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Source: http://justinblanton.com/syndicate/

<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0" xmlns:media="http://search.yahoo.com/mrss/"><channel><title><![CDATA[Justin Blanton]]></title><description><![CDATA[MUSINGS OF A NEUROTIC]]></description><link>https://polymath.net/</link><image><url>https://polymath.net/favicon.png</url><title>Justin Blanton</title><link>https://polymath.net/</link></image><generator>Ghost 5.101</generator><lastBuildDate>Wed, 20 Nov 2024 14:57:32 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://polymath.net/rss/" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><ttl>60</ttl><item><title><![CDATA[The books I read in 2023]]></title><description><![CDATA[Not too much much to say about 2023's list other than that, once again, I'm disappointed with my throughput. In my defense, the last quarter of 2023 was the most difficult three months of my life (and is bleeding well into 2024), and frankly, I just]]></description><link>https://polymath.net/2024/02/the-books-i-read-in-2023/</link><guid isPermaLink="false">65c2dfb583fdf30001421cab</guid><dc:creator><![CDATA[Justin Blanton]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 07 Feb 2024 02:12:02 GMT</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[Not too much much to say about 2023's list other than that, once again, I'm disappointed with my throughput. In my defense, the last quarter of 2023 was the most difficult three months of my life (and is bleeding well into 2024), and frankly, I just couldn't concentrate on anything.
Outside of the now-"expected" quantum mechanics stuff I seem to can't get enough of (this will never change), I think the book that captured my attention most from front to back was Jarett Kobek's <a href="https://amzn.to/3SDTZJd?ref=polymath.net">How to Find Zodiac</a>. There are very few books, shows, movies, etc. about the Zodiac that I haven't consumed voraciously, and I really think this guy has finally cracked the case and figured out who the crosshairs actually was (he's now passed).
I'm not sure I've ever come across such tenacity and obsessive attention to detail as Kobek showcases at every turn of the page; it's exactly the kind of audatious doggedness and radical outside-the-box thinking that, after a half a century, a case like this demands.
From an Amazon review: "This is the most original, creative, provocative, and insightful treatment of a case that has baffled many for 50 years. And, I would guess, very likely correct." I couldn't agree more.
As always, you can find the totality of past years' book-reading efforts <a href="https://polymath.net/books">here</a>.
✭✭✭✭✭
<ul>
<li><a href="https://amzn.to/3vnkfAg?ref=polymath.net">The Upright Thinkers: The Human Journey from Living in Trees to Understanding the Cosmos</a> by Leonard Mlodinow</li>
<li><a href="https://amzn.to/3SDTZJd?ref=polymath.net">How to Find Zodiac</a> by Jarett Kobek</li>
<li><a href="https://amzn.to/47P7lZm?ref=polymath.net">Phantoms in the Brain: Probing the Mysteries of the Human Mind</a> by V. S. Ramachandran</li>
</ul>
✭✭✭✭✫
<ul>
<li><a href="https://amzn.to/3uETaYX?ref=polymath.net">JFK and the Unspeakable: Why He Died and Why It Matters</a> by James W. Douglass</li>
<li><a href="https://amzn.to/3vr2Zde?ref=polymath.net">The Brain: The Story of You</a> by David Eagleman</li>
<li><a href="https://amzn.to/40Dly8r?ref=polymath.net">Cosmosapiens: Human Evolution from the Origin of the Universe</a> by John Hands</li>
<li><a href="https://amzn.to/3K99IfK?ref=polymath.net">Trust the Plan: The Rise of QAnon and the Conspiracy That Unhinged America</a> by Will Sommer</li>
<li><a href="https://amzn.to/3Mh8tOd?ref=polymath.net">Until the End of Time: Mind, Matter, and Our Search for Meaning in an Evolving Universe</a> by Brian Greene</li>
<li><a href="https://amzn.to/3K6oKmk?ref=polymath.net">A Brief History of Earth: Four Billion Years in Eight Chapters</a> by Andrew Knoll</li>
<li><a href="https://amzn.to/3o9OBCD?ref=polymath.net">Reality Is Not What It Seems: The Journey to Quantum Gravity</a> by Carlo Rovelli</li>
<li><a href="https://amzn.to/3zWEun6?ref=polymath.net">The Emperor's New Mind: Concerning Computers, Minds, and the Laws of Physics</a> by Roger Penrose</li>
<li><a href="https://amzn.to/3KHQKwS?ref=polymath.net">The Code Book: The Science of Secrecy from Ancient Egypt to Quantum Cryptography</a> by Simon Singh</li>
<li><a href="https://amzn.to/3OiphVI?ref=polymath.net">Nonzero: The Logic of Human Destiny</a> by Robert Wright</li>
<li><a href="https://amzn.to/3OnlUeV?ref=polymath.net">Antimatter</a> by Frank Close</li>
<li><a href="https://amzn.to/3tMOpw9?ref=polymath.net">The Book of Why: The New Science of Cause and Effect</a> by Judea Pearl</li>
</ul>
✭✭✭✫✫
<ul>
<li><a href="https://amzn.to/3SgKv6S?ref=polymath.net">Gravity: From Falling Apples to Supermassive Black Holes</a> by Nicholas Mee</li>
<li><a href="https://amzn.to/3QL8Q5Q?ref=polymath.net">Quantum Supremacy: How the Quantum Computer Revolution Will Change Everything</a> by Michio Kaku</li>
<li><a href="https://amzn.to/482Qkew?ref=polymath.net">The Data Detective: Ten Easy Rules to Make Sense of Statistics</a> by Tom Howard</li>
</ul>
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Quick Links for Wednesday, January 3]]></title><description><![CDATA[<img src="https://polymath.net/content/images/2024/01/ZTF_18_1920x1331_2a.png" alt="ZTF_18_1920x1331_2a.png" loading="lazy">
Turkish photographer Uğur İkizler composited all of the photos <a href="http://www.ikizler.org/index.php/2023/06/18/mudanya-gokyuzunde-gecenin-aydinligi/?ref=polymath.net">here</a> to create this incredible image.
