Hobbyist Academia #25
I was heavy on reading over other forms of media the past few weeks. I’ve divided this newsletter’s Read section into longer and shorter categories, based on how and when I consumed them (or how I would have more ideally wanted to consume them, in some cases). The longer reads are perfect for a weekend morning with a cup of coffee. The shorter reads are digestible on the go- you can read these while you’re waiting for the train or have just a few minutes before it’s time to leave, instead of scrolling through another feed.
Read (Longer)
I recently stumbled upon Links I Would Gchat You If We Were Friends, a delightful newsletter for “people who miss the old internet”. I thoroughly enjoyed a recent piece about the increasing homogeneity of visual culture.
The Marginalian shared a piece from the archives on the power of gardens and nature to ground us in our humanity and even to supersede neurological conditions. Drawing upon the writings of artists, philosophers, neurologists, poets, writers, and scientists, Maria Popova does what she does best and weaves together ideas and threads across disciplines.
David Spinks writes a newsletter about community building and consciousness. He recently published the first in a three part series about how he believes the natural phenomenon of emergence applies to the formation of human communities.
David Mattin’s newsletter New World Same Humans featured a special edition in which he shared a deep dive essay about the Technological Singularity. It’s a long and dense read but well worth settling in for; he goes through the history of the singularity as a concept before shifting focus to his own take on it today and in the future.
Read (Shorter)
David Mattin’s reflections about technology and how we define our humanity in relation to it tie nicely with Monika Jiang’s recent newsletter about AI chatbots, loneliness, and the human experience.
Oliver Burkeman raises an excellent point about the use of AI in creative work: it is not about what AI can do, or whether it can replicate the quality of human creative output. The point of a piece of art or writing or other creative pursuit “isn’t that only a human could ever have produced it. It’s that a human did in fact produce it.”
Finally, from an unlikely source comes “Is Pinterest the Golden Retriever of Social Media?” Pinterest is thriving among younger users, and this article from Bustle explains how Pinterest’s unique design and infrastructure have created an entirely different online environment and experience than most other social media apps.
Engage and Interact
I just subscribed to a new newsletter called Improv at Work. It helps readers build soft skills using games derived from applying improv to business. It’s a great idea and I’m excited to keep reading it and to try out some of the games.
I’ve also been exploring the multimedia Community Weaving Framework, a project about the elements of a healthy community and resources for how to apply the framework in practice.
What is a Good Life? is Mark McCartney’s multi-year project interviewing hundreds of different people about their answer to that title question. He shares learnings in the form of a newsletter and a podcast.
Save This for Later
These additions to the To Read list center on technology, community, and a bit of art.
The Work of Art: How Something Comes from Nothing by Adam Moss
The Universe in Verse: 15 Portals to Wonder Through Science & Poetry by Maria Popova
Broken Code: Inside Facebook and the Fight to Expose Its Harmful Secrets by Jeff Horwitz
The Death of Truth: Notes on Falsehood in the Age of Trump by Michiko Kakutani
Unmasking AI: My Mission to Protect What Is Human in a World of Machines by Joy Buolamwini
Power and Progress: Our Thousand-Year Struggle Over Technology and Prosperity by Daron Acemoglu and Simon Johnson
The Business of Belonging: How to Make Community Your Competitive Advantage by David Spinks
Finding Your Third Place: Building Happier Communities (and Making Great Friends Along the Way) by Richard Kyte
The Big Disconnect: Protecting Childhood and Family Relationships in the Digital Age by Catherine Steiner-Adair and Teresa H. Barker
I’m experimenting with sending these out a bit more frequently while also working with the flow of when it feels like I’ve collected enough notes for the next edition.
[I will receive a small commission should you purchase a book using the Bookshop links included in the newsletter. Bookshop is an Amazon-alternative online bookseller that supports independent bookstores in your local community.]