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2,048 readings · 481–492

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The Future Abyss of Technological Power

A Day in 2035* In a lab near Zurich, a swarm of nanobots meant to clean oil spills escapes containment. Instead, they devour everything carbon-based—plastic, rubber, even concrete. Highways crumble, power grids fail,…

Original article

Is Technology a Gift or a Curse?

The Age of the Machine You can be living in the worst area in a city, but with a laptop and an internet connection, you can go anywhere. The day will come when the geographic space we occupy will have no bearing at…

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The Good Gut Summary (7/10)

T*he Good Gut* by Justin Sonnenburg is about the human microbiome, what it is, why it is important, and what we can do to keep it healthy.

Original article

The Hard Thing about Hard Choices

We all need to make big decisions. It might involve our career or relationship or location or tweet. And usually – when we make these decisions – we do our best to think rationally. But what does it mean to think…

Book summary

The Theory of Ideas (A History of Western Philosophy)

Until philosophers are kings, or the kings and princes of this world have the spirit and power of philosophy, and political greatnessand wisdom meet in one, and those commoner natures who pursue either to the…

Newsletter

The Shaping of Europe

In World Order, Henry Kissinger chronicles three monumental events that forever altered Europe’s landscape: the Peace of Westphalia, the French Revolution, and the Treaty of Versailles. Each event remade Europe’s…

Original article

Voltaire (Dominion)

But Voltaire – baptized into the Catholic Church and educated by the Jesuits, whom he publicly lambasted as power-hungry pedophiles, but privately saluted for their learning – did not take up the cause out of any…

Book summary

The Inevitable Summary (8/10)

In his book, “The Inevitable,” Kevin Kelly explores the 12 forces that will shape the next 30 years of our digital lives. In this summary, we’ll explore each of these forces and what they mean for the future.

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