<a href="https://om.co/2023/10/15/social-internet-is-dead-get-used-to-it/?ref=polymath.net">Social Internet Is Dead. Get Over It.</a> “The internet, as we have known it, has evolved from a quaint, quirky place to a social utopia, and then to an algorithmic reality.]]></description><link>https://polymath.net/2024/01/links-0063/</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6595c62cccda6700011ac5bb</guid><category><![CDATA[links]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Justin Blanton]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Thu, 04 Jan 2024 01:00:05 GMT</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<img src="https://polymath.net/content/images/2024/01/ZTF_18_1920x1331_2a.png" alt="ZTF_18_1920x1331_2a.png" loading="lazy">
Turkish photographer Uğur İkizler composited all of the photos <a href="http://www.ikizler.org/index.php/2023/06/18/mudanya-gokyuzunde-gecenin-aydinligi/?ref=polymath.net">here</a> to create this incredible image.
<a href="https://om.co/2023/10/15/social-internet-is-dead-get-used-to-it/?ref=polymath.net">Social Internet Is Dead. Get Over It.</a> “The internet, as we have known it, has evolved from a quaint, quirky place to a social utopia, and then to an algorithmic reality. In this reality, the primary task of these platforms is not about idealism or even entertainment — it is about extracting as much revenue as possible from human vanity, avarice, and narcissism.”
+ My buddy Om at his best.
<a href="https://blog.beeper.com/p/beeper-x-sqmfi-beepberry?ref=polymath.net">The Beepberry</a> is pretty sick.
+ I love that Eric—the co-founder of <a href="https://www.beeper.com/?ref=polymath.net">Beeper</a>—is doing this, and I may end up buying one just for the nerd factor alone. The idea behind Beeper (and <a href="https://texts.com/?ref=polymath.net">Texts</a>, which I preferred from jump because it broke no app’s native E2EE, and almost nothing touched its servers) is to bring all of your messaging apps under one roof (sort of like Trillian back in the day, which supported AIM, ICQ, IRC, etc.).
<a href="https://www.neatorama.com/2023/12/31/Roland-the-Farter-Paid-His-Rent-in-Flatulence/?ref=polymath.net">In 12th-century England, Roland the Farter paid his rent in flatulence</a>. “In some ways you could call him a court jester, because he performed for the amusement of the king, but Roland was a specialist. He could fart on command, and apparently did it very well. [...] Roland was paid well, with the grant of an estate of around 100 acres... This grant came with one stipulation: Roland was to perform once every year at the king's Christmas feast, and that performance was to include one jump, one whistle, and one fart.”
<a href="https://polymath.net/2023/10/links-0062/">Speaking of spacesuits</a>, <a href="https://www.designboom.com/design/prada-nasa-lunar-spacesuits-artemis-iii-first-crewed-moon-landing-mission-axiom-space-10-05-2023/?ref=polymath.net">Prada will design and produce NASA’s lunar spacesuits for the Artemis III mission</a>. 🤷🏼‍♂️
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Quick Links for Saturday, October 7]]></title><description><![CDATA[<img src="https://polymath.net/content/images/2023/10/2001_helmet.jpeg" alt="2001_helmet" loading="lazy">
<a href="https://entertainment.ha.com/itm/movie-tv-memorabilia/costumes/astronaut-space-suit-6-piece-ensemble-from-2001-a-space-odyssey-mgm-1968-/a/7278-89403.s?ic16=ViewItem-BrowseTabs-Auction-Open-ThisAuction-120115&ref=polymath.net">Spacesuit from 2001: A Space Odyssey up for auction!!!</a> My kingdom for this fucking thing. Actually, I want only the helmet, and would donate the rest. Current high bid: $82,500.
<a href="https://twitter.com/AiBreakfast/status/1707869408465395928?utm_source=tldrnewsletter">Using an inverse pendulum, this robot can go 37mph and carry up to 100kg</a>. This is, without question, one]]></description><link>https://polymath.net/2023/10/links-0062/</link><guid isPermaLink="false">65220127de12ac0001f7c1f5</guid><category><![CDATA[links]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Justin Blanton]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 08 Oct 2023 02:02:07 GMT</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<img src="https://polymath.net/content/images/2023/10/2001_helmet.jpeg" alt="2001_helmet" loading="lazy">
<a href="https://entertainment.ha.com/itm/movie-tv-memorabilia/costumes/astronaut-space-suit-6-piece-ensemble-from-2001-a-space-odyssey-mgm-1968-/a/7278-89403.s?ic16=ViewItem-BrowseTabs-Auction-Open-ThisAuction-120115&ref=polymath.net">Spacesuit from 2001: A Space Odyssey up for auction!!!</a> My kingdom for this fucking thing. Actually, I want only the helmet, and would donate the rest. Current high bid: $82,500.
<a href="https://twitter.com/AiBreakfast/status/1707869408465395928?utm_source=tldrnewsletter">Using an inverse pendulum, this robot can go 37mph and carry up to 100kg</a>. This is, without question, one of the most impressive things I’ve seen in a long time. You have to watch the video. I promise it will blow your mind.
<a href="https://futurism.com/the-byte/speaker-that-mutes-people?ref=polymath.net">Scientists have invented a speaker that "mutes" annoying people</a>.
<a href="https://jamesbvaughan.com/southwest-wifi/?ref=polymath.net">Flight nformation, including altitude, ETA, and ground speed, available through Southwest’s in-flight WiFi portal</a>. This is wild. Of course I’m going to do this on every flight from now on; curious if you can get similar data from other airlines.
