Kickoff For November 5, 2018
Welcome to this week’s edition of the Monday Kickoff, a collection of what I’ve found interesting, informative, and insightful on the web over the last seven days.
It’s hard to believe another month has rolled around. Maybe it’s true that time does move faster the older you get. But as time passes, there’s also more interesting material to read out there. And, sadly, less time in which to read it …
Let’s get this Monday started with these links:
Ideas
The Known Known, wherein we get another entry from the what’s new is old again files, this time examining how threats to privacy have always been with us.
In Praise of Spacing Out, wherein we learn that we can’t, and shouldn’t, maintain a constant state of mindfulness, and why slipping into the occasional reverie can be beneficial.
The Psychology Behind Why Clowns Creep Us Out, wherein Frank T. McAndrew discusses his research into why people are, and have long been, uncomfortable (or worse) around clowns.
Productivity
Productivity, wherein Sam Altman shares some simple but effective tips and tricks he uses to get his work done.
The Complete Guide to Increasing Your Focus, wherein Scott H. Young walks us through a training program that can help us eliminate distractions and teach us to put all our attention into what we’re doing.
Read less. Learn more., wherein we’re told that a combination of slow reading, reading in depth, and focus can help us retain more of what we read and help us apply it to our lives.
Odds and Ends
Descend Into Great Britain’s Network of Secret Nuclear Bunkers, wherein we get a peek into some Cold War era bunkers in the UK, all lovingly restored, and learn about what they were for and the conditions the people who would be in them could expect when the bombs started dropping.
I Listen to 35 Hours of Podcasts Every Week. Is That … Bad?, wherein Sirena Bergman looks at whether or not inundating our brains with podcasts is beneficial, and discovers that it might not be.
Wikipedia has resisted information warfare, but could it fight off a proper attack?, wherein Carl Miller explores how a state-backed effort could subvert Wikipedia in the so-called information wars by using the site’s reputation system and by taking advantage of its openness.
And that’s it for this Monday. Come back in seven days for another set of links to start off your week.