Institute for the Study of Advanced Development (ISAD)
Created in 1986, Institute for the Study of Advanced Development (ISAD) is a 501 (c) 3 public nonprofit research corporation, dedicated to uncovering the abilities of underserved populations, studying advanced development in children and adults, and fostering undeveloped potential in women.
While giftedness is most often equated with eminence, ISAD redefines giftedness as advanced development throughout the lifespan. In early childhood, it manifests as rapid progression through developmental milestones, unusual capacity for abstract thought, creative imagination and heightened sensitivity.
Advanced development in adults involves the deepening and strengthening of one’s values, broadening of one’s scope of responsibility, consciousness of the meaning of one’s existence, concern for others and commitment to service. GDC is the service arm of ISAD, providing assessment, counseling, and consultation to the gifted community worldwide. The two work in tandem to develop the understanding and advancement of giftedness worldwide.
Accomplishments
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Advanced Development is the first psychological journal on adult giftedness; it publishes articles on theory, research, therapy, case studies of moral exemplars, inner experiences of the gifted, as well as poetry, art and book reviews.
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By 2025, more than 6,600 children had been assessed and parent permissions to conduct research had been obtained for most cases. To date, data on 1,188 cases, each with 212 variables, have been entered in a data analysis program. This database is available for graduate students and researchers.
ISAD owns and distributes overexcitability instruments on which there has been considerable international research.
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ISAD organized the first conference on adult giftedness, the Gifted Women's Symposium, the International Dabrowski Congress, a Dabrowski Retreat, the Dabrowski Study Group, annual Dabrowski training workshops on rating overexcitabilities and levels (1990-1996), Leta Hollingworth Commemorative Conference and Summit, several international symposia on the assessment of giftedness, the Child-Centered Collective, the Visual-Spatial Learner Study Group and conferences on visual-spatial learners.
The President’s Report
Each year, we create a record of our activities during the previous calendar year to serve our mission: study and support of giftedness; training in gifted assessment and teaching strategies; research; publications; presentations; dissemination of information; scholarships and pro bono services.
Meet the Board
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Director
Linda Kreger Silverman, PhD, is a licensed clinical and counseling psychologist. She directs the Institute for the Study of Advanced Development, and its subsidiary, the Gifted Development Center (GDC) in Denver, Colorado, which has assessed over 6,600 children in the last 40 years. This is the largest data base on the gifted population.
She and her colleagues at GDC have developed 40 instruments. For nine years she served on the faculty of the University of Denver (DU), in Counseling Psychology and Gifted Education. She developed a course on Assessment of the Gifted at DU, which was also a short course taught abroad. She has been studying the assessment, psychology and education of the gifted since 1961 and has written over 300 articles, chapters and books, including the textbook, Counseling the Gifted and Talented, adopted at 50 colleges.
Her latest book, Giftedness 101 (Springer, 2013), contains a chapter on assessment. It has been translated into Korean and Swedish.
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Mirroring Self-Love
Linda Silverman
I believe in the power of self-love. But I’m still working on implementing it in my life. “Where am I most needed?” has been my mantra most of my life. It is easy for me to think of other people’s needs and to play fairy godmother, helping them fulfill their dreams. It’s harder to remember to ask myself, “What do you need?” I’m trying to learn the Golden Rule in reverse: “Treat yourself as you would treat others.”
A moment of awakening occurred this Spring. I was interrupted while I was getting dressed, and I ended up putting on my deodorant twice. I looked in the mirror and admonished, “That was stupid!” Seriously? No big deal, right? Would I ever dream of putting down someone else over something so inconsequential? For the first time, I felt ashamed of my reaction to myself. I looked at myself in the mirror and remorsefully said, “I’m sorry.”
If I judge myself harshly, do I judge others harshly as well without any awareness that I’m doing that? Ever since I apologized to my reflection, I have stopped calling myself “stupid.” I now substitute “silly.” At least it’s a step in the right direction. “Silly” is less demeaning than “stupid.”
