The Transpantaneira Highway, Brazil, 2006

My whole blog really is summarized in one line: “As we relate, so we think.” If we fill our lives with irrational, belief-based relationships, then that will be the way we think — belief-based, and ignoring the world around us. If we fill our lives with rational, trust-based, data-driven relationships, then that will be the way our brains operate — taking in the varied nuances of existence, and connecting to the people around us.  And here’s the wild thing — our brain, being mostly a software engine, will use those same meta-formats to solve other problems.  Bottom line — the best thing you can do to increase your ability to handle complex problems OUTSIDE the human space is to practice inside your human relationships.

Neuroscience research is slowly catching up — Matt Lieberman’s book ‘Social’ basically confirms (albeit in a fragmented fashion) my fundamental hypothesis.  My work exists at, and reaches far above the micro-neuroscience level, into larger systemic social organization.

How all this manifests turns out to be a wild ride.

Who am I?  I am a professor of engineering at Washington State University in Pullman (think the location equivalent of Tatooine,) a world traveler (38 different countries,) a father of two teenage boys, and a husband.  I attempt to be a servant of humanity.  I used to be a Class V kayaker, but now need to practice my roll or I’m gonna kill himself.

I also have started to realize that not telling people I have actual professional experience on this page may hurt my chances of people reading my stuff.  So here goes:  I am a published professor in the field of design theory and high performance work teams.  I run a large Design Clinic with over 500 successfully completed tech. projects. I’ve worked on organizing sustainability education in Europe. And I’m also one of the second-wave pioneers in understanding nonlinear dynamics and complex system theory.  I was one of the folks who figured out how chaos and fractals relate to each other.  I have an extensive background in environmental policy, and was a leading roadless area preservation activist about twenty years ago, with experience up and down the governmental food chain.  And I’m also a leading edge thinker in experiential education.  I’ve also been on the fronts of the COVID policy wars, and understanding how different social structures reacted to the existence of the virus, and attempted to co-opt the pandemic for their own ends. These are status-based assertions that may lead you to read more of my stuff — but I’d really be happier if you figured out whether the arguments themselves make sense.  🙂

I took most of the pictures that appear on this blog.  I’ll try to be good and give credit when that’s not true.

For those that want to contact me, best to use my chuckpezeshki at gmail.com address. One of the things that’s interesting is that this blog has a modest, but daily world-wide readership.  Not surprisingly most of the readers are in the U.S.  But I do know this is true, because WordPress gives stats and locations (no names or addresses).  On any given day, there are people from Australia to South Africa, Finland to Austria, Mexico and Brazil that read this blog.  After seven years, we’re up to somewhere north of 300KK page hits.  The reason I’m writing this is I’d like to hear from you.  Send me an e-mail with what you think.  I’m continually working on making this blog more comprehensible, but I can’t do it without feedback.  So drop me a note.

I’m also on Twitter (far too much.)  You can DM me there or follow my feed.  @PezeshkiCharles