The chief hurdle in constructing a Death Star is not the energy, materials, or even knowledge needed. It’s the long time needed. A society can change their mind mid-way over centuries, and simply move on. The galaxy is likely strewn … Continue reading →
...Who Would You Be Able to Blame?
I suppose I registered the fact that, late in 2023, a self-driving car in San Francisco had hit a pedestrian, leaving her in critical condition. But it wasn't until listening to this week's Hard Fork podcast that I became aware of all the
Against Disruption: On the Bulletpointization of Books
It’s the beginning of a new year and you might have seen, floating around on social media, lists like 52 Books To Read in 2024 or 42 Books That Will Change Your Life posted by Library Mindset, an a…
Parents have a right to raise their children in accordance with their own values, but they don't have the right to override their children’s own rights.
George RR Martin on his blog: Dark Days
It used to be fun talking about our favorite books and films, and having spirited debates with fans who saw things different… but somehow in this age of social media, it is no longer enough to say “I did not like book
The 'Effective Accelerationism' movement doesn't care if humans are replaced by AI as long as they're there to make money from it
Silicon Valley's new ideological faction, called Effective Accelerationism or e/acc, is focused on the pursuit of AI development with no guardrails to slow its growth.
How Beloved Indie Blog 'The Hairpin' Turned Into an AI Clickbait Farm
Beloved women’s website The Hairpin shut down in 2018. This month it returned from the dead to churn out AI clickbait. Its fate is a warning to all digital publications.
The next generation of underground rappers, electronic misfits, and jazz weirdos have flooded the internet with an approach that is both artful and inane.
Read to the end for a longer essay critiquing Ted Gioia's idea of Macro vs. Micro cultures that explains why we get confused about niches and countercultures
Personal News
I’m spending 2024 writing a new book — a cultural history of the first 25 years of the 21st century. Here
The EU has finally made Apple redesign the App Store, 15 years after we started arguing about it, and no-one is happy with the result. In the next few years there’ll be a lot of shouting and some giant fines, but in the end, nothing much will change.