When I shared with my friend, Cheri, how I apologized to myself in the mirror, she told me about “mirror work,” a concept developed by Louise Hay (2016). Cheri looks in the mirror and says, “I love you.” She congratulates herself each night in the mirror for all that she accomplished that day. When I lay my head on the pillow, I think about all the things I haven’t accomplished and still need to do. Is it any wonder that I have difficulty falling asleep?
I found a 30-minute video of Louise Hay talking about mirror work. She said, “The first step in the path of self-love is to face the mirror. You will start to identify your values, your passions, and your purpose in life. This self-knowledge is invaluable as it empowers you to make choices that align with your authentic self, leading to greater fulfillment and happiness.” Louise reminds us that self-care is not selfish.
It is not selfish to be aware of our own needs, to utter a resounding “YES!” to experiences that feed our own Souls, and a firm “NO,” to people and experiences that diminish us. We are energy systems. We feel re-charged when we’re around certain people, and drained when we’re around others. We need to honor ourselves by choosing to be with people whose energy feeds us and avoid those who deplete us. If we can’t avoid them completely, we can at least limit the time we spend with the energy-zappers in our lives.
I believe that to cherish others unconditionally, we must first treat ourselves with respect and love ourselves unconditionally. I believe self-love is a necessary foundation of our own personal growth and development. I intend to keep practicing.
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Examiner, Editor of Advanced Development journal, and Board Member
Nancy B. Miller, Ph.D., holds degrees in psychology and sociology and has received advanced training in family processes and children’s psychological adjustment. In 2008, she became Editor for Advanced Development, a journal on adult development. From 2002-2006, she was Executive Officer for Sociologists for Women in Society and taught courses at both the graduate and undergraduate level at the University of Akron, including socialization; children, youth and society; and sociology of the family. Her numerous publications focus on emotional development, gender and giftedness, women’s social support and adjustment, and family processes. She has worked with Dr. Silverman for more than 35 years and is committed to fostering children’s social and emotional development at home and at school. She brings a sociological perspective to the assessment of children at the Gifted Development Center. She also serves as a member of the board of the Institute for the Study of Advanced Development.
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I believe in life-long learning—the type that broadens a person’s perspective and encourages them to think in different ways about the world and the people who inhabit it. Education has enriched my life, and I believe it raises the quality of life for everyone.
I grew up in a community of educators. My best friend’s father was a mathematician. A classmate’s father taught history at the local college. My parents and I attended church at the Friends Meeting on a Quaker college campus. My piano teacher taught in the music department. Having grown up in such a community, I could hardly wait to attend college classes and be a part of campus life. Following high school graduation, I enrolled in two summer courses–basic English and religion–at Guilford College. I also got a job working in the registrar’s office. One of my duties was to provide transcripts at student request, which I did the old fashioned way—developed in a smelly solution in the dark room. Many years and three children later, I graduated from college, pursued a master’s and doctoral degree, and postdoctoral training.
By life-long education, I am referring not only to formal coursework, as important as that may be, but to all efforts to expand one’s knowledge. The most effective education for me has always occurred when I chose to step out of my comfort zone and pursue an area that was somewhat unfamiliar to me. I will give three brief examples.
(1) The year I completed a PhD in sociology, I applied to and was accepted in a 3-year Postdoctoral program, sponsored by the National Institute of Mental Health, in family processes and psychopathology. Although I felt knowledgeable in certain areas of sociology, I lacked a background in family studies and mental health issues. It required tremendous work on my part to get up to speed in this new area and be a successful participant in the program. However, those three years were an amazing learning experience for me. I met renowned scholars in the field and had the opportunity to work with several of them. I had access to resources at two major universities—University of Virginia and University of California, Berkeley. I learned about family interactions and how theoretical ideas translated into practical applications for children and their families.
(2) In 2002 I accepted a job as Executive Director with the nonprofit organization Sociologists for Women in Society. I had little managerial experience and no knowledge of accounting and business practices. When the organization’s money was transferred to my name and account, I felt the heavy weight of responsibility I had assumed. In the 5 years I held the job, I learned how to supervise personnel, how to arrange large out-of-town meetings, and how to manage other people’s money.
