"To build a prototype and expose it to critique is to make yourself very vulnerable...But you invite people in because you know that you can’t do the thing you want to do without their honest response......By contrast, Davey worked very hard on restoring that little Norfolk church, but he also sought help of every kind … Continue reading The Invitation to Critique
Category: comments
The Maintenance Race by Stewart Brand
"‘My rule is, a new boat every day’. His years at sea had taught him that if you don’t fix something when you first see it beginning to fail, it is very likely to finish failing just when it is the most dangerous and the hardest to deal with, such as in the midst of … Continue reading The Maintenance Race by Stewart Brand
Abortion Pill Demand Is Driving an Underground Network
To Aiken, the international abortion pill market feels resilient because it is beyond the purview of any one country’s authorities. “If someone’s based outside of the country, it is unclear how to exactly force them to comply with the law in another jurisdiction,” she says. “It's not clear what folks who are very motivated to … Continue reading Abortion Pill Demand Is Driving an Underground Network
How to Admit You’re Wrong
Related to yesterday's post, where the ideas are of a piece: "Kathryn Schulz loosely defines being wrong “as a deviation from external reality, or an internal upheaval in what we believe” — with the caveat that wrongness is too vast to fit neatly into either category.......“We’re highly motivated to reduce that uncertainty,” Fetterman says. “Oftentimes, … Continue reading How to Admit You’re Wrong
The Free Energy Principle, Minimizing Surprise
"The concept of free energy itself comes from physics, which means it’s difficult to explain precisely without wading into mathematical formulas. In a sense that’s what makes it powerful: It isn’t a merely rhetorical concept. It’s a measurable quantity that can be modeled, using much the same math that Friston has used to interpret brain … Continue reading The Free Energy Principle, Minimizing Surprise
Installing GrapheneOS on a Pixel Device
As you may know, I like trying out alternative operating systems. I bought a Pixel 6 device and installed GrapheneOS on it. The web installer instructions are pretty easy to follow, and I was able to do it in less than an hour. It took longer to do the Android updates it recommends doing before … Continue reading Installing GrapheneOS on a Pixel Device
Schools of Virtue
"Marion Turner, professor of English literature at Oxford University, put it frankly: “I’m not trained to teach students how to be good people, and that’s not my job.”It’s a fair point. It is very pleasant to make a list of intellectual virtues, but why should we believe that academics can teach students courage, humility or … Continue reading Schools of Virtue
A Turning Point in Cancer
"The narrative has been incubating for many years, but in recent days we are witnessing some extraordinary progress in treating and monitoring cancer. The convergence of genomics of the cancer—be it from the person’s DNA or tumor directly or the blood (known as liquid biopsy)—matched with the appropriate therapy is leading to outcomes that are … Continue reading A Turning Point in Cancer
Letter in Support of Responsible Fintech Policy
"Blockchain technology cannot, and will not, have transaction reversal mechanisms because they are antithetical to its base design. Similarly, most public blockchain-based financial products are a disaster for financial privacy; the exceptions are a handful of emerging privacy-focused blockchain finance alternatives, and these are a gift to money-launderers. Financial technologies that serve the public must … Continue reading Letter in Support of Responsible Fintech Policy
Georgia Guidestones, a.k.a., The Ten Commandments of the Anti-Christ
Maintain humanity under 500,000,000 in perpetual balance with nature.Guide reproduction wisely — improving fitness and diversity.Unite humanity with a living new language.Rule passion — faith — tradition — and all things with tempered reason.Protect people and nations with fair laws and just courts.Let all nations rule internally resolving external disputes in a world court.Avoid petty … Continue reading Georgia Guidestones, a.k.a., The Ten Commandments of the Anti-Christ
cafebedouin.org 