<img src="https://polymath.net/content/images/2023/10/neurons_forming.gif" alt="neurons_forming" loading="lazy">
<a href="https://www.thisiscolossal.com/2023/09/nikon-small-world-in-motion/?ref=polymath.net">Incredible footage of neurons forming inside a chick embryo</a>.
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Quick Links for Sunday, September 10]]></title><description><![CDATA[<a href="https://www.neatorama.com/2023/08/28/An-Elevator-That-is-Also-an-Office/?ref=polymath.net">This boss had a corner office on every floor, because his office was an elevator.</a> Now this shit is next(/previous)-level. See what I did there?
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQ50XdqfG00&ref=polymath.net">Making a medieval book, the complete process from start to finish.</a> This is incredible. Dennis, a self-taught bookbinder, creates a book using primarily]]></description><link>https://polymath.net/2023/09/links-0061/</link><guid isPermaLink="false">64fd3a4bf46c8100018486d6</guid><category><![CDATA[links]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Justin Blanton]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 10 Sep 2023 14:06:18 GMT</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<a href="https://www.neatorama.com/2023/08/28/An-Elevator-That-is-Also-an-Office/?ref=polymath.net">This boss had a corner office on every floor, because his office was an elevator.</a> Now this shit is next(/previous)-level. See what I did there?
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lQ50XdqfG00&ref=polymath.net">Making a medieval book, the complete process from start to finish.</a> This is incredible. Dennis, a self-taught bookbinder, creates a book using primarily 15-century methods and materials. The video—which has no sound—collapses 60 hours of work into 24 minutes. It’s amazing and I highly recommend watching it.
<a href="https://www.space.com/perseverance-mars-rover-ends-moxie-oxygen-experiment?ref=polymath.net">NASA's Perseverance Mars rover's oxygen-making experiment, MOXIE, is a wild success. (MOXIE stands for “Mars Oxygen In-Situ Resource Utilization Experiment”, and you just know they added “in-situ” to make the acronym. I love it.)</a> “MOXIE has the ability to take carbon dioxide molecules from Mars' thin atmosphere, which are made of one carbon atom and two oxygen atoms, and pluck those oxygen bits out. The hard part, however, is that this process requires a temperature of approximately 1,470 degrees Fahrenheit, and would need to be done in a variety of conditions that take place on Mars as the planet progresses through its year. The former of these hurdles was sorted by MOXIE being made of heat-tolerant materials, including nickel alloy parts, a lightweight aerogel and a gold coating that can reflect infrared heat and therefore keep Perseverance safe from MOXIE's scorching situation.”
<a href="https://thekidshouldseethis.com/post/every-construction-machine-explained-in-15-minutes?ref=polymath.net">Every construction machine explained in 15 minutes.</a>
<a href="https://mossandfog.com/the-storied-history-of-the-hollywood-sign/?ref=polymath.net">The storied history of the Hollywood sign.</a>
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Quick Links for Saturday, August 26]]></title><description><![CDATA[› Finished Michio Kaku’s <a href="https://amzn.to/3QL8Q5Q?ref=polymath.net">Quantum Supremacy: How the Quantum Computer Revolution Will Change Everything</a> (✭✭✭✫✫)
<img src="https://polymath.net/content/images/2023/08/rainbow_contrails.png" alt="rainbow_contrails" loading="lazy">
<a href="https://petapixel.com/2023/07/27/photographer-captures-rare-rainbow-contrails-pumping-out-of-an-airplane/?ref=polymath.net">Photographer captures rare rainbow contrails pumping out of an airplane.</a>
<a href="https://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2023/05/depression-reverse-brain-signals.html?ref=polymath.net">Researchers treat depression by reversing brain signals traveling the wrong way.</a> “Powerful magnetic pulses applied to the scalp]]></description><link>https://polymath.net/2023/08/links-0060/</link><guid isPermaLink="false">64eaac8fa72f880001133840</guid><category><![CDATA[links]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Justin Blanton]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 27 Aug 2023 01:54:30 GMT</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[› Finished Michio Kaku’s <a href="https://amzn.to/3QL8Q5Q?ref=polymath.net">Quantum Supremacy: How the Quantum Computer Revolution Will Change Everything</a> (✭✭✭✫✫)
<img src="https://polymath.net/content/images/2023/08/rainbow_contrails.png" alt="rainbow_contrails" loading="lazy">
<a href="https://petapixel.com/2023/07/27/photographer-captures-rare-rainbow-contrails-pumping-out-of-an-airplane/?ref=polymath.net">Photographer captures rare rainbow contrails pumping out of an airplane.</a>
<a href="https://med.stanford.edu/news/all-news/2023/05/depression-reverse-brain-signals.html?ref=polymath.net">Researchers treat depression by reversing brain signals traveling the wrong way.</a> “Powerful magnetic pulses applied to the scalp to stimulate the brain can bring fast relief to many severely depressed patients for whom standard treatments have failed. Yet it’s been a mystery exactly how this changes the brain to dissipate depression. Now, scientists have found that the treatment works by reversing the direction of abnormal brain signals. The findings also suggest that backward streams of neural activity between key areas of the brain could be used as a biomarker to help diagnose depression.”
<a href="https://www.sciencefocus.com/earths-mysterious-core?ref=polymath.net">What’s the Earth’s core made of?</a> This article goes deep.
<a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/whats-the-worlds-oldest-language/?ref=polymath.net">What’s the world’s oldest language?</a> Determining the oldest language involves deciphering inscriptions and tracing linguistic evolution. Sumerian, Akkadian, and Egyptian are said to be the oldest written languages. Among the oldest living languages are Hebrew, Arabic, and Chinese, though the age of Sanskrit and Tamil's age remains disputed.