(3) Finally, when I retired I began to work at the Gifted Development Center as an examiner, a totally new role for me. To administer tests, score, and interpret them required a year of training and supervision. I found it challenging and exciting to learn about IQ testing, achievement tests, self-esteem scales, and other psychological and educational assessments.
Today I enjoy bringing a sociological perspective to bear on children’s issues at school and at home. There are times, however, when I still feel that I am trying to catch up with those who have worked in this field their entire career. Fortunately, I have come to realize that this is not a negative because it encourages continuous learning, personal development, and the acquisition of new skills. This I believe is the essence of life-long learning.
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Board Member
Victor Taube, PhD, CPA graduated from Ohio State University in 1958 with a B.S. degree in Business with a major in Accounting. In 2005, an honorary Doctorate of Philosophy was conferred upon him by Stafford University. After graduating from Ohio State University, he taught various accounting and tax courses in the Los Angeles area college system and then started an accounting practice which has spread nation-wide during his residencies in Los Angeles, CA, Raleigh, NC and Phoenix, AZ. Currently, he files taxes for clients in 39 states and has clients in two foreign countries. His practice includes assisting business clients with accounting issues and individuals and companies with tax issues. He has been the outside independent accountant for ISAD for the past two years after giving gratis accounting advice for several years to the organization. Victor has recently been named treasurer of the Board of Directors of ISAD.
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I BELIEVE IN
EQUALITY, SOCIAL JUSTICE, HONESTY & NON-JUDGEMENT.
These make up the core of how I identify and act as a human being.
I have always believed in the words of the Declaration of Independence. "All beings are created equal, that they are endowed with certain unalienable rights Those rights include the right to live as they choose and give me the same right. I treasure my personal independence to live and do what I consider good for myself and family. As a first generation American of the Jewish persuasion, I have sometimes felt the disapproval and discrimination of others. I choose not to get into a shouting match, so I just walk away.
My father showed me the value of honest, hard work and making a fair profit. I have followed his advice in my accounting career and other business dealings my whole life. Once, my young son and I were out driving together and we stopped at a store to purchase something. While driving away after making the purchase, I realized that I was given too much change. We turned around, went back to the store and returned the overpaid change to the merchant. My son, who is now 63 years old, recently told me that he still remembers that.
Life gives no end of opportunities to test ones mettle. So for the last 89 years, I've done my best.
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Board Member, Poetry Editor of Advanced Development
Bruce Allen is a graduate of Colorado State University and the University of Colorado. In his 42-year teaching career, he taught students 7th to 12th grade and those at Front Range Community College in Westminster, Colorado. Those years encompass public schools and private, where he was an instructor in English, gifted and talented, interdisciplinary studies, and history.
For the benefit of young gifted, he presents needed curriculum ideas for teachers and students. Near publication, his book, Pearl in a Petri Dish:Poetry, Gifted, and the Visual-Spatial Learner, verifies with student examples the potency of poetry writing for academic success.
He was the Gifted and Talented Coordinator at Northglenn High School in Adams 12, Colorado. His presentations include those at state and national conferences, CAGT and NAGC, and at the International Dabrowski Congress. In hiatus, he hopes to return to volunteer at the Colorado Horse Rescue.
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Our Pets Hold Our Souls
by Bruce Allen
I won’t forget Sandra Kaplan at a gifted conference in Denver. She held us in the palm of her hand, reading to us the book, Love That Dog, by Sharon Creech.
When I was young I had several pets: guppies, a frog, a mouse, goldfish.
I remember clearly a summer day when I took my pet turtle into the backyard to play with him. Being a careless boy, I lost sight of him. Then I found him in the grass. I had accidently crushed him, severing his shell from his body.
I suffered. To kill something you love? By carelessness?
I learned something. A pet for a young person is to learn the meaning of love.
I had that lesson reaffirmed when my sister Susan, a young high schooler, adopted her teacher’s kitten. We named her little one Bummer, who became another member of the family. She would jump up on a stool by my father at mealtime. She would reach out and touch dad’s elbow. Hey, she was saying, can I have some of that?
