Based on what I'd read, I wasn't surprised. But I was shocked at what happened next.

Some councillors questioned the report's findings, citing facts and figures I hadn't seen. "Where are they getting their information?" I wondered.

Next came the speakers. 1 in 8 were pro-gas; the rest were against. Some provided conflicting evidence, and it was tough to parse fact from fiction.

Then, the clincher: despite everything he'd heard, the Mayor doubled down. “The cost of [electrification] is real,” he insisted, “it's affordability.”

I was stunned. Staff hadn't said so, and neither had anyone else—other than a handful of speakers (including a rep from Fortis BC).

“This doesn't make sense,” I thought. It reminded me of a line by investor Adam Robinson: “The world always makes sense; we just don’t understand it.”

What I saw at city hall sent me reeling. What didn't I understand?

**

To get some answers, I read books on information technology and behavioural science. But the more I learned, the more the topic grew in scope. One month turned into two, and I ended up writing about all sorts of things, like evolutionary psychology, partisan news, and even Elon Musk. (I had no idea how relevant this would all be today.)

All that said, I’m beginning to realize that studying a topic for a short time is like trying to untangle a massive knot. I’ll never be able to unravel it; the best I can do is pull at some threads.

Here are those threads:

Part 1: Decisions, Teams and News
Part 2: Information Technologies and Inaccuracies
Part 3: Algorithms, Righteousness, Truth, Addiction, and Rabbit Holes
Part 4: Reflections on Writing, Path, and Purpose

**

The world is a complicated place; “What didn’t I understand?” doesn’t have a simple answer. I’ve written these essays so far, but there may be more to come. If you’ve been feeling like the public conversation has devolved—with far-reaching repercussions for environmental issues and beyond—I’d love to hear your thoughts. What do you think?