Thursday Thoughts - 02/23/2023
Here are my Thursday Thoughts, a short list of the most interesting things that I’ve read, heard, and/or watched over the past week.
What I Read:
On Taxis
1/ On Taxis
— 6529 (@punk6529) February 16, 2023
Or how the world is centralizing all around you, but why you, fellow citizen, have probably not thought about it at all.
(NYC, 2007 below) pic.twitter.com/1BLTE7uU0R
This Twitter thread does an excellent job explaining the importance of decentralization. Punk6529 uses a clever example with yellow taxi cabs and Uber to crystalize the concept.
I never thought of Uber as bad for society before reading this. Yes, they were bad if you were a taxi operator. But it made getting car rides cheaper and more convenient. It also offered an additional income stream to many. Overall, I thought it was a net positive.
But the important point of centralization changed my mind. I am not convinced that one company should have all the control over a common good.
The Seven Most Common Ways Runners Get Injured and How to Avoid Them
This article is timely as I just completed the Great Aloha Run this past week. I also signed up for a half marathon in April. I am currently preparing for the race by upping my running. But I want to do not get injured along the way. So I plan to follow the advice of adding an extra day of running before focusing on pace and duration.
Stories of Your Life and Others
Stories of Your Life and Others is a collection of short sci-fi stories by Ted Chiang. They could filled an entire season of Black Mirror with the stories in this book.
My favorite stories in this collection were:
- Story of Your Life
This story frames an alien encounter through the lens of language development. The story unfolds with the narrator telling stories from different time periods in her life. I didn’t get the plot device until two thirds through the story. It blew my mind when I figured it out.
- Liking What You See: A Documentary
This story centers around a new technology that removes the ability to discern beauty. One college is deciding whether to enforce the use of this technology on its student body. The short is framed through interviews with various students, facility, and organization leaders. This was a great way to explore the varying benefits and consequences of this technology.
What I’m Pondering:
“I am not afraid of an army of lions led by a sheep; I am afraid of an army of sheep led by a lion.”
Alexander the Great (h/t gapingvoid.com)