I know that pets give invaluable friendships to the elderly whose burdens are many.
Why not transform nursing homes and lives of seniors with pets?
I also know this. My two sons have been blessed with pets in their lives. We have had three dogs. We now have Yasha, a chou-golden retriever, a furry, friendly guy rescued from homelessness in the streets of Kansas City.
Our first dog was Tarn, a long-haired something, black and white, whom we got from the Adams County Dog Pound. Slated to be killed, he was two weeks overdue. We adopted him just in time. He was caught running homeless in rural Adams County, eating dirt because he was so hungry. He loved camping, and he would claim the back seat of our van, growling at any of us who tried to take him off “his property.”
Dogs have short lives. When we had to take Tarn in to put him down, my younger son was away at college. But my older son was with us at the last. All of us anguished. We knew best at precisely that moment what Tarn meant to us.
Cody was our second dog. Part golden retriever, part husky with a coat the color of honey. We brought him home from the Boulder Humane Society as a puppy. They told us he was an alpha dog. Yup. He dug up our sprinkler heads. He nipped notches in the wood of our deck railing. He ate Jeremy’s ski sock. Whole.
He tore the fence boards off, and “snuck” into the neighbor’s backyard. But he would nudge your arm in bed in the middle of the night, saying “Hey, I’m here. Hello, my friend.”
In time he began to fail with cancer, becoming weaker, nearing collapse. We lost Cody unfairly early, and it was so hard. But loss joins people together in recognition of what matters.
Pets teach us love. They take us for walks. They adore us and kiss us. They connect us to nature. They teach children now for later. Pets teach us how to care for the young and one another; how not just to respect life but to cherish it.
Pets teach us compassion and nurture, and they prepare us delicately for pain. They bless us with their lives. They let us know what life means. And I can’t think of a better gift to you and me than that.
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Board Member
I have been a licensed clinical psychologist since 2005 and have over 20 years of professional clinical experience with children, adolescents and families.
I developed and honed my skill and passion for working with families and children/adolescents with eating disorders as Clinical Director for Children’s Hospital Colorado’s internationally recognized eating disorder program for 12 years. I held a faculty appointment as an Associate Professor at the University of Colorado School of Medicine. I enjoy program development and I have published work in peer-reviewed journals and have presented at multiple national and international conferences primarily showcasing my creative programs. I am also a dedicated teacher and have been a mentor and supervisor for dozens of psychologists, master’s level clinicians, medical students and psychiatry residents and fellows. Prior to working at Children’s, I gained experience and expertise working gifted and twice-exceptional youth and adults. I have worked with leaders in the field of gifted assessment and advocacy and I have the experience to understand the unique social-emotional needs and sensitivities present within gifted and twice-exceptional individuals. While my clinical approach is grounded in and informed by current evidence-based treatments, I practice from an eclectic, holistic and intuitive perspective. I strive to meet each individual/family/couple exactly where they are and believe that everyone has their own unique healing potential within. I see my role as facilitator to explore, discover and connect to that potential.
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Mindy’s This I Believe, Poem Format
Ideas as old as time spiral around in my mind –
Is there an original thought or image
Or have I seen it somewhere before now
Woven into the fabric of my being?
But your love unlocks the padlock that binds my love.
My truth, my knowing is ours. Our collective love.
Our wisdom. The network of microscopic fibers
Of all the time and places we’ve ever been.
We’re one. We move as one. We love as one.
Close your eyes and come with me deep inside
Where we find the sources
as much love
as we can take.
Breathe it in. Drink it. Lap it up and devour it.
Become it. Let it ooze freely from your pores.
Let it open you up and seal it in.
It hangs off the trees, succulent drops of fruit
Filled with the essence and juiciness
That only love can provide.
It heals our soul in the way only love can.
It can soothe the burn and quench the fire.
It flows from us to each other. It lights the way.
Fear threatens to consume it – tidal waves
Of crashing, and the sea of pain thrashes about
Stealing the energetic power in its wake
Knocking it off the trees, obscuring and interrupting.
