The beginning of the end
Plus: What pork buns teach us about empathy. (#593)
This is David, your decidedly human web crawler, and you're reading the Weekly Filet, the newsletter for curious minds who love it when something makes them go «Huh, I never thought of it this way!». As every Friday, I'm here to help you make sense of what’s happening, and imagine what could be. It's great to have you.
1. The Beginning of the End for Trump
«He no longer defines our time. A new era begins.» He still has two more years to cause damage, but the checks and balances are back in place. And how back they are! When Biden won in 2020, it was too close for relief. This time feels different. Voters deep in red states have seen enough. «Voters said no to the corruption and self-dealing of the Trump era. Voters said no to the Trump era’s incompetence. Voters also said no to what might be the Trump era’s defining characteristic: gratuitous cruelty.» Here's hoping it lasts. I, for one, as a European, really look forward to a future where I don't need to develop an interest in Senate races in Texas, Michigan and Mississippi. These should not matter so much for the world.
2. On Japan’s Shinkansen trains, pork buns split reality in two
You can't write a better lede than that: «If eating on a public train gets seen as an act of terrorism, insights from olfactory genetics can pave the way for empathy.» It's a really interesting article, too. With lessons that go well beyond Japanese pork buns: shared space doesn't mean shared perception. And we have a harmful tendency to let the less-affected person decide what counts as a reasonable reaction.
Yusuke Fujioka
3. She’s Been to Gaza. She Met With the Iranians. Now She Has a Warning.
An interview with Mirjana Spoljaric, the head of the International Committee of the Red Cross. The one answer that gave me the most pause – asked whether we are approaching a third world war, she says: «Honestly, history will judge that. History books will tell us whether today we were already in the beginning, or maybe already in the middle of such a situation. The [Red Cross] didn’t know that we were in the Second World War when it was happening.»
4. The people holding up the internet
I bet you've never heard of Paul Eggert. And yet, if he stopped doing what he's doing in his spare time, you'd notice immediately. He is one of a number of people who keep core internet infrastructure working that probably shouldn't rely on individuals doing it alone, for free?! Nonetheless, they deserve this ode.
5. Another Podcast: Anthropic
It will be the largest IPO in history, and a major test for the AI bubble. Anthropic, the company behind large language model Claude, will soon go public. What to make of it? Is there a valid case to be made that it should be one of the most valuable companies in the world? And where could it all go wrong? Benedikt Evans is the analyst worth listening to here.
Dataguessr of the week
Update your knowledge of the world. One quiz at a time. This week:
| 🌍 Which countries deliver long, happy lives most sustainably? |
What else?
Instant-gratification links that make you go wow! or aha! the moment you click.
- Fascinating look at the human body: yourinsides.com
- A map of all the languages in the world. 60% of them are endangered.
- If you know the meme, you'll appreciate this NYC marathon sign as much as I did.
- Funny 'cause it's true.
- Striking visualisation that shows how much more daylight you get in summer.
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.
The case for a more radical climate movement. Thought-provoking, and maybe just what you need ahead of this year's climate conference COP31 that starts on Monday. Buy it here.
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That's it for this week. Thanks for reading. I wish you a nice weekend and hope to see you again next Friday!
— David
Little useful apps from me, for you
🇸🇨 Flag Buddy, a learning game for kids. Outsmart, a strategy game, you against the machine. 🌍 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. And ⏱️ One Minute Challenge, a little meaningful distraction to refocus.