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Quick Links for Wednesday, August 23]]></title><description><![CDATA[<img src="https://polymath.net/content/images/2023/08/moment_tv_changed_to_color.png" alt="moment_tv_changed_to_color" loading="lazy">
<a href="https://petapixel.com/2023/06/23/the-moment-tv-went-from-black-and-white-to-color-for-the-first-time/?ref=polymath.net">The moment TV went from black-and-white to color for the first time.</a> “Resurfaced footage has emerged of the historical moment a television channel in the U.S. switched from its black-and-white programming to color for the very first time. On April 14, 1967, WMT-TV Channel 2 in Iowa aired]]></description><link>https://polymath.net/2023/08/links-0059/</link><guid isPermaLink="false">64e5b4040f1a1500013721c2</guid><category><![CDATA[links]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Justin Blanton]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 23 Aug 2023 07:27:52 GMT</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<img src="https://polymath.net/content/images/2023/08/moment_tv_changed_to_color.png" alt="moment_tv_changed_to_color" loading="lazy">
<a href="https://petapixel.com/2023/06/23/the-moment-tv-went-from-black-and-white-to-color-for-the-first-time/?ref=polymath.net">The moment TV went from black-and-white to color for the first time.</a> “Resurfaced footage has emerged of the historical moment a television channel in the U.S. switched from its black-and-white programming to color for the very first time. On April 14, 1967, WMT-TV Channel 2 in Iowa aired its first-ever color TV broadcast—transitioning from black-and-white to color as the anchor read the evening news.”
<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2023/07/14/us/titan-submersible-implode-design.html?ref=polymath.net">The maverick design choices that may have doomed the Titan sub.</a> “Until the Titan disaster on June 18, no one had ever died while piloting or riding a submersible into the deep’s unending darkness. This remarkable safety record stood for nearly a century, despite explorers making many thousands of dives.”
› There of course have been a million articles about the integrity of this vessel, but I’m not sure any fact has struck me as hard as the one quoted above. That’s just nuts.
I think the thing that bugs me the most is how obvious all of the flaws seem to even total amateurs; the materials, the design generally, etc. Many of these weaknesses seemingly were made in the name of cost-cutting, but we’re talking about BILLIONAIRES here, wittingly risking their lives in these death bubbles. Surely 1) they could pay scientists/engineers (even arm-chair ones) to review this thing and tell them it was something they should stay away from; and/or 2) pay the OceanGate guys to make it as legit as possible.
This all seems so ridiculously obvious that one has to wonder WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK?
<a href="https://www.wired.com/story/climate-change-facts/?ref=polymath.net">10 facts about climate change.</a> Great read.
<a href="https://www.wired.com/story/card-shuffler-hack/?ref=polymath.net">Hackers rig casino card-shuffling machines for “full control” cheating.</a> “They found that if someone can plug a small device into a USB port on the most modern version of the Deckmate—which they say often sits under a table next to players’ knees, with its USB port exposed—that hacking device could alter the shuffler’s code to fully hijack the machine and invisibly tamper with its shuffling. They found that the Deckmate 2 also has an internal camera designed to ensure that every card is present in the deck, and that they could gain access to that camera to learn the entire order of the deck in real time, sending the results from their small hacking device via Bluetooth to a nearby phone.”
<a href="https://petapixel.com/2023/08/11/how-scientists-bring-webbs-images-to-life-in-beautiful-color/?ref=polymath.net">How scientists bring Webb’s images to life in beautiful color.</a>
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Quick Links for Friday, August 11]]></title><description><![CDATA[› Finished Robert Wright’s <a href="https://amzn.to/3OiphVI?ref=polymath.net">Nonzero: The Logic of Human Destiny</a> (✭✭✭✭✫)
<img src="https://polymath.net/content/images/2023/08/imrs.php.png" alt="imrs.php" loading="lazy">
Don’t miss the new <a href="https://www.royalcaribbean.com/icon-of-the-seas?ref=polymath.net">Icon of the Seas cruise ship</a>—the largest ever—launching in 2024. It’s unreal. A floating city. <a href="https://www.royalcaribbean.com/icon-of-the-seas?ref=polymath.net">More</a> and <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/travel/2023/07/13/icon-of-the-seas-largest-cruise-royal-caribbean/?ref=polymath.net">more</a> info.
› Speaking]]></description><link>https://polymath.net/2023/08/links-0058/</link><guid isPermaLink="false">64d67e8afbd4b6000157e821</guid><category><![CDATA[links]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Justin Blanton]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 11 Aug 2023 18:58:00 GMT</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[› Finished Robert Wright’s <a href="https://amzn.to/3OiphVI?ref=polymath.net">Nonzero: The Logic of Human Destiny</a> (✭✭✭✭✫)
<img src="https://polymath.net/content/images/2023/08/imrs.php.png" alt="imrs.php" loading="lazy">
Don’t miss the new <a href="https://www.royalcaribbean.com/icon-of-the-seas?ref=polymath.net">Icon of the Seas cruise ship</a>—the largest ever—launching in 2024. It’s unreal. A floating city. <a href="https://www.royalcaribbean.com/icon-of-the-seas?ref=polymath.net">More</a> and <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/travel/2023/07/13/icon-of-the-seas-largest-cruise-royal-caribbean/?ref=polymath.net">more</a> info.
› Speaking of cruise ships, check out these <a href="https://www.messynessychic.com/2023/05/11/your-ticket-aboard-the-worlds-first-cruise-ship/?ref=polymath.net">photos from inside the world’s first cruise ship</a>, the SS Prinzessin Victoria Luise, launched in 1900.
<a href="https://bigthink.com/13-8/is-math-real-practical-philosophical-implications/?ref=polymath.net">Is math real?</a> Mathematics is fundamental to modern life, and so the question of whether math is a universal reality or a product of human invention has major philosophical and practical implications, including our ability to communicate with aliens.