The immovable mountains of “Should”
Are disintegrated by the warmth of love.
Forgiveness is like warm water melting
The icy shame and regret as it’s swept away
In the reassuring waves of love.
Love is regenerative.
Make more.
Create more.
Open the hidden portals and jump in –
Dive in head first.
It’ll be deep enough to catch you.
Fear is the mirage of shallowness
Where love is the true depth.
Laugh out loud.
Experience the splash you make
With joyfully reckless glee.
Touch and feel it with all your senses.
Be love.
This I believe.
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Board Member
Dan Tichenor, MA, is a retired special educator and former journalist/editor who has emphasized the role and power of stories and storytelling his entire career. Dan holds advanced degrees in Special Education, and Literacy, as well as a Master of Arts in Teaching. Dan’s love of the outdoors, mindfulness practices, and group work led to his leadership positions at Camp Summit and Yunasa, where he was active within those gifted communities for almost fifteen years. Additionally, Dan has been a presenter at gifted conferences at the state, national, and international level. As the parent of six adult gifted children, Dan knows the challenges and joys of raising gifted kids. He is known for his advocacy work in engaging Dads to explore giftedness within a supportive group setting.
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This I Believe…
I believe in kindness; being kind to myself as well as being kind to others and the environment and all that is in it.
I believe in the power of love, truth, and trust.
I believe in humanity and in all the work we do to become better humans.
I believe in freedom and equality and justice for all people.
I believe in life in all its forms.
I believe in showing up and being present.
I believe in communication and in responsibility.
I believe in paying attention to what has heart and meaning.
I believe in …
Cherishing wisdom;
Respecting all life;
Being courageous;
Honoring my promises;
Sharing my gifts;
Being honest;
And living peacefully.
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Board Member
I am the daughter of visual thinker, who was an amazing artist and self taught engineer, and a mother to 2 visual kids. One of whom is dyslexic and twice exceptional. So, it should not have been a surprise to learn that I am also a visual thinker. I had always described myself as a hands-on learner (kinesthetic) I started out my career as a math and science teacher. I love teaching and learning. I have taught mainly in expeditionary schools based on the premise of Kurt Hahn’s model of outward bound. I believe in constructivist /experiential education. I started to see patterns in their learning style that I didn’t understand. They were brilliant conversationalist, curious about everything, needing to do everything their own way, making quick leaps in their connections, but struggled in writing, test taking, explaining their math answers, memorization, focus, organization and time management.
In my search to be a better teacher to them, I came across the book, “The gift of Dyslexia” and had many “Aha moments” I went on to train to become a Davis Dyslexia Facilitator. Then I met Linda Silverman and Betty Maxwell from the Gifted Development center when I had my son tested about 20 years ago. Betty and I started meeting on a regular basis to discuss cases and the cross over of visual spatial, twice exceptional, dyslexia, and anything else we could discover. We co-authored a book for teachers “ Picture It, teaching visual spatial learners” as we both believe that we are not teaching to the best of their talents, and that we may be sacrificing some of our most valuable insightful learners. I am in private practice and work with a variety of visual learners, both young and adult, teachers, and schools to teach visual learning strategies.
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This I Believe
my Kids Have Been My Best Teachers
I used to think I had a pretty solid idea of how to be a parent. I knew that I wanted to parent differently than my parents. From planning the birth -that should have been my first clue as nothing went as planned to visiting a half dozen schools to pick the right kindergarten. I had read the books, watched the videos, and made a mental list of how things were going to go. I believed that if I stayed consistent, and loved my kids deeply, parenting would follow a certain formula. I thought I could raise them both the same way—with the same rules, the same expectations, and the same love—and everything would fall into place.
That belief went out the window pretty quickly.
My two children could not be more different. One excelled in school, the other struggled with learning in ways I hadn’t anticipated. One wore their heart on their sleeve—compassionate, deeply emotional, always tuned in to others’ feelings. The other emerged as a natural leader: strong-willed and bold who wasn’t afraid to speak up or take charge. They challenged every assumption I had about fairness, discipline, success, and even love itself.
