Top Of The Week: Rich, Vibe, Primer, Lehrer, Medium
The Rich Are Not Like You And Me
Henry Farrell | Programmable Mutter | 27th July 2025 | U
Social scientists are trained to assume that markets and governments are distinct, and that individual whims get smoothed out in the collective. This may not fit the world today. The growing isolation of the billionaire class from mortal concerns recalls sci-fi writer William Gibson‘s words — “she knew, with an instinctive mammalian certainty, that the exceedingly rich were no longer even remotely human” (1,700 words)
Against 'Vibe Physics'
Ethan Siegel | Big Think | 30th July 2025 | U
So-called "armchair physicists" are using large language models to develop what they think are new advances in the field. Not only is this "completely delusional", it is a dangerous example of how well-meaning, smart people can be taken in by "the phenomenon of unfettered AI slop". General use LLMs are designed to conceal their limitations and struggle to derive universal laws from patchy data (3,200 words)
We Start Reading Too Late
Erik Hoel | Intrinsic Perspective | 31st July 2025 | U
Children can start learning to read at an early age, between two and four. There is plenty of historical evidence from the 18C that this was common, since specific reading primers were published for this age group. Yet it is increasingly the norm in the US that reading isn't taught until kids are seven or eight, because of 60-year-old "neuromyths" about what early reading does to the brain (3,500 words)
The Singer Who Skewered America
Yascha Mounk | 28th July 2025 | U
Whether mocking the rehabilitation of known Nazis or lamenting World War III, Tom Lehrer’s political songs — all of which he placed in the public domain — were “laced with countercultural venom”. Despite his songs’ popularity, Lehrer had no interest in fame. “He could never get comfortable with the self-consciously politically engaged comedy which eventually took over big parts of American culture” (2,100 words)
Fell In A Hole, Got Out
Tony Stubblebine | Medium | 11th July 2025 | U
CEO of Medium explains how he made the company profitable. Told with a refreshing lack of ego. It helped that he was a former top poster on Medium. There are technicalities that business-minded readers will enjoy, but it boiled down to ceasing to operate like a tech startup. He cut costs, got rid of the fancy office, and stopped paying "writers with suss motivations" to write poor quality posts (4,600 words)
Puzzle: Nomido is the Browser's daily word game. Play today's before it's gone!
Podcast: The First Human Language | BlomCast. Conversation about new book that traces the rise and explosion of Proto-Indo-European across the globe (1h 2m)
Video: Five Minutes With The Hermit Thrush | YouTube | Kalina | 5m 16s
High resolution, uninterrupted footage of birdsong, recorded in New York state.
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