Why attack Iran?
Plus: A game to test if you can still outsmart the machine (#565)
Before we begin, I have a little brainteaser for you. I have built a new game, with a simple challenge: Can you outsmart the machine? Give it a try, I'd love to hear what you think.
And with that, this week's recommendations, to help you make sense of what’s happening, and imagine what could be. It's great to have you.
1. Why Attack Iran?
So, the Fifa Peace Prize winner has, in his never-ending pursuit of the Nobel Peace Prize, launched another war. Already, almost all countries in the Middle East have been drawn into this conflict in one way or another. What for? Timothy Snyder offers two frameworks to think about the motives behind the war. Both are bleak. 1. war abroad as a mechanism to destroy democracy at home; or 2. personal corruption by the president of the United States.
Timothy Snyder
2. On Joy and Resistance
Wonderful short essay on joy as an act of resistance. I need to quote this in full: «An ice skating performance at the Olympics may not seem like much in the ever-lengthening shadow of fascism, but it is a reminder that change is possible, that our lives are worth fighting for, that freedom is achievable, and that joy—real joy, the kind of joy that you want to surround yourself with and bask in its transformative glow—is one of the most radical things there is.»
3. Bombing Iran Is Easy. What Comes Next Is Not.
I can't remember where I read it, but when the US attacked Venezuela in early January, one commentator put it like this: Trump does not like war. What he does like is the spectacle of attacks. Go in and capture Maduro, that's spectacle. Launch precision attacks on Iran's leadership and kill their Supreme Leader, that's spectacle. A show of force. This is where this piece by a former US army commander comes in. Key quote: «Make no mistake, this tactical excellence should not be mistaken for strategic clarity.» Venezuela was over quickly, this one might not.
Mark Hertling
4. There Are Four Ways To Lie
A fascinating deep dive into the animal kingdom's many ways of deception, and an exploration of why none of them meet the threshold of a uniquely human skill: telling lies.
5. AI Is Getting Scary Good at Making Predictions
It's obviously no news that artificial intelligence is quickly becoming very good at things we thought were hard to crack not too long ago. Still, one area I somehow did not have on my radar: making predictions about future events. Turns out AI is already up there with the best human superforecasters.
Ross Andersen
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.
- Sunrise Session III by Ólafur Arnalds
- Nailed it. Does Your Country Need Regime Change? A Quiz
- Some interesting answers here: What’s a “boring” skill that secretly gives someone a huge advantage in life? My first instinct was: generational wealth.
- The Dolomites doing what they do best – look awesome: Grandeur of the Italian Alps.
- Some fun experimental ways to learn bits of new languages: Little Language Lessons
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.
A lot of actionable advice on how to speak in front of an audience, no matter how big or small. Buy it here.
A gem from the archive
David Bauer
The Weekly Filet archive offers more than 2800 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