Archive - The Liminal Lens

The War with Iran: Can we Escape the Escalation Trap?

We’re already in an escalation trap in Iran. It will be hard to get out of it. Here’s how it formed, and what paths remain from here.

Mar 28 • Simon Pearce

Cells Interlinked Within Cells Interlinked

When signals only reference other signals, systems detach from reality. A clear look at feedback loops, status signals, and breakdown in modern society.

Mar 21 • Simon Pearce

Signals, All the Way Down

Status, Imitation, and the Hidden Logic of Social Life

Mar 19 • Simon Pearce

The Winner Takes it All

Are Petty Rivalries Undermining Our Civilization?

Mar 12

The War With Iran: How We Got Here

Iran and the U.S. have been at each other’s throats for decades. Eventually, something had to give.

Mar 8 • Simon Pearce

February 2026

Democracy’s Edge: Selection Is Destiny

Institutions become what they promote. When selection pressure shifts, leadership changes, and trust erodes as incentives reward survival over…

Feb 21 • Simon Pearce

Mo Data, Mo Problems

Why Data Abundance Produces Decision Failure. In an age of data overload, institutions don’t fail from ignorance, but from models they can no longer…

Feb 5 • Simon Pearce

The Liminal Movie Collection

Cinema Beyond Certainty

Feb 1 • Simon Pearce

January 2026

Essential Reading: February 2026

Foundational texts and core context for navigating The Liminal Lens Project.

Jan 31 • Simon Pearce

Democracy’s Edge: Contested Reality

It's hard to move forward when nobody agrees on what that means.

Jan 29 • Simon Pearce

Strategic Blindness

Our institutions are clinging to modern versions of the Maginot Line. Will they wake up in time?

Published on The Cosmopolitan Globalist • Jan 25

Democracy’s Edge: Elite Overproduction

Part 1: Why do democracies fail even when they appear wealthy, educated, and stable?

Jan 14 • Simon Pearce

#nojs-banner { position: fixed; bottom: 0; left: 0; padding: 16px 16px 16px 32px; width: 100%; box-sizing: border-box; background: red; color: white; font-family: -apple-system, "Segoe UI", Roboto, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif, "Apple Color Emoji", "Segoe UI Emoji", "Segoe UI Symbol"; font-size: 13px; line-height: 13px; } #nojs-banner a { color: inherit; text-decoration: underline; } This site requires JavaScript to run correctly. Please turn on JavaScript or unblock scripts