MNTS #20
[Week 39/ Year 2023] Making the Abstract Material, Karlsson, Caro, Writing Advice, Musk, Testosterone, Prompting, De La Soul, Wes Anderson, Rattler
Mainly, Notes To Self - my weekly attempt to compress everything noteworthy I read, watched, listened to, and discovered during the past week.
New Posts
Making the Abstract Material
Last week’s meta-analysis on writer’s block got my wheels turning on how I could make strides toward conquering it. So it served its purpose. I had been attempting to clear this creative hurdle for far too long, and I finally broke through with a legitimate solution. I’ve longed for the ability to write regularly and continuously improve the quality, bu…
Reading
put me on to Henrik Karlsson this week, and I’ve been devouring his backlog. The three below are free and articulate much of what I aim for with my writing and parenting.If you have figured out something that made you ecstatic, this is what you should write. And you do not dumb it down, because you were not stupid six months ago, you just knew less. You also write with as much useful detail and beauty as you can muster, because that is what you would have wanted.
Do we want to narrow it down today and focus only on the most important topics? Or are we stuck climbing a low hill and so want to roam widely? What is the optimal amount of randomness?
Childhoods of exceptional people
A lot of it does not require sacrifices, though. It is just a way of viewing children: as capable of competence, as craving meaningful work, as worthy to be included in serious discussions. We can learn to view them like that, but it is a subtle and profound shift in perception, a shift away from the way we are taught to view children. When I read the biographies, it feels a little bit like getting new peers. Their way of being works on me. Gradually, I raise my aspirations.
Note-taking Lessons From America’s Greatest Biographer - big note to self guy, obvi.
Strange lights spotted in Morocco earthquake videos may be a phenomenon reported for centuries, scientists say - just super interesting.
SITALWeek #410 - adding this to my prompt menu
DeepMind has discovered that when you ask an LLM, like Google’s PaLM 2, to take a deep breath before answering, it improves its scores on a grade school math test from 34% to 72%. The prompt was optimized by allowing a second LLM to iterate and discover the prompt that produced the best results.
Testocalypse - one major contributor he left off the reasonably comprehensive list is chronically low vitamin D levels. Get some sun on your skin, folks.
..the disappearance of testosterone isn’t only about the disappearance of “manliness”: it’s about the disappearance of vitality, competence, and human flourishing.
The Only Writing Advice I’d Ever Give
Not every venture will fail, but every venture has an absolute chance of failing absolutely. The real question is whether or not that is what’s going to discourage you.
Writing is guaranteed to be blemished with criticism and misunderstanding. Expect to be wrong and humbled. The idea of doom scares all of us, but is that enough to stop you? If we can’t be immune to the attack of the unknown unknowns, if we can’t prevent unpreventable mistakes, then the best we can do is stomach it…otherwise, don’t try at all.
If your curiosity outweighs your discomfort around risk, write. If the worth of broadcasting your ideas to the world is heavier than the burden of doubt, write. Otherwise, you’re better off doing other things.
The Idiot Index: How SpaceX Cuts Costs and Improves Efficiency
The Idiot Index is a concept devised by Musk to generate cheaper components for SpaceX’s rockets. It measures the ratio of a component’s total cost to the cost of its raw materials. If a component has a high idiot index, meaning it is significantly more costly than its basic materials, it suggests that the design or manufacturing process is inefficient.
A Case for Standardized Buildings - OK, but make the fronts (trim, paint colors, and non-structural details) highly varied. Ideally, so much so that they appear to be individual residences with soul/personality.
Great Artists Steal (With LLMs) - If LLMs are viewed as another tool to express creativity, they are magical.
I was standing in line for lunch at a salad spot near my apartment when ChatGPT gave me the suggestion, and I almost screamed, “I KNOW HOW TO WRITE IT” in front of the unsuspecting lettuce lovers arrayed around me. I don’t think my shoes touched the sidewalk as I glided back to my apartment, ideas burning up in my head, Cobb salad in hand.
Listening
Big mood this week.
Watching
If you are paying attention, you may have noticed some nods to Wes Anderson’s aesthetic in the design of this site. I haven’t watched it, but the trailer is beautiful. Very excited about this.
Random
Came across a healthy rattler on my weekly gravel ride.
Until next week.
Stay spirited, stay resilient.
Andrew
"..the disappearance of testosterone isn’t only about the disappearance of “manliness”: it’s about the disappearance of vitality, competence, and human flourishing."
Indeed, many modern dudes think testosterone is something only bros should care about. Hilarious how they avoid any "T" conversation to avoid being a bro, when it's a vital hormone one should optimize for overall well being. I find it important enough that I have a daily testosterone supp stack.
"A Case for Standardized Buildings - OK, but make the fronts (trim, paint colors, and non-structural details) highly varied. Ideally, so much so that they appear to be individual residences with soul/personality."
Despite what the author said about standardization not at odds with beauty...beauty would be at odds with standardization. See the proposed architecture they created, dystopian and ugly: https://uploads-ssl.webflow.com/6023ce7f6b89a3744350a829/629036ce227f72b2d1fd38fe_Philadelphia%20Facades.jpg
Rant: Prioritizing efficiency over aesthetic beauty risks creating dull, sterile architecture that lose value quickly once they no longer serve the practical purpose. Imo, architecture should aim for timeless quality through attention to beauty, craft and place. Investing in beauty creates communities with structures that remain engaging for generations, rather than disposable housing focused merely on present needs.
Standardization focusing on utility may boost supply temporarily but fail to build neighborhoods with architectural merit that stands the test of time.
This architecture firm is aiming for standardized efficiency on behalf of developers? Their incentives may not necessarily coincide with ours. They're optimizing for maximum output for minimum input, good for business, bad for communities and the people imho.