20220101
in 1955 john von neumann wrote this for fortune magazine. there’s a ton of ground covered and it predates, but anticipates the rise of semiconductors, nods at the impacts of carbon dioxide on the climate, talks about weather control and climate control and the dangers inherent in the acceleration of technology. he is way ahead of the curve when it comes to seeing the impacts of what some of the most notable technologies to come out of the second world war would be.
the topic at the forefront of thought here is clearly the impacts of nuclear weapons and the application of nuclear technologies for the energy. he treats technology as an inexorable force that just emerges. i suppose this is true but wrangling technology and managing its impacts are kind of punted on in this article.
Oliver Burkeman’s Advice for Time Management - The Atlantic
note - time management, not productivity.
highly recommended is burkeman’s book - “4000 weeks - time management for mortals.”
The Gift of It’s Your Problem Now - apenwarr
there’s been no shortage of hot takes, in the aftermath of the log4j bloodbath. but this is probably the most balanced take on things i have read to date.
remember folks, if you want to use {free,open}-source software, know what you’re doing and what responsibilities fall upon you. there are really good reasons that folks that have deep dependencies on the linux kernel and other infrastructure bits of software make sure that they have a deep bench of nerds to address the stuff that invariably comes up.
avery nicely outlines notion that for varoius things startups can be the necessary lube to address the issues of import. but for the unsexy stuff that’s libraries, programmer lube, etc. that’s baked into the world at large here … beware of geeks bearing gifts.
COVID-Hospitalization Numbers Are as Bad as They Look - The Atlantic
How to Fend Off Trump’s Next Coup - The Atlantic
In an age of extreme polarization, it would take the form of a broad alliance of the left and the center-right. This democratic coalition would have to imagine America’s political suicide without distractions or illusions. And it would have to take precedence over everything else in politics.
Citizens will have to do boring things–run for obscure local election offices and volunteer as poll watchers–with the same unflagging energy as the enemies of democracy. Decent Republicans will have to work and vote for Democrats, and Democrats will have to work and vote for anti-Trump Republicans or independents in races where no Democrat has a chance to win. Congressional Democrats and the Biden administration will have to make the Freedom to Vote Act their top priority, altering or ending the filibuster to give this democratic fire wall a chance to become law.
Review: ‘American Kleptocracy’ and ‘Kleptopia’ - The Atlantic