<a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/physicists-measure-the-gravitational-force-between-the-smallest-masses-yet?ref=polymath.net">Physicists measure the gravitational force between the smallest masses yet.</a> Physicists have successfully conducted the first-ever measurement of the gravitational force between two tiny gold spheres, each about the size of a sesame seed and weighing as much as four grains of rice. The gravitational pull of one sphere on the other was "more than 10 million times smaller than the force of a falling snowflake."
<a href="https://bigthink.com/starts-with-a-bang/4-critical-tests-lk-99-superconductor/?ref=polymath.net">Four crucial tests LK-99 must pass to be a true superconductor.</a> Great read.
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Quick Links for Tuesday, August 8]]></title><description><![CDATA[<img src="https://polymath.net/content/images/2023/07/moon_eye.png" alt="moon_eye" loading="lazy">
<a href="https://petapixel.com/2023/06/23/photographer-captures-full-moon-that-looks-like-a-giant-eye/?ref=polymath.net">Elliot McGucken captures a full Moon through the North Window Arch at Arches National Park in Utah</a>.
› Reminds me a bit of <a href="https://polymath.net/2023/06/links-0051/">this</a>.
<a href="https://www.teamblind.com/post/My-small-no-name-company-has-completely-lost-its-mind-with-AI-nfqEDfSi?ref=polymath.net">My small, no-name company has completely lost its mind with AI.</a>
› You just know this shit is happening everywhere with every middle-manager through CTOs/CEOs,]]></description><link>https://polymath.net/2023/08/links-0057/</link><guid isPermaLink="false">64d2b650fbd4b6000157e6a3</guid><category><![CDATA[links]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Justin Blanton]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 08 Aug 2023 21:43:10 GMT</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<img src="https://polymath.net/content/images/2023/07/moon_eye.png" alt="moon_eye" loading="lazy">
<a href="https://petapixel.com/2023/06/23/photographer-captures-full-moon-that-looks-like-a-giant-eye/?ref=polymath.net">Elliot McGucken captures a full Moon through the North Window Arch at Arches National Park in Utah</a>.
› Reminds me a bit of <a href="https://polymath.net/2023/06/links-0051/">this</a>.
<a href="https://www.teamblind.com/post/My-small-no-name-company-has-completely-lost-its-mind-with-AI-nfqEDfSi?ref=polymath.net">My small, no-name company has completely lost its mind with AI.</a>
› You just know this shit is happening everywhere with every middle-manager through CTOs/CEOs, especially with those who actually know very little about technology generally (yes, this includes many CTOs), and certainly nothing about AI specifically. I can’t wait for more stories like this to come out.
<a href="https://theconversation.com/x-marks-the-unknown-in-algebra-but-xs-origins-are-a-math-mystery-210440?ref=polymath.net">‘X’ marks the unknown in algebra, but its origins are a mystery.</a> Fascinating.
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FYfFvlchK1A&ref=polymath.net">This guy goes DEEP on Tolkien’s iconic map of Middle Earth.</a>
<a href="https://recentlyextinctspecies.com/?ref=polymath.net">This database of recently extinct, missing and rediscovered plants, animals and fungi</a> “attempts to document the world's many recently extinct (126ka–present), missing and rediscovered species and subspecies.”
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Quick Links for Sunday, August 6]]></title><description><![CDATA[<img src="https://polymath.net/content/images/2023/08/AsawinTejasakulsin_01.png" alt="AsawinTejasakulsin_01" loading="lazy">
<a href="https://mossandfog.com/imaginative-lego-campaigns-show-the-power-of-bricks/?ref=polymath.net">Imaginative LEGO campaigns.</a> These are just awesome.
<a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/dolphins-and-whales-will-never-evolve-back-into-land-animals/?ref=polymath.net">Dolphins and whales will never evolve back into land animals.</a>
› If you’ve any interest in hominins’ evolution from fish to two-legged mammals, you absolutely cannot miss Neil Shubin’s <a href="https://amzn.to/3ONdNK5?ref=polymath.net">Your Inner Fish: A Journey into the 3.5-Billion-Year</a>]]></description><link>https://polymath.net/2023/08/links-0056/</link><guid isPermaLink="false">64d0018624c128000162ab1d</guid><category><![CDATA[links]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Justin Blanton]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 06 Aug 2023 21:29:41 GMT</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<img src="https://polymath.net/content/images/2023/08/AsawinTejasakulsin_01.png" alt="AsawinTejasakulsin_01" loading="lazy">
<a href="https://mossandfog.com/imaginative-lego-campaigns-show-the-power-of-bricks/?ref=polymath.net">Imaginative LEGO campaigns.</a> These are just awesome.
<a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/dolphins-and-whales-will-never-evolve-back-into-land-animals/?ref=polymath.net">Dolphins and whales will never evolve back into land animals.</a>
› If you’ve any interest in hominins’ evolution from fish to two-legged mammals, you absolutely cannot miss Neil Shubin’s <a href="https://amzn.to/3ONdNK5?ref=polymath.net">Your Inner Fish: A Journey into the 3.5-Billion-Year History of the Human Body</a>.
<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/08/06/science/space/our-galaxy-is-home-to-trillions-of-worlds-gone-rogue.html?ref=polymath.net">Our galaxy contains trillions of free-floating planets.</a> Astronomers have calculated that rogue free-floating planets—dark, isolated orbs roaming the universe unfettered to any host star—are six times more abundant than planets orbiting stars. They've estimated there are about 20 times more free-floating worlds in our Milky Way than stars 🤯. The scientists have deduced that these planets are probably formed within the disk of gas and dust surrounding an infant star, just like other planet, but then ejected by collisions with other protoplanets.
