A deep dive into waste streams
+ A podcast for fans for Black Mirror, a guide to privacy, and 12 questions about life. (#456)
Ready? Go!
1. Credit card debt collection
An unexpected highlight. A deep dive into the business of debt collection. It starts with the premise that «an interesting lens for understanding how industries work is looking at their waste streams». Debt, most of it small amounts from ordinary people, is the waste stream of the financial industry.
2. A New Covid Shot for a New Covid Era
Covid has completely vanished from public debates, it's like we're trying to make it go away by pretending it's gone already. And yet, more and more people are getting sick again. The US has just issued a new recommendation for annual vaccinations for everyone. What's the state of things? Listening to The Daily for a good 20 minutes will give you a good understanding.
3. The Atlantic's Guide to Privacy
Think concretely. Share narrowly. Don't panic. These are the three basic rules from this helpful guide on privacy in the digital age, compiled by The Atlantic. From there, it let's you pick what's important to you — from «I’m worried about protecting my children’s online privacy» to «I want to help create a more private world» — to provide more tailored advice.
4. Ad Lucem
If you like Black Mirror, this fiction podcast is for you. A dark tale from the near future, very high production quality. Seven of nine episodes are available already. If you can resist binging and instead pace yourself a bit, the remaining two will be ready when you get there.
5. 12 Questions About Life
An interactive book on «the great coincidence of how you became you, and who that is anyways.» I won't say much more, in order not to spoil anything. Give it a go, it takes less than 5 minutes (unless you start overthinking, which you might).
What else?
- This cartoon made me laugh out...silently.
- Need some new books recs? The best non-fiction of 2023.
- Onepage, a magazine in the shape of a poster.
- New album by Explosions in the Sky, out today.
- AI is blurring any sense of mediated reality before our very eyes. English speaking person on video automatically turned into French and German speaking person with properly synched lips. (And obviously, when the software can translate it can also make stuff up and sync your lips to make it appear real)
- «Everybody is identical in their secret unspoken belief that way deep down they are different from everyone else.» — David Foster Wallace
The Future of...Evolution
DNA unwinds,
Code adapts, pixels arise—
Flesh and data blend.
A gem from the archive
A thrilling crime story in four parts, beautifully illustrated. Could the sex life of plants help solve a murder?
Thanks for reading. I wish you a nice weekend and hope to see you again next Friday!
— David 👋
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