thought experiment | Sarah Orrell

Cup of tea on a rainy day with sad faces, screens, newspapers

The O'Hara Principle: AI and Artificial Certainty

It was a sad day when we heard Catherine O'Hara had passed away. But AI told me not to worry.

Oct 18 min read

Notes on AI, theology, imagination, and the origins that might make the difference

You get knocked over by a wave. It was 5ft. No, sorry, 50ft. No, sorry, 50,000ft… or like Job. At what point is the hurt such that the scale isn't the point. Oh, and AI.

Sep 244 min read

In Crisis and in Christ: Interdisciplinary Discipleship at Chapter Seventeen

These things would only ever happen in church or in a crisis. (Like Tom Hanks with an ice skate — needs must. Sometimes. Other times it's inappropriate, dangerous, outrageous and misguided.) Hence my new fancy word, ship-wreck-less-ons. The kind of things any one of us might learn in Chapter Seventeen.

Sep 234 min read

a box of scaffolding pole clamps and joints

Theological imagination and scaffolding poles. Learning the ropes in the style of the "four candles" sketch.

Fork handles. Scaffolding poles. Metal things and metaphors that might be in a box out the back, but I'll have to look. Was this what they meant by theological imagination?

Sep 184 min read

a woman thinking with expansive imagination

Five surprising things I’m actually not trying to do or say here at all!

Yes, I know it looks like what I'm doing here is creating a website. After all, I'm creating a website. But don't misunderstand me. The website isn't really the point.

Sep 174 min read

I thought I was visiting an author's website, but — whoosh — suddenly I was in dark room talking to the cleaner who told me he was the Keyholder, and he didn't know much more…

What in the world…? The Stage Door was only the beginning. There's an unfolding rabbit warren of possibilities by the look of it. According to the Keyholder, he doesn't know, and you'll need to see the Architect. But no one's seen the Architect.

Sep 111 min read

Words like SPRING, and another placeholder experiment of mine.

Here's a word-based mind worm for you. Not that you probably wanted one, because that's not how mind worms work. Sorry, but you've come this far and there's no going back.

Sep 114 min read

Tightrope walker crossing a bare stage one lantern

Philosophy, Preaching, Perhaps…: Notes on Language, Conviction and Public Thinking

Preaching through philosophical thought experiments, or just pondering? Toning it down, hyping it up — what's going on with my writing, I wonder aloud.

Sep 103 min read

Metametaphorically Speaking: Notes on metaphors

More notes on my thinking around metaphor and metametaphor — and how metaphor can provide scaffolding for ideas, thought experiments and meaning.

Sep 104 min read

Why No One Needs Another Course on Plastic Hammers

So many things to say about the nature of reality as seen through plastic hammers for babies and how teachers — like, God, for example — teach.

Sep 93 min read

living room door slightly open with bookshelves and chalk

As if by Magic: Theology, Imagination, and a Thought Experiment

My website looks quite standard until that menu item — Stage Door. It's what happens with a literary imagination birthed in Bible and Bagpuss.

Sep 83 min read

Judas, Jonah, Jeremiah — a thought experiment

Not preaching here, just thinking aloud! What if we take three Bible characters and stand in their shoes — and let them stand in ours? Situations. Motivations. Implications.

Sep 62 min read