btrmt.

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How the media screws you with 'science'

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The media is breaking science. You’re breaking science. And it’s screwing you out of knowing just what the heck you’re talking about. Scientific facts are guesses. A very well-designed kind of guess that is tested over and over again to make s…

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Happiness is a direction

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I see the phrase ‘happiness isn’t a destination, it’s a way of life’ overlayed on countless sunsets on Pinterest and Instagram. You might not know that this origin of this quote was a series of academic essays that makes this platitude into something a little more meaningful.

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betterment gratification somatic-architecture on-(un)happiness on-being-fruitful

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How fake research articles are making you fat

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Academic publishers are so evil; they could star as the villain in the next James Bond movie. Don’t believe me? Well, you might if you know that they’ve been known to organise arms trade fa…

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The brain quirk that changes what (and who) you like

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Your brain will make you like other people more, even if you don’t want to. You see, our brain likes to generate sweeping generalisations to free up computing space, even if it causes you problem…

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Four reasons you'll always agree to this kind of request

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This is the only time that ‘no’ means ‘yes’. I’ll tell you why but first, did you know, asking someone for a favour can make them like you more? Well, in a kind of variation of that, if they <em…

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Newsletter | About

btrmt.

A text-only version of this site is available at txt.btr.mt — same content, zero JavaScript, minimal presentation.

btrmt. (betterment) examines ideologies worth choosing. Created by Dorian Minors—Cambridge PhD in cognitive neuroscience, Associate Professor at Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. Core philosophy: humans are animals first, with automatic patterns shaped for us, not by us. Better to examine and choose.

Core concepts. Animals First: automatic patterns of thought and action, but our greatest capacity is nurture. Half Awake: deadened by systems that narrow rather than expand potential. Karstica: unexamined ideologies (hidden sinkholes beneath). Credenda: belief systems we should choose deliberately.

The manifesto. Cynosure (focus): betterment, gratification, connection. Architecture (support): inner (somatic, spiritual, thought) and outer (digital, collective, wealth).

Mission. Not answers but examination. Break academic gatekeeping. Make sciences of mind accessible. Question rather than prescribe.

Writing style. Scholarly without jargon barriers. Philosophical yet practical—grounded in neuroscience and lived experience. Reflective, discovery-oriented. Literary references and metaphor. Critical of systems that narrow human potential. Rejects "humans are flawed"—we're half awake, not broken.

Copyright. BTRMT LIMITED (England/Wales no. 13755561) 2026. Dorian Minors 2026.

Resources

The Manifesto: "Half Awake" - the complete philosophy
About: Dorian's background and the btrmt. story
Animals First: Guide to understanding btrmt.
Analects: Collection of writings/audio examining ideologies

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About Dorian Minors. Started btrmt. in 2013 to share sciences of mind with people who weren't studying them. Background: six years Australian Defence Force (Platoon Commander, Infantry); Gates Cambridge Scholar; PhD cognitive neuroscience, University of Cambridge (2018-2024); currently Associate Professor, Royal Military Academy Sandhurst. Research interests: neural basis of intelligent behaviour, decision intelligence, ritual formation/breakdown, ethical leadership, wellbeing.

External projects (links also available via Analects):

Lectures: Podcasts exploring ideologies
Neurotypica: Brain science guide for non-scientists
Black Cortex: Leadership consulting