One way to learn how to appreciate music is by starting with minimalism. At its core, listening to music means listening for changes. Minimalism explores the limits of that idea; what’s the smallest change that can move us? How can tiny sonic gestures be used to evoke large emotional reactions? It’s a thought experiment that says everything is art if you look close enough. And...
This is one of those posts that makes you feel like the world is trying to shake you out of a stupor. Matt Duffy is unapologetic about claiming that Efficiency Without Morality is Tyranny. I’m inclined to agree, though I’m not sure “morality” is the right word. Here’s what I highlighted: “As societies scaled, we required coordination, optimization, and waste reduction. Technical leaders ascended to...
When's the last time you sat down and just...listened to music? Not as background for work, not while exercising, not during your commute. Just listening. It's probably been a while. Which is strange, because it's never been easier to access great music. We have infinite libraries at our fingertips, pristine audio quality, and negligible costs. Yet somehow, we've never been worse at giving music our...
Keith and I shared many classes in university, and I've been so happy and grateful to see him writing prolifically over the past year. We walked different paths after school, but it's amazing how many of the ideas, insights, doubts, and creative struggles Keith shares in his newsletter are ones I grapple with as well. I guess there's a reason we got along. This recent...
More than two years after it was published, I still think about this provocative post by Ted Chiang. Will A.I. Become The New McKinsey? We still don't know what the long-term outcomes of A.I. proliferation will be, but in the short term it sure seems like this vision of it is winning. Here's what I highlighted: “Even in its current rudimentary form, A.I. has become...
Sasha Chapin wrote about How to like everything more, and it made me think about how important it is to cultivate appreciation. A lot of the modern online experience is designed to polarize and perplex, so it takes active effort to resist those tendencies. There's a lot to be grateful for, and there's a lot of enjoyment to be found in the things and experiences...
Collin Lysford, in a recent issue of his Desytemize newsletter, eases into a thoughtful discussion about intelligence (artificial and otherwise) through a baking analogy. Here's what I highlighted: “AI does a lot of things that we call “thinking” when we do them slower and worse. The fact it can also do those things should make us humble and curious, not proud and dismissive. But I...
Adam Mastroianni, writer of the unmissable Experimental History newsletter, recently shared some writing wisdom in a piece called 28 slightly rude notes on writing. Here's what I highlighted from the piece: “The Wadsworth Constant says that you can safely skip the first 30% of anything you see online. (It was meant for YouTube videos, but it applies just as well to writing). This is one...