Lessons from fire-fighting
+ The wonders of science, and the difficulty of handling kids and artificial intelligence (#422)
This week, we have pandemic prevention as fire-fighting, the wonders of science, an in-depth profile of...um...cardboard. And the difficulty of handling kids and artificial intelligence (in separate articles, that is). Let's dive in...
1. Pandemic prevention as fire-fighting
Fires used to be massive, entire parts of cities could burn down, numerous cities around the world have one — or more — historical events called «The Great Fire». That no longer happens. Because we've gotten smart about fighting fires. This very interesting article ponders how the key strategies to mitigate fire risk — prevention, detection, passive protection, and active protection — can be applied to something much more dangerous: pandemics.
![](https://www.worksinprogress.co/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/british-library-K1sovnK_WZs-unsplash-scaled.jpg)
2. Ten people who helped shape science in 2022
Admittedly, I know just one of them — which makes this list all the more inspiring to read through. From outer space to climate to human organs, it's always amazing what humans are capable of inventing and discovering.
![](https://www.nature.com/immersive/d41586-022-04185-3/assets/zoXNHHPaH9/natures-10-sm-2132x1200.jpg)
3. Why We Long for the Most Difficult Days of Parenthood
I'm not sure how valuable this article is for people without kids, but as a parent to two small kids, this felt extremely relatable. «There’s no sense in trying to cherish every moment of early parenting as it happens [...] Too much is going on, and much of it isn’t enjoyable. But keep an eye out for the precious moments amid the tumult and chaos [...] Collect them like gems, so that when your arms are finally free and your eyes are a little clearer, you can turn them over in your hand.»
![](https://cdn.theatlantic.com/thumbor/Sj-5BqGxxUL7-Y6WbFXtHPUw7l8=/0x842:2160x1967/1200x625/media/img/mt/2022/10/Nostalgic_Parenting_Anderson/original.jpg)