At first, I felt like I was doing something wrong. Why wasn’t one approach working for both of them? Why did I have to reinvent the wheel every time a new situation came up? But slowly, I began to realize that the problem wasn’t them—it was my idea that parenting could be one-size-fits-all.
My kids became my best teachers. They taught me to let go of control and lean into curiosity. They showed me that fairness doesn't mean sameness. That each child deserves to be seen and heard in the fullness of who they are—not who I thought they should be.
One taught me patience, as I walked alongside them in their academic struggles, learning to celebrate small victories and redefine what success looks like. The other taught me to listen more deeply, especially when their confidence came off as defiance. They both taught me how to love without conditions, and how to grow into a more flexible, compassionate version of myself.
What I learned—through trial, error—is that every person has their own unique recipe. My kids taught me that. One needed softness, the other structure. One needed praise, the other independence. When I stopped trying to be “fair” and started trying to be responsive, everything changed
That lesson followed me right into my classroom. As a teacher, I realized that my students—especially the neurodiverse ones—also come with their own unique ingredients for learning. Now, instead of expecting them to fit into one mold, I collaborate with them to find their own recipe. Just like I did with my kids. I look for their strengths, I listen for what excites them, and we build from there.
I thought I was here to teach them, but they have indeed been my teachers and I am so thankful
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Michele Kane, Ed.D., is Professor Emerita in Special Education from Northeastern Illinois University, where she coordinated the Master of Arts in Gifted Education program for over a decade. She holds advanced degrees in Counseling & Guidance and Educational Administration.
Beginning her career as a parent, Michele has additionally served the gifted community as an educator, leader, author, and counselor. She had held leadership positions as Past President of the Illinois Association for Gifted Children and at National Association for Gifted Children where she chaired both the Global Awareness Network and Parent and Community Network.
A frequent presenter at state, national, and international conferences, Michele has numerous articles in print and chapters in Living with Intensity, Off the Charts, and Accelerating and Extending Literacy for Diverse Students. Additionally, she co-authored, with Dorothy Sisk, Planting Seeds of Mindfulness. She was honored by SENG as their 2018 Educator of the Year. Inspired by her experience raising six gifted (now adult) children, she has been a passionate advocate for enhancing well-being for gifted people across the lifespan for more than forty years.
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I Believe in Magic
One of the greatest gifts that my parents gave to me as a child was to live in homes that were adjacent to the woods. While we lived in suburban neighborhoods, the woods and the wildness they offered were mere footsteps away. As the oldest daughter with five younger brothers, there were always plenty of chores—dishes to be done, clothes to be hung, and littles to be watched. However, when the chores were completed, especially in the summer, then the day was mine until the streetlights came on or the Angeles Church Bells were rung. The magic of the woods was mine to inspect, explore, devour but mostly to sit in wonder and awe. The patterns of the leaves, the rhythm of the wind, the march of the insects, the shadows of the branches were there to examine and to foster my curiosity and to bring me comfort. A good book, a sack lunch, and a gentle breeze fostered a love of intellect within a safe environment. Today, when life becomes overwhelming and my emotions become intense, then the security of being in the woods brings a calm and peaceful experience like no other. I believe in the magic of the woods.
A favorite story told about me as a two-year old was my love of books. As the tale goes, I would take a stack of Golden books and open them up and stand them on end creating a circle of books. Apparently, I would plop in the middle of the circle, with the pages facing me and declare that my “fender fence” was completed. The magic of stories and the magic of new information has never left me since those early days. Being surrounded by books has provided me with great joy and immense pleasure. Holding each book and sniffing the pages brings a sense of excitement of what is to come. Of course, there are books that also bring disappointment and anger, fear and terror. However, each has something to offer, and it is up to me to decide if I stay within those pages or leave them behind. Often, it is the sheer number of choices that leave me in a tizzy and deciding what comes next is next to impossible. That is likely why the stack next to my bed typically grows until it tumbles. Thinking about the pleasure that comes with shelves and shelves of books brings me to tears. I believe in the magic of books.
