Read this before you die
Plus: How one snail inspired two novels on two continents. (#547)
This is David, your trusted human web crawler, and you're reading the Weekly Filet, the newsletter for curious minds who love when something makes them go «Huh, I never thought of it this way!». As every Friday, my recommendations to help you make sense of what’s happening, and imagine what could be. Enjoy!
1. 10 questions to answer before you die
One day after I had read this and had earmarked it for the newsletter, I learned that a colleague of mine, barely older than myself, had died unexpectedly. A terrible reminder that it's never too early to prepare. Quite likely, none of these ten questions will be new to you. And yet chances are, you haven't found answers and made arrangements for all of them – I know I haven't. While some only take a few clicks, others require time and mental space – both of which I'm not overly keen on spending on contemplating my own death. But one day, it will be too late.
Maura McInerney-Rowley
2. The Electric Slide
One beast of an article (my reading app says 2 hours and 34 minutes), but you'll take away some «Huh, I never thought of it that way!» moments from reading the introduction alone – so I highly recommend you at least do that. The author argues that we might be looking at the race for AI dominance all wrong. Yes, the US is leading the race in building artificial intelligence. But what if the intelligence part won't matter all that much – and instead it will be all about the electric hardware stack, where China is far ahead of everyone else?
Packy McCormick
3. Has Trump Brought Peace to Gaza?
It was obviously absurd to even consider Donald Trump as a potential recipient of the Nobel Peace Prize. However, with a ceasefire and peace plan in effect, you might still have wondered in how far Trump deserves credit for bringing peace to Gaza. I found this analysis illuminating. The argument: Yes, Trump was uniquely positioned to force a peace agreement – for all the worst reasons («the bond of authoritarianism and corruption»). For now, let's take it («He can do it. He is doing it. And I’m glad he’s doing it.»).
Josh Marshall
4. How One Snail Inspired Two Novels on Two Different Continents
What a beautiful conversation. Six years ago, Ed Yong wrote a story about the life and death of a snail. An endling, that's the term for the last surviving member of a species. That story inspired two women, unbeknownst to one another, to write novels, both with the same title: Endling. Here, they meet for the first time.
Maria Reva
5. America Needs a Mass Movement—Now
It's not too late. But it sure feels like tipping points are scary close. What will stop America from sinking into autocracy?
David Brooks
What else?
Instant-gratification links that make you go wow! or aha! the moment you click.
- Test your guesstimating skills with this Fermi Questions quiz.
- One commenter wrote: «Every time I hear David Attenborough's voice, it feels like the Earth itself is speaking.» – 1 Hour of Incredible Animals by BBC Earth.
- «Still hard to believe that access to infinite information made us dumber» (from here)
- The art of throwing a baseball in one short looped video.
- Separating proven and effective climate solutions from magical thinking – the Drawdown Explorer is a must-know resource.
- Why tattoos should make you more employable.
Books for curious minds
Some new ones as I read them, some older ones that continue to inform how I look at the world and myself.
Complex models, boiled down to two major scenarios, and a roadmap for achieving «The Giant Leap» rather than «Too Little, Too Late». Key insight: Fighting the climate crisis means fighting inequality. Buy it here.
A gem from the archive
David Bauer
The Weekly Filet archive offers more than 2500 hand-picked links since 2011, like this one. You can search by interests, explore collections or shuffle for a gem.
That's it for this week. Thanks for reading. I wish you a nice weekend and hope to see you again next Friday!
— David
More ways to learn and take inspiration from
Check my 📚 digital bookshelf, with sections of 🌡️ books that help you make sense of the climate crisis, ⛵ books that make you a better product manager, 🪄 books that help you make sense of AI, and 🧒 books that help you as a parent. And from collecting the best links on the web for close to 15 years, my thematic collections: The Art of Thinking (Differently), The Stuff Our Modern World Runs On, Bingeworthy Podcasts, and more.
Little useful apps from me, for you
📊 Dataguessr, a playful way to update your knowledge of the world. 🌍 You Don't Know Africa, a simple game that has already humbled millions of people. 💯 Choose Impact, an online tool to compare job opportunities. 🧭 Priority Compass, a tool for individuals, teams and organisations to focus your energy on what really matters. 🪄 How I Use AI, a collection of use cases, ready to use and adapt. 💬 Climate Questions, a playful conversation starter. And ⏱️ One Minute Challenge, a little meaningful distraction to refocus.