<a href="https://www.sciencealert.com/exposure-to-certain-fragrances-during-sleep-dramatically-boosts-cognitive-function?utm_source=DamnInteresting">Exposure to certain fragrances during sleep dramatically boosts cognitive function.</a> Researchers discovered that "enriching the air with fragrances improves cognitive performance." Tests carried out on people aged between 60 and 85 revealed that cognitive decline and conditions such as dementia could be slowed with "the diffusion of a different choice of perfumes through the bedroom before bed each night." The results between those exposed to different fragrances varied by 226% when compared to a group exposed to a trace amount of an odorant.
<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2023/06/19/science/fossil-neck-decapitated.html?ref=polymath.net">Fossils show how long-necked reptiles lost their heads.</a> “‘Evolution is a game of trade-offs,’ Dr. Spiekman said. ‘In the long run, the risk of having a long neck was worth it for this animal.’ In other words, sticking your neck out can be worth it for the species — even if you personally get your head bitten off.”
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Quick Links for Sunday, July 9]]></title><description><![CDATA[››› Please find me on Threads <a href="https://threads.net/@jblanton?ref=polymath.net">here</a>. Relatedly, I’ve a thought piece re Threads coming out later this week.
<img src="https://polymath.net/content/images/2023/07/mocycle-inflatable-pants.jpg" alt="mocycle-inflatable-pants" loading="lazy">
<a href="https://www.designboom.com/technology/mocycle-airbag-jeans-inflatable-02-16-2023/?ref=polymath.net">Mo'cycle's airbag jeans inflate to protect the lower body from motorcycle accidents.</a>
› Which celebrity will wear these first around town, fully inflated?]]></description><link>https://polymath.net/2023/07/links-0055/</link><guid isPermaLink="false">64ab654be4a9a30001cc213f</guid><category><![CDATA[links]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Justin Blanton]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 10 Jul 2023 04:03:00 GMT</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[››› Please find me on Threads <a href="https://threads.net/@jblanton?ref=polymath.net">here</a>. Relatedly, I’ve a thought piece re Threads coming out later this week.
<img src="https://polymath.net/content/images/2023/07/mocycle-inflatable-pants.jpg" alt="mocycle-inflatable-pants" loading="lazy">
<a href="https://www.designboom.com/technology/mocycle-airbag-jeans-inflatable-02-16-2023/?ref=polymath.net">Mo'cycle's airbag jeans inflate to protect the lower body from motorcycle accidents.</a>
› Which celebrity will wear these first around town, fully inflated? OK, Kanye, obviously, but who next?
<a href="https://bigthink.com/the-future/muon-navigation-cosmic-ray-gps/?ref=polymath.net">New navigation system works inside and underground—where GPS fails.</a>
› A new navigation system called muometric positioning system (muPS) utilizes subatomic particles called muons to track locations indoors, underground, and underwater, where GPS is ineffective. Instead of relying on satellite signals, muPS requires a receiver and multiple "reference detectors" to triangulate the receiver's location. Currently, the accuracy of muPS ranges from 2 to 25 meters. However, by incorporating chip-scale atomic clocks, the potential exists to achieve real-time measurements with accuracy down to one meter.
<a href="https://fortune.com/2023/07/06/gen-z-millennials-dumping-wealthier-friends-lifestyle-creep/amp/?ref=polymath.net">Gen Z and millennials on a budget say they’re dumping their wealthier friends because they’re afraid of lifestyle creep.</a> “Over a third (36%) of Gen Z and millennials said they have a friend who often leads them to overspend. For many of them, that means racking up debt—and dropping the friends in the process. At a time when both generations feel they’re living paycheck to paycheck, it’s no wonder they’ll do anything to avoid lifestyle creep.”
<a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/yes-airline-flights-are-getting-bumpier-heres-why/?ref=polymath.net">Yes, airline flights are getting bumpier.</a> “Over the past four decades clear-air turbulence has increased by up to 55 percent in various regions around the world. Models predict another 100 to 200 percent increase over the next 30 to 60 years. Each time the thumping arrives, it strikes with no warning.”
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Quick Links for Friday, July 7]]></title><description><![CDATA[<img src="https://polymath.net/content/images/2023/07/heliosphere.gif" alt="heliosphere" loading="lazy">
<a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/scientists-make-best-yet-map-of-solar-systems-interstellar-boundaries/?ref=polymath.net">Scientists make best-yet map of solar system’s interstellar boundaries.</a>
› The heliosphere is a plasma bubble surrounding our solar system, filled with ionized gas that flows along magnetic field lines tied to the sun's rotation. A recent study used Voyager missions' data and satellite observations]]></description><link>https://polymath.net/2023/07/links-0054/</link><guid isPermaLink="false">64a3ee5f9501550001f7c52d</guid><category><![CDATA[links]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Justin Blanton]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Fri, 07 Jul 2023 08:43:28 GMT</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<img src="https://polymath.net/content/images/2023/07/heliosphere.gif" alt="heliosphere" loading="lazy">
<a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/scientists-make-best-yet-map-of-solar-systems-interstellar-boundaries/?ref=polymath.net">Scientists make best-yet map of solar system’s interstellar boundaries.</a>
› The heliosphere is a plasma bubble surrounding our solar system, filled with ionized gas that flows along magnetic field lines tied to the sun's rotation. A recent study used Voyager missions' data and satellite observations to reveal the uneven interstellar magnetic field distribution at the heliosphere's boundary. Pretty fucking cool.
<a href="https://ironicsans.substack.com/p/i-get-no-mail-and-its-glorious?ref=polymath.net">David Friedman gets no mail, and he’s here to help you do the same.</a> “Maybe you’ve seen articles about how to reach this level of postal nirvana before, but never got the motivation to do it. Maybe it seemed too complicated or not worth the effort. It’s true that there’s no single way to opt out of all mail, so it does require a few steps to reach Mailbox Zero. But I’m here to tell you it’s worth it, and I’m going to make it easy for you.”
