The kids are alr-AI-ght

Milestone unlocked: Three thousand! That's the total number of recommended links that we're crossing with this issue. That's three thousand of the most interesting things on the web, hand-picked from 2011 until today, week in, week out.

And all of them are there for you to explore in the Weekly Filet treasure trove. You can:

• search for a keyword, a person or a country you're interested in,
• browse the thematic collections I've created over the years,
• or try your luck with the gem shuffle for a random pick.
  

Have fun with the archive, dive into this week's recommendations and join me in looking forward to the next 3000 (maybe). It's great to have you.

1. I’m a father of three who studies the impact of artificial intelligence: this is what parents need to know about AI

My kids are growing up with AI the same way I grew up with personal computers. It's a bit exciting at first, but mostly it's just a perfectly normal part of life. «This is the water in which the next generation will swim», as Daniel Susskind puts it. In his article, he makes the case for embracing AI, in a measured way. «We are letting them down if we prepare them for the world that we grew up in, not the one they will actually inhabit.» The key quote for me is where he writes about the skills we should teach kids:

We should be realistic and revolutionary, adopting this tried-and-tested principle – what I call “teach both, test both” – for AI now. Every subject, from history to English literature, should be divided in two: teach students to use AI in one part, teach students to flourish without it in the other – and, crucially, examine both.

Good read that makes me want to pick up Susskind's book, «What Should My Children Do?»

I’m a father of three who studies the impact of artificial intelligence: this is what parents need to know about AI

A Dr Seuss-style story written in seconds alerted me to the power – and perils – of the technology. But how can children embrace it without forgetting core skills?

The GuardianDaniel Susskind

2. I read the new UN climate report so you don’t have to.

A new UN report makes clear that the Paris climate target of limiting global warming to 1.5°C is now out of reach, and that all our ambitions must focus on «limiting overshoot». Also: «There are no benign scenarios with global temperature rise above 1.5°C.» Ayana Elizabeth Johnson offers a good overview of the key points of the report and what positives we can take away from it.

I read the new UN climate report so you don’t have to.

TL;DR they are calling for radical transformation of our society.

WHAT IF WE GET IT RIGHT?Ayana Elizabeth Johnson

3. What Was the War on Terror?

Today marks the 25th anniversary of 9/11, the defining global event of my generation, when «terrorists hijacked not just airplanes but also the direction of U.S. foreign policy.» This essay reflects on the «war on terror» that followed – a war that was many wars; a war that cost lives, liberties and many trillions; a war that somehow ended but is felt to this day.

What Was the War on Terror?

A quarter century of fear and fantasy.

Foreign Affairs MagazinePhilip H. Gordon

Three outstanding 9/11 pieces from the Weekly Filet archive: 60 Words And A War Without End: The Untold Story Of The Most Dangerous Sentence In U.S. History (2014), The Worst Day Of My Life Is Now New York’s Hottest Tourist Attraction (2014), An Oral History of The Onion’s 9/11 Issue (2020)

4. Can humans learn to hibernate?

Scientists are trying to figure out what it would take for humans to hibernate, or at least how similar states could be medically induced. Fascinating new episode of Howtown on the research and how we would benefit from hibernation.

Can humans learn to hibernate?

Bekijk je favoriete video’s, luister naar de muziek die je leuk vindt, upload originele content en deel alles met vrienden, familie en anderen op YouTube.

YouTubeHowtown

5. What Your Noise-Cancelling Headphones Can and Can’t Do

Interesting short explainer on why your headphones can cancel out jet engines but not screaming kids or talkative co-workers.

Dataguessr of the week

Update your knowledge of the world. One quiz at a time. This week:

What else?

Instant-gratification links that make you go wow! or aha! the moment you click.

• The UN is now recommending the use of a new world map that accurately reflects countries' size. Wanna guess the only country that voted against it?
• Related: still a very cool and aha-moment-generating tool: The True Size Of...
• This short trailer looks like it's specifically made to produce a million memes.
• What the internet was made for: Users clicked on a virtual egg 9,285,219 times until it broke – to reveal a $70 gift card.
• Fun geography game: Name cities, claim regions, the more populous, the better. Homeground.
• A short round of applause for Vanuatu's consistency in naming its provinces.

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.

It was an eye-opener in 2019, and it's no less relevant today. The key message: things are worse that you might think. Two degrees warming is not a worst-case scenario, but more likely a best-case scenario. The second key learning from this book is the sheer breadth and magnitude of effects climate change will have, far beyond the obvious ones like heat and sea-level rise. Buy it here.

That's it for this week. Thanks for reading. I wish you a nice weekend and hope to see you again next Friday!

— David

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