hopkins, about the  fragmentation of attention in modern life. In this excerpt, I talk about the three ways that I personally guard and nurture my capacity for focus. Some of my best practices might surprise you!

Hopkins: I wondered, having done . . . read more

Recently, I did an interview with one of the UK’s leading environmentalists, Rob Hopkins, about the  fragmentation of attention in modern life. Hopkins is part of a growing wave of green thinkers who rightly worry about how technology is affecting our ability to solve big-picture problems such as climate change. Here’s a second excerpt from our . . . read more

In 2018, I did an interview with one of the UK’s leading environmentalists, Rob Hopkins, about the  fragmentation of attention in modern life. At the time, Hopkins was exploring an overlooked hurdle to solving global warming – our waning ability to think well and even to muster the creativity needed to imagine and shape a . . . read more