› I followed this to the letter.
<a href="https://www.sciencefocus.com/news/the-light-from-the-beginning-of-the-universe-didnt-last/?ref=polymath.net">How the first stars split the universe apart.</a> “The thickest fog formed clouds; the densest clouds formed knots. The knots grew heavier, pulling gas into orbit around them, spinning and crashing together with such force that the gas was compressed into ignition. The same gas that sat dormant for countless ages was, in the centre of the tightest cloud, converted back into a nuclear furnace blazing with heat. The first star was born: Cosmic Dawn.”
› What a lovely read from front to back. Don’t skip this one.
<a href="https://www.nature.com/articles/s41467-023-37816-y?ref=polymath.net">Call combinations and compositional processing in wild chimpanzees.</a> “Here, we provide evidence for syntactic-like structuring in chimpanzee communication. Chimpanzees produce “alarm-huus” when surprised and “waa-barks” when potentially recruiting conspecifics during aggression or hunting. Anecdotal data suggested chimpanzees combine these calls specifically when encountering snakes.”
<a href="https://scitechdaily.com/new-insight-into-possible-origins-of-life-for-the-first-time-researchers-create-an-rna-molecule-that-replicates/?ref=polymath.net">Researchers create an RNA molecule that replicates.</a> "Researchers have for the first time been able to create an RNA molecule that replicates, diversifies, and develops complexity, following Darwinian evolution. This has provided the first empirical evidence that simple biological molecules can lead to the emergence of complex lifelike systems."
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Quick Links for Tuesday, June 20]]></title><description><![CDATA[<a href="https://time.com/6286931/how-to-steal-a-masterpiece-advice-from-the-worlds-greatest-art-thief/?ref=polymath.net">How to steal a masterpiece: advice from the world’s greatest art thief.</a> “To master frame removal, Breitwieser became an expert at putting frames on by apprenticing in a high-quality frame shop. To comprehend the degree to which museum guards actually pay attention, he worked as a guard]]></description><link>https://polymath.net/2023/06/links-0053/</link><guid isPermaLink="false">64925de6e907da0001dac418</guid><category><![CDATA[links]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Justin Blanton]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Wed, 21 Jun 2023 02:40:03 GMT</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<a href="https://time.com/6286931/how-to-steal-a-masterpiece-advice-from-the-worlds-greatest-art-thief/?ref=polymath.net">How to steal a masterpiece: advice from the world’s greatest art thief.</a> “To master frame removal, Breitwieser became an expert at putting frames on by apprenticing in a high-quality frame shop. To comprehend the degree to which museum guards actually pay attention, he worked as a guard one summer. Any good thief, he said, should prepare as thoroughly. [...] “Also, it would be best if you did not have any friends or relatives, or need a repair person, because you can never invite anyone into your home.”
<a href="https://retrocomputing.stackexchange.com/questions/25485/what-was-the-original-unix-font?ref=polymath.net">What was the original Unix font?</a> I really enjoyed this hyper-nerdy discussion, though, as expected, there seems to be no definitive answer.
<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tceSuaTbcU8&t=349s&ref=polymath.net">How Michelin Guide awards stars to restaurants.</a>
<a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/podcast/episode/this-gargantuan-bird-weighed-as-much-as-a-sports-car1/?ref=polymath.net">The elephant bird weighed as much as a sports car.</a>
<img src="https://polymath.net/content/images/2023/06/elephant_bird.gif" alt="elephant_bird" loading="lazy">
<a href="https://heartbeat.comet.ml/large-language-models-a-complete-guide-f818397c82d4?ref=polymath.net">Large Language Models: A complete guide.</a>
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Quick Links for Monday, June 12]]></title><description><![CDATA[<img src="https://polymath.net/content/images/2023/06/countless_arms.png" alt="countless_arms" loading="lazy">
<a href="https://news.yahoo.com/bumpy-creature-countless-arms-scooped-143534887.html?ref=polymath.net">New sea star species with countless arms discovered in Africa.</a> The fuck?
<a href="https://bigthink.com/smart-skills/big-words-not-smarter/?ref=polymath.net">The advice for writers is straightforward: Make things easy for your readers, and they will find you brilliant.</a> The first part makes sense, but not sure the second part is <s>a fait accompli</s> guaranteed. (SEE WHAT I DID]]></description><link>https://polymath.net/2023/06/links-0052/</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6487cda42083500001ea0b7a</guid><category><![CDATA[links]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Justin Blanton]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Tue, 13 Jun 2023 02:14:38 GMT</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<img src="https://polymath.net/content/images/2023/06/countless_arms.png" alt="countless_arms" loading="lazy">
<a href="https://news.yahoo.com/bumpy-creature-countless-arms-scooped-143534887.html?ref=polymath.net">New sea star species with countless arms discovered in Africa.</a> The fuck?
<a href="https://bigthink.com/smart-skills/big-words-not-smarter/?ref=polymath.net">The advice for writers is straightforward: Make things easy for your readers, and they will find you brilliant.</a> The first part makes sense, but not sure the second part is <s>a fait accompli</s> guaranteed. (SEE WHAT I DID THERE?! BRILLIANT.)
<a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2022/03/24/science/symmetry-biology-evolution.html?ref=polymath.net">Life’s preference for symmetry “is like a new law of nature.”</a> Researchers analyzed thousands of protein complexes and RNA structures as well as a model network of molecules that control how genes switch on and off. They found that evolution tends toward symmetry because the instructions to produce symmetry are easier to embed in genetic code and follow.