A long time ago I was overcome by my seeming inability to make a difference in the world. I was determined to make a splash in a big way and let everyone know that I was here and that I arrived. Learning to live with an indifferent world was a heart hurt of great magnitude. Then I learned about the Power of One. I’m not exactly sure when this concept became clearly into focus, but I do know that once I started paying attention then I saw many people of grand stature like Mahatma Gandhi, Jane Goodall, and the Dalai Lama who embodied the power of one. I also began to collect stories of folks like the Man Who Planted Trees, the local neighbor who encourages others to recycle Styrofoam, and the guy who repairs old bicycles and donates them to folks who are unsheltered. They, too, embody the power of one. During my lifetime I have witnessed many displays of excess, greed, and indulgence; yet, if I stay committed to the power of one then I am less likely to become overwhelmed by all the negativity that surrounds me. Being present in this moment and savoring times when I can shine my light helps me recognize the power of one and helps me to remember that for now, in this moment, this is enough. I believe in the magic that is reflected in the Power of One.
Michele Kane
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Board Member
Michael A. McMurray, PhD, is an Associate Professor of Cell and Developmental Biology at the University of Colorado Anschutz Medical Campus School of Medicine. More importantly with regard to the mission of ISAD and the GDC, Michael is the parent of two profoundly gifted children, both of whom underwent testing/assessment/evaluation at the GDC. With the guidance of Dr. Linda Silverman, Michael’s family began attending Profoundly Gifted Retreat (PGR), and the family has not missed a retreat since. Michael served as Chair of the PGR Board for two years and continues to contribute to the organization. Michael joined the ISAD Board in 2022.
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Inevitable Miracles
What others might think of as a miracle I am likely to consider simply a low-probability event. Sometimes, miracles are inevitable. Let me explain:
I believe that there are fundamental laws that govern how things happen in the universe, sprinkled with a dash of random chance. Together, these are sufficient to explain everything that happens, and that ever happened, and that will ever happen. This is not to say that I or we understand all of these laws, just that they reflect the intrinsic properties of the stuff of which the universe is made, and we don’t need to invoke anything else to explain, rationalize, or justify which things transpire and how.
Human behaviors that make no overt logical sense are not proof of some divine or mysterious force, for example. They are simply more complex versions of the behaviors that we see in animals and may also ascribe to the existence of a soul or a spirit. To claim that love, sacrifice, empathy cannot be explained by interactions between molecules is to suppose that we can predict all the outputs of a staggering number of neuronal connections in the human brain. I believe these behaviors are emergent properties –– so complex that we may never understand them –– of a system that operates on basic physical and chemical properties that we may someday fully understand.
I believe that attributing the complexity of the human condition to mere machinations of earthly materials does not reduce its value. The human condition is nonetheless truly amazing. The probability first that life began at all (in some primordial form) and then evolved to the point of humans who kill each other in the name of religion is astoundingly low. While there are an infinite number of times that it didn’t happen, it only had to happen once. The probability is now 100%.
I believe no human is good or evil. We all find strategies to meet our needs and some strategies also meet the needs of others, while some do not. It makes no overt evolutionary sense that I choose to wake up this morning in the small, still hours to take a puppy out to pee, but just because I think there is ultimately a formula that explains how I love a member of another species does not make that love less special. Even if I doubt the existence of free will, I can be moved to tears by pride in my children. There is no inherent contradiction here.
I choose to move through the world in a way that whenever possible makes life easier or more enriching for others and, in so doing, I derive pleasure from thinking of those effects. I believe that if we all behaved this way, the human condition would be on average significantly improved. Some people hurt others, though, and I believe in seeking to understand their unmet needs and help them find different strategies, if possible. I am not perfect, and I believe perfection should not be the goal.
Finally, I try to be careful about what I mean by “believe”. As a scientist, when I write about research I always try to use “I think”; “believe” to me incorporates a notion of faith, in deciding to act as if something is true even if there may be some inconsistent evidence I can’t explain. This I believe.