Top Of The Week
Of The Elite, By The Elite, For The People
Oren Cass | Understanding America | 7th April 2025 | U
“Populism is an attack on elite institutions when they fail to fulfill their obligations in a society.” Leaders must maintain public trust by balancing advocacy and acquiescence. A leader will have his own values and make their case. He must also recognise when his case has not yet won the day and look beyond personal preference, rather than impose it — “the essence of noblesse oblige in a liberal society” (2,300 words)
50 Things I’ve Learned
Brian Potter | Construction Physics | 17th April 2025 | U
Reflections drawn from writing 600,000 words about construction and technological progress. Interesting throughout. Bricks haven't become cheaper since the 19C. The roads in Los Angeles and San Francisco are the worst of any US metro area. Tenants of skyscraper apartments tend not to care what the building's exterior looks like. Construction has become safer at a faster rate than other industries (1,900 words)
The 17th Century Husband Killer
Kaushik Patowary | Amusing Planet | 1st April 2025 | U
In his dying days, Mozart was convinced he had been poisoned by Aqua Tofana, a colourless, tasteless, odourless liquid that could be mixed into food undetected. In gradual doses, it mimicked flu-like symptoms, eventually causing death. The poison was believed to have been invented by an Italian woman, quickly gaining notoriety in southern Italy amongst women seeking to be rid of their husbands (1,500 words)
The Biggest Loser
Luke Winkie | Slate | 20th March 2025 | U
Profile of "Vegas Matt", a professional gambler who has created a way to win by losing: he posts videos of his disastrous hours in the casino for his millions of fans. The advertising revenue alone makes him an "enviable living". He once lost $147,000 on a slot machine in three hours. People love to watch him lose. Casinos and sponsors just love him. And he laughs all the way to the bank (5,400 words)
Love Is Not About Finding ‘The One’
Jack Maden | Philosophy Break | 14th April 2025 | U
Erich Fromm on love. “One of our most insidious misconceptions is that success or failure in love hinges entirely on the qualities of a prospective partner. We think that love is the problem of an object, not of a faculty. We browse people like products on a personality market. We’d do better if we approached love not like a once-in-a-lifetime transaction, but like an art, the mastery of which takes work” (1,900 words)
Puzzle: Nomido is the Browser's daily word game. Play today's before it's gone!
Podcast: Seven Crashes | Library Of Mistakes. Chronicle of the economic crises that shaped globalisation, from a podcast that documents history’s costliest financial mistakes (41m 22s)
Video: Colossal Squid, 1st Live Observation | YouTube | Schmidt Ocean | 1m 34s
Mesmerising footage of a juvenile specimen of Mesonychoteuthis hamiltoni, the colossal squid. Although first identified a century ago, this is the first confirmed live observation.
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