<a href="https://www.inverse.com/science/new-dinosaur-study-debunks-famous-extinction?ref=polymath.net">Dinosaurs were on their way out long before Chicxulub made an appearance on the Yucatán Peninsula in Mexico.</a> The decline in dinosaur populations likely began 76 million years ago during the Campanian period—10 million years before the asteroid. Two factors may have had the most impact on the dinosaur decline: 1) a changing climate (including cooling global temperatures) and 2) the declining diversity of herbivorous dinosaurs.
<a href="https://www.rawstory.com/winnie-the-pooh-school-shooting/?ref=polymath.net">Winnie the Pooh book teaches Texas kids how to survive school shootings.</a> This is fine.
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Quick Links for Sunday, June 11]]></title><description><![CDATA[<img src="https://polymath.net/content/images/2023/06/christ_redeemer.png" alt="christ_redeemer" loading="lazy">
<a href="https://petapixel.com/2023/06/09/photographer-captures-christ-the-redeemer-holding-the-moon/?ref=polymath.net">Photographer captures Christ the Redeemer holding the moon.</a> Wow.
<a href="https://www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/a-day-in-the-life-of-a-woke-third-grade-teacher-as-imagined-by-a-far-right-politician?ref=polymath.net">A day in the life of a woke third-grade teacher, as imagined by a far-right politician.</a> Absolutely fucking brilliant. “We end the day with five minutes of mindfulness, a.k.a. a nod to New Age Wiccan Pagan anti-Christian practices.]]></description><link>https://polymath.net/2023/06/links-0051/</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6484ff8b2083500001ea09d9</guid><category><![CDATA[links]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Justin Blanton]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Sun, 11 Jun 2023 11:54:24 GMT</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<img src="https://polymath.net/content/images/2023/06/christ_redeemer.png" alt="christ_redeemer" loading="lazy">
<a href="https://petapixel.com/2023/06/09/photographer-captures-christ-the-redeemer-holding-the-moon/?ref=polymath.net">Photographer captures Christ the Redeemer holding the moon.</a> Wow.
<a href="https://www.mcsweeneys.net/articles/a-day-in-the-life-of-a-woke-third-grade-teacher-as-imagined-by-a-far-right-politician?ref=polymath.net">A day in the life of a woke third-grade teacher, as imagined by a far-right politician.</a> Absolutely fucking brilliant. “We end the day with five minutes of mindfulness, a.k.a. a nod to New Age Wiccan Pagan anti-Christian practices. During this time, Muslim students are allowed to pray, and atheist students can play with Legos. Christian students are persecuted.”
<a href="https://theconversation.com/who-invented-music-the-search-for-stone-flutes-clay-whistles-and-the-dawn-of-song-185285?ref=polymath.net">Who invented music? The search for stone flutes, clay whistles and the dawn of song.</a>
<a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/soft-electronic-skin-mimics-our-sense-of-touch/?ref=polymath.net">New soft “electronic skin”</a> mimics the same process that causes fingers and limbs to move when poked or scalded. The sensor converts physical changes—such as pressure or changes in temperature—into electrical pulses, which are then relayed to the brain through an artificial synapse.
<a href="https://subtls.pages.dev/?ref=polymath.net">Watch a page fetch itself, byte by byte, over TLS.</a> “This page performs a live, annotated https request for its own source.”
]]></content:encoded></item><item><title><![CDATA[Quick Links for Sunday, June 4]]></title><description><![CDATA[<a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/most-aliens-may-be-artificial-intelligence-not-life-as-we-know-it/?ref=polymath.net">Most aliens may be artificial intelligence.</a> I wrote about this very thing six years ago: <a href="https://polymath.net/2017/09/are-most-alien-intelligences-artificial/">Are most alien intelligences “artificial?”</a>
<a href="https://bjoernkarmann.dk/project/paragraphica?ref=polymath.net">Paragraphica</a> is a “context-to-image camera that uses location data and artificial intelligence to visualize a "photo" of a specific place and moment. The camera exists]]></description><link>https://polymath.net/2023/06/links-0050/</link><guid isPermaLink="false">647d657d72f374000180625b</guid><category><![CDATA[links]]></category><dc:creator><![CDATA[Justin Blanton]]></dc:creator><pubDate>Mon, 05 Jun 2023 04:34:06 GMT</pubDate><content:encoded><![CDATA[<a href="https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/most-aliens-may-be-artificial-intelligence-not-life-as-we-know-it/?ref=polymath.net">Most aliens may be artificial intelligence.</a> I wrote about this very thing six years ago: <a href="https://polymath.net/2017/09/are-most-alien-intelligences-artificial/">Are most alien intelligences “artificial?”</a>
<a href="https://bjoernkarmann.dk/project/paragraphica?ref=polymath.net">Paragraphica</a> is a “context-to-image camera that uses location data and artificial intelligence to visualize a "photo" of a specific place and moment. The camera exists both as a physical prototype and a virtual camera that you can try.” Brilliant.
<a href="https://www.mobilephonemuseum.com/catalogue?ref=polymath.net">The Mobile Phone Museum has over 2600 individual models from more than 250 different brands.</a> I love this! Fun(?) fact: before the iPhone came out in 2007, I bought 3-5 new phones every year, often getting them from overseas (US phones mostly sucked) when they supported US cellular tech; I mean, who doesn’t remember the great CDMA vs. GSM debate of the early naughts?
<a href="https://www.howtogeek.com/880368/where-do-weather-apps-get-their-info-from/?ref=polymath.net">Where do weather apps get their data from?</a> I found this pretty informative.
<a href="https://www.ajournalofmusicalthings.com/you-wont-believe-how-many-songs-are-being-uploaded-to-streaming-music-services-every-day/?ref=polymath.net">An average of 120,000 new songs were uploaded to streaming music services each day in the first quarter of 2023.</a> 🤯
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