Curiosity Pill #18
About Read It Later Apps, how ants build bridges out of themselves, the connection between Germany and the swastika, collecting whales snot and Chinese literature
The Secret Power of ‘Read It Later’ Apps
‘Read it Later’ apps like Pocket or Instapaper help me a lot in creating this newsletter so there is little wonder that I highly enjoyed this ode that Thiago Forte gave them. You can save longer articles for a later read, it is like reading a magazine with articles that you have selected, asynchronous reading and you can focus on the articles without the pesky ads. “In order to consume good ideas, first you have to consume many ideas. This is the fundamental flaw in the “information diet” advice from Tim Ferriss and others: strong filters work best on a larger initial flow. Using your friends as your primary filter for new ideas ensures you remain the dumbest person in the room, and contribute nothing to the conversation.”
https://fortelabs.co/blog/the-secret-power-of-read-it-later-apps/
The Simple Algorithm That Ants Use to Build Bridges
Army ants build bridges out of themselves to be able to reach new sources of food, but at most 20% of the colony can be used for bridges. They handle it using two simple rules: 1.March until you meet an obstacle, wait until another ant walks over you and freeze(become a brick);2.When the ant feels that the weight on its shoulder decreases, unfreeze and continue marching. A natural wonder, considering:”An individual army ant is practically blind and has a minuscule brain that couldn’t begin to fathom their elaborate collective movement. “There is no leader, no architect ant saying ‘we need to build here,’””
https://www.quantamagazine.org/the-simple-algorithm-that-ants-use-to-build-bridges-20180226/
The Man Who Brought the Swastika to Germany, and How the Nazis Stole It
It traditionally represents good peace, it has been found in Ancient Greece, buddist temples and Native American sites, but the swastika is associated with evil and racism in our recent history. Heinrich Schliemann, the archeologist who discovered the ancient city of Troy, found that the swastika was displayed everywhere in this mythic place and took the idea of this symbol to Germany. “He would go on to see the swastika everywhere, from Tibet to Paraguay to the Gold Coast of Africa. And as Schliemann’s exploits grew more famous, and archaeological discoveries became a way of creating a narrative of national identity, the swastika grew more prominent. It exploded in popularity as a symbol of good fortune, appearing on Coca-Cola products, Boy Scouts’ and Girls’ Club materials and even American military uniforms, reports the BBC.”
Coastal Job: Whale Snot Collector
Justine Hudson, a Canadian researcher, worked as a whale snot collector in a recent project measuring stress of belugas in Churchill, Manitoba. She measures the stress level from the whale’s hormones found in the snot. “I got into snot sampling to look at the impacts of shipping on the beluga population in western Hudson Bay. We’re expecting that the Arctic will become more of a corridor for shipping now that the ice-free season is longer because of climate change. Belugas are very vocal, so increased noise from ships could make it harder for them to communicate or could be frightening for them.”
https://www.hakaimagazine.com/article-short/coastal-job-whale-snot-collector/
Qian Zhongzhu Should Win the Nobel
A great case on why this Chinese author deserves the Nobel prize for literature and a great overview of his novel, Fortress Besieged. It was his only novel, he answered why in a masterful way: ““The interest is there,” he replied, “but my powers have waned over the years. To want to write, when there is no chance of writing, is a lingering regret – but to write something that isn’t any good, once one does have the chance, can only end in remorse. The former at least leaves some room for self-deception; the latter is what the Spanish call ‘el momento de la verdad’ [the moment of truth], and it leaves no room for self-deception, escape, or mercy. Better regret than remorse.””
https://chinachannel.org/2020/09/14/qian-zhongzhu-should-win-the-nobel/
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Video Pill
Making Tragedy Meaningful
River Of Fundament - The Great Grotesque Beauty
Mister Miracle, Equations, and Anxiety || Learning From Comics
Podcast Pill
How to prevent drowning, Podcast:People Fixing the World
AI lifeguards are helping to spot danger on Israel’s beaches, while on Lake Victoria special forecasts for fishermen are saving hundreds of lives. Meanwhile in Bangladesh, community creches and bamboo swimming stages are reducing deaths among children
https://player.fm/series/people-fixing-the-world/how-to-prevent-drowning
Hong Kong food culture and chess popularity, Podcast:Making It Up
How Hong Kong’s food culture has adapted in the pandemic. Chess as a current streaming obsession and how AI is making the game beautiful again.
https://player.fm/series/making-it-up-2390090/ep-137-hong-kong-food-culture-and-chess-popularity
Design Pill
Still from Curious Alice, a VR experience created by the V&A and HTC Vive Arts. Featuring original artwork by Kristjana S Williams, 2020
Poetic Pill
Ode to a Grasshopper By Pedro Pietri
“An unexpected grasshopper
Staring at my thoughts
On the table that keeps
The telephone from having
A mind of its very own
At first I was startled
And then I was startled less
At the sight of this insect
Put together in green details
To pay me an afternoon visit
39 floors above floor level
In my High Rise Hobo apartment
Miracle on 53rd street
Grasshopper hopped all the way
39 floors above floor level
To deliberately invade my privacy
And I didn't mind at all
After grasshopper assured me
It didn't speak English or Spanish
Or Chinese with an Italian accent“
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poems/58399/ode-to-a-grasshopper
Underground Pill
Verb T & Illinformed - New Paths
“We need space to react and the time to reflect
Trying to live this live to the best
Of my ability, progress to a stage
I trace back steps that i made
39 footsteps in the sand, blessed to have stayed
From the mess that we made to the best of behaviour
Saw love expressed to the saviour
A force that took many forms i sketched on the paper
Not craving a buzz, it's a labour of love
To the earth engraved in the crust“
Dictionary Pill
asynchronous = not existing or occurring at the same time
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this subscription is my favourite email man, you're doing a great job!! sending love