Keeping the slivers and nuggets

The internet can be horrific and wonderful in the same hour. For me, there is so much juicy content that I’ll put up with a few downsides.

I’m going to try and do this every week, so I don’t forget the Wonder I experienced when panning for gold in the river of internet.

A standout Essay

For me this week, A theory of my own mind was a standout.

This article explores a symmetry between how we so others and how we see ourselves.

An indicative quote from the article “These results suggest that a simple route for improving self-awareness is to take a third-person perspective on ourselves. In a similar way, literary novels (and soap operas) encourage us to think about the minds of others, and in turn might shed light on our own lives.”

Reading this article let to me taking a dive into material that has influential in my own beliefs/theory of mind I dragged myself out of bed

Firstly, let me point at a few existing articles from this week.

Top of the Podverse

I just looked at my podcast history. It’s less extreme than it used to be. I’ve been described as a Podmonster by my community poddies at fishburners.org - my earphones are Always On while walking or doing autonomic tasks.

There are existing articles for the two standouts:

Travis Oliphant (Numpy Scipy) on the Lex Fridman podcast and The Gray Lady Winked

For meditators and those interested internal inquiry,

I’d recommend When Meditation Goes Wrong on The Daily Evolver. Jeff discusses some of the dark sides of traditional practices in a modern context. Dan Lawton, the guest, wrote this essay that led to the interview.

A panel of psychologists and sociologists at the

Royal Institute This is as mainstream as anything you’ll find. While not being explicitly unkind to fringe thinkers, I note that there was little reference to the Wild West nature of internet ‘news’ nor the loss of trust in Institutions including media, governments and commercialised Universities.

Still, this content should suit those attracted to Hard Categories and narratives that encourage Exceptionalism.

My reactions to this podcast is leading me into the content and references in Social Sciences concepts of Identity

As we mourn the passing of

Michael K Williams , the folks at The Wire Stripped created a wonderful reflection on life, the art and the work of the actor who gave us Omar

The Giving Experiment

.. is one of those stories you might never hear about without a fringe-ish podcast. In this case, it’s Chris Rynan’s most recent Tangentially Speaking Episode 494 , where you’ll hear from Christina And Owen becoming mortified as their 5 children grew emotionally disconnected from the suffering and struggle in the world.

The courage expressed by these people will lift you. Check out The Giving Experiment if you don’t have time for the pod. (I would make time for this and recommend same.)

Miscellanea

Weird and Wonderful nature

This week, whilst reading about Bioluminescence, a Rabbit-Hole led me to Viral Shunt and the role it plays on role it plays the Carbon, Nitrogen and Iron cycles.

Another fine thought about interdependent life that arises. Ocean bourne virus, if lined up end to end, would measure 200 light years Vincent Racaniello reference .

No viral shunt, no food web. The etymology of virus borrows from the Greek ios (poison), and first referred to in Bailey’s dictionary in the 1770s

This feels like a good point to end today’s write up - with a thought for today.

A virus is not really alive. Without virus (plural), no food chain, no oxygen.

Very funny application of a Poison word label.