Kickoff For April 24, 2023
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.
Let’s get this Monday started with these links:
How the Tiniest of Particles Helped Build the Modern World, wherein Suzie Sheehy outlines how physicists have come to understand that makes up the universe — via a combination of theory and experimentation.
What it takes to build a balloon for 100,000ft, wherein we learn about the advancements in the last three decades around balloon technology, and why they’re an attractive option to launching rockets or high-altitude aircraft.
Hyperconnected Culture And Its Discontents, wherein Rogers Brubaker argues that the cultural circulation of content is out of our hands and in the hands of algorithms, and concentrates more power with the firms that control those algorithms.
The World-Changing Race to Develop the Quantum Computer, wherein we’re introduced to the theories behind the next stage of evolution of computing, learn why companies and governments are trying to make it a reality, and discover just how difficult it is to create a viable quantum computer.
What Were We Thinking?, wherein George Scialabba examines the current economic inequalities