I'm passionate about education and working to improve it from preschool to college.
Chicago, IL...usually
Joined March 2009
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Marsha Enright retweeted
A neuroscientist spent 20 years proving that typing on a keyboard is quietly making you dumber.
A massive high-density EEG study revealed what actually happens inside your head when you type versus when you write by hand.
Researchers hooked university students up to 256-channel brain sensors. They watched their neural networks in real time as they took notes on a keyboard, and then with a physical pen.
The results are a brutal wake-up call for anyone who works on a screen.
When you type, your brain basically goes to sleep.
Because every keystroke requires the exact same simple, repetitive finger movement, your brain doesn't have to work. It just registers the hit.
But when you write by hand? The brain explodes with activity.
The precise, intricate motor control required to physically shape each letter triggers widespread connectivity across the parietal and central brain regions.
The physical act of drawing the letter forces the brain to encode the information.
When you type, you are just transcribing. When you write, you are actually learning.
The researchers found that the specific theta and alpha brainwave patterns generated by handwriting are fundamentally required for memory formation and encoding new information.
Without those specific physical movements, the memory network never fully activates.
This explains why you can type a full page of meeting notes and forget everything five minutes later.
We thought we were saving time by typing.
But we were actually just bypassing the brain's natural recording system.
If you want to remember it, learn it, or actually understand it...
You have to pick up a pen.
Convenience is killing your retention.
A wonderful challenge to discuss The Declaration of Independence: freesocietycoalition.org/cha…
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Learn facts and ideas that will help you understand your children: My latest podcast with @TheInclusiveDad "This episode offers practical insights into creating learning spaces where people feel valued, heard, and empowered to grow." theinclusivedadpodcast.com/i…
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Marsha Enright retweeted
Maddux came from a small town in Idaho—then found a world of new perspectives in Chicago. 🌍
That’s the power of the Great Connections Seminar: meeting people who change how you think about life.
✨ 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝗱𝘆 𝘁𝗼 𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗱 𝘆𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗽𝗲𝗼𝗽𝗹𝗲? If you're between 16 and 24, the Great Connections Seminar could be your Maddux moment. Apply now: reliancecollege.org/seminar
Marsha Enright retweeted
What if one week could transform the way you think, learn, and connect with others? 🌆📚
For this student, the Great Connections Seminar wasn’t just an academic experience—it was an adventure through philosophy and through Chicago.
✨ She discovered a love for abstract, challenging ideas
✨ She explored the city with new friends
✨ She learned how to have real Socratic discussions
✨ And she grew from “rambling” on day one to 𝘭𝘦𝘢𝘥𝘪𝘯𝘨 insightful conversations by the end
That’s the power of spending a weekend (or a week!) immersed in deep thinking with people who want to grow just as much as you do.
If you’re ready to sharpen your mind, explore a great city, and meet people who challenge and inspire you…
👉 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝘁𝗵𝗲 𝗚𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗦𝘂𝗺𝗺𝗲𝗿 𝗦𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗿 𝗶𝗻 𝗖𝗵𝗶𝗰𝗮𝗴𝗼, 𝗝𝘂𝗹𝘆 𝟮𝟱𝘁𝗵 – 𝗔𝘂𝗴𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝟭𝘀𝘁, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲! 𝗙𝗼𝗿 𝘀𝘁𝘂𝗱𝗲𝗻𝘁𝘀 𝗮𝗴𝗲𝘀 𝟭𝟲–𝟮𝟰. 𝗦𝗽𝗮𝗰𝗲𝘀 𝗮𝗿𝗲 𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗶𝘁𝗲𝗱. 𝗔𝗽𝗽𝗹𝘆 𝗻𝗼𝘄 𝗮𝘁 reliancecollege.org/seminar
Marsha Enright retweeted
🌆 “𝘐’𝘷𝘦 𝘳𝘦𝘢𝘭𝘭𝘺 𝘣𝘦𝘦𝘯 𝘢𝘣𝘭𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘪𝘮𝘮𝘦𝘳𝘴𝘦 𝘮𝘺𝘴𝘦𝘭𝘧 𝘪𝘯 𝘴𝘰 𝘮𝘢𝘯𝘺 𝘥𝘪𝘧𝘧𝘦𝘳𝘦𝘯𝘵 𝘤𝘶𝘭𝘵𝘶𝘳𝘦𝘴.”
Beyond the classroom, Maddux and his fellow students explored Chicago—sharing meals, discovering art, and connecting across cultures. From the Bean to a Jewish deli to Egyptian food—Maddux made the most of his week in Chicago.
At Great Connections, learning doesn’t stop when class ends.
#GreatConnections #RelianceCollege #StudentLife #ExploreChicago #StudentVoices
Marsha Enright retweeted
🚀 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗮𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗼 𝗘𝗻𝘁𝗿𝗲𝗽𝗿𝗲𝗻𝗲𝘂𝗿𝗶𝗮𝗹 𝗦𝘂𝗰𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀: 𝟱 𝗧𝗶𝗺𝗲𝗹𝗲𝘀𝘀 𝗧𝗶𝗽𝘀
Success in entrepreneurship isn’t about shortcuts—it’s about cultivating the right mindset and habits that prepare you to lead with clarity and resilience. At Reliance College, we see these same traits come alive in our students every day:
𝟭. 𝗗𝗲𝗳𝗶𝗻𝗲 𝗖𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗿 𝗚𝗼𝗮𝗹𝘀 🎯
Entrepreneurs—and students—need vision. At Reliance, students set intellectual and personal goals, then work with tutors and peers to chart their own course of learning.
𝟮. 𝗘𝗺𝗯𝗿𝗮𝗰𝗲 𝗥𝗶𝘀𝗸 ⚡
Innovation takes courage. Through project-based learning and Socratic seminars, students practice making bold arguments and testing their ideas in real time.
𝟯. 𝗔𝗱𝗮𝗽𝘁𝗮𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗶𝘀 𝗞𝗲𝘆 🔄
Markets shift. So do discussions. Our collaborative method trains students to adjust, rethink, and pivot—skills every entrepreneur needs in a changing world.
𝟰. 𝗕𝘂𝗶𝗹𝗱 𝗮 𝗦𝘁𝗿𝗼𝗻𝗴 𝗡𝗲𝘁𝘄𝗼𝗿𝗸 🤝
No one succeeds alone. Reliance fosters deep connections across disciplines and with mentors, alumni, and industry leaders—just as entrepreneurs build partnerships.
𝟱. 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝘂𝗼𝘂𝘀 𝗟𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗻𝗶𝗻𝗴 📚
The best entrepreneurs never stop growing. Our integration of Great Books and modern challenges keeps students curious, versatile, and always sharpening their edge.
At Reliance College, we don’t just prepare students for jobs—we prepare them to think like entrepreneurs: goal-setters, risk-takers, innovators, and lifelong learners.
👉 Which of these five traits are you working on most right now? Share in the comments—we’d love to hear from you.
Marsha Enright retweeted
What if one week could permanently sharpen how you think, decide, and act? 🧠✨
The Great Connections Summer Seminar is not a lecture camp—it’s an immersive experience for students ages 16–24 who want to grow in confidence, think independently, and gain clarity about their future.
Through collaborative Socratic discussions, life-changing ideas, mentorship, and unforgettable experiences in Chicago, students learn how to become Entrepreneurs of Their Own Lives.
📍 July 25–August 1, 2026
📍 University of Illinois at Chicago
If you’re ready for a week that can shape your life for years to come, apply now. 🔗
reliancecollege.org/2026-gre…
I'm pleased to share this reading of my paper "Life is Not a Machine or a Ghost: The Naturalistic Origin of Life's Organization and Goal-Directedness, Consciousness, Free Will, and Meaning" youtu.be/JkX8q_I7ffU?si=3n7K…
#Evolution #freewill #Meaningoflife #goaldirectedness #LudwigvonBertallanfy #ArthurKoestler
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I'm pleased to share my latest interview on the Hot Topics podcast: spreaker.com/episode/reimagi…
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A wonderful new video on Maria Montessori's conception of the normalization of children, by Charlotte Cushman. Not your typical understanding! youtu.be/mawSCC8NaBc?si=sU7C…
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Chicago schools empty of students, open and full of staff - why and what’s to be done: xitter.gq/tedforillinois/status/…
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Marsha Enright retweeted
>be Claude Shannon
>born 1916 in Petoskey, Michigan
>dad is a judge, mom is a language teacher
>age 8, build a telegraph system between your house and your friend's
>half a mile of barbed wire fence as the cable
>you're 8
1930s:
>obsessed with puzzles, codes, machines
>anything that has a system to crack
>go to University of Michigan
>double major: electrical engineering AND mathematics
>graduate 1936
MIT:
>go to work on the differential analyzer
>a giant mechanical computer
>gears, wheels, rods
>the most advanced computing machine on earth
>your job: make it work
>you start thinking about how machines think
1937:
>write your master's thesis
>21 years old
>the thesis: apply Boolean algebra to electrical circuits
>translate logic (true/false) into switches (on/off)
>sounds simple
>it's the most important master's thesis of the 20th century
>this is the foundation of every digital computer ever built
>every chip, every phone, every laptop
>all because a 21-year-old connected two ideas nobody thought to connect
1940:
>PhD in mathematics
>thesis on genetics and algebra
>just for fun
>you're not even a biologist
1941-1945:
>World War II
>work on cryptography and fire-control systems
>classified work at Bell Labs
>meet Alan Turing when he visits from Britain
>two of the greatest minds of the century
>eating lunch together in the cafeteria
>discussing thinking machines
>nobody notices
1948:
>publish "A Mathematical Theory of Communication"
>50 pages that invent the entire field of information theory
>before this: nobody knows how to measure information
>you: invent the "bit" binary digit
>the fundamental unit of all digital information
>explain how to transmit signals without losing them
>error correction, compression, bandwidth
>every text message, every Netflix stream, every WiFi signal
>all running on math you wrote in 1948
>the paper is considered the Magna Carta of the information age
Bell Labs:
>become a legend
>but you don't act like one
>ride a unicycle through the hallways
>juggle while doing it
>build useless machines for fun
>a box that turns itself off when you turn it on
>a calculator that does math in Roman numerals
>you're the smartest guy in the building
>and the weirdest
1950s:
>write a paper on how computers could play chess
>before computers could play chess
>write a paper proving how a mouse could learn a maze
>build the mouse
>call it Theseus
>it learns
>artificial intelligence before the term exists
1956:
>help organize the Dartmouth Conference
>the birthplace of AI as a field
>you're already bored with it
>move on
1960s-70s:
>leave Bell Labs
>become a professor at MIT
>mostly just tinker
>build a wearable computer with Ed Thorp to beat roulette
>it works
>don't tell anyone for decades
the lifestyle:
>juggling obsession write the first mathematical theory of juggling
>unicycles everywhere
>build a flame-throwing trumpet
>build a gasoline-powered pogo stick
>your office is full of toys
>because to you, everything is a toy
>including the universe
1980s-90s:
>Alzheimer's takes hold
>the mind that invented information theory
>slowly loses its own information
>tragic beyond words
2001:
>die at 84
invented the bit.
invented information theory.
laid the foundation for all digital computers.
predicted AI, machine learning, digital communication.
most important scientist nobody knows.
Einstein gave us relativity.
Shannon gave us the digital age.
the man who turned information into math.
Marsha Enright retweeted
AI can write, analyze, and predict — but it can’t 𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻, 𝗷𝘂𝗱𝗴𝗲 or 𝗹𝗲𝗮𝗱.
The ability to think clearly and communicate persuasively has never been more valuable.
That’s what students will develop at the 𝗚𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁 𝗖𝗼𝗻𝗻𝗲𝗰𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝘀 𝗪𝗲𝗲𝗸𝗲𝗻𝗱 𝗦𝗲𝗺𝗶𝗻𝗮𝗿: 𝗥𝗲𝗮𝘀𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗻𝗱 𝗣𝗼𝘄𝗲𝗿, 𝗝𝗮𝗻𝘂𝗮𝗿𝘆 𝟵–𝟭𝟭, 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟲, at Rice University.
Join a community of young thinkers learning to question assumptions, sharpen their judgment, and master the skills that make them truly AI-proof.
🔗 Read more about the Great Connections Weekend Seminar and how to join us in Houston:
reliancecollege.org/great-co…
Marsha Enright retweeted
What do the Great Books teach you that business school doesn’t?
According to Ray Stata, founder of Analog Devices, they teach you how to think.
At MIT, he studied five foundational branches of philosophy:
🔹 Metaphysics – What is real?
🔹 Epistemology – How do we know what’s true?
🔹 Ethics – What is the right thing to do?
🔹 Politics – How should we live together?
🔹 Aesthetics – What role does beauty and art play in our lives?
These weren’t just abstract ideas—they became the tools he used to build a $22B company with clarity, autonomy, and purpose.
At Reliance College, we teach these same fundamentals. Not just to make you smart—but to help you lead, build, and live freely.
📚 Train your mind like a founder. Register today for the Great Connections Weekend Seminar in Houston, TX, January 9-11. reliancecollege.org/seminar
Marsha Enright retweeted
🍂 This Thanksgiving, remember the idea worth crossing an ocean for.
In 1620, a small band of travelers braved storms, wilderness, and an unknown continent—not for wealth or comfort, but for the freedom to think for themselves.
Their belief in personal judgment sparked an educational culture unlike any in the world—one that valued reading, inquiry, and independent thought so deeply that early America had more colleges than Europe by 1830.
Today, that legacy is ours to revive.
If they could face the New World for an idea, imagine what we can do with the same commitment to Reason, Individualism, and Freedom.
reliancecollege.org/a-happy-…
Want to learn about some great reads? See @JoAnnCavallo's Libertarian Literature and Media Criticism website! I'm lucky to have some article included there: libertarianliteraryandmediac…
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My latest interview on The Language of Play podcast: thelanguageofplay.podbean.co…
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