Disruption Stacks

The Decline Of Disruption

Michael Park et al | Nature | 4th January 2023

Scientific paper, so no prizes for prose style, but an important-if-true main point and some interesting methodology. Key argument: "If a paper or patent is disruptive, subsequent work that cites it is less likely to also cite its predecessors". Key finding: Measured by citations culled from millions of papers and patents, disruptive discoveries have been in relative decline since 1945 (12,800 words)

In The Stacks

Robin Sloan | Brand New Box | 6th January 2023

A new short story by Robin Sloan! The year is indeed shaping up well. All the classic ingredients are here: An improbable hero or two, a library (of course), old technology, new technology, sadness, joy, youth, age, grace, nostalgia, incongruity, music — and a generous sprinkling of that same happy-magic dust which made Mr Penumbra's 24-Hour Bookstore and Sourdough such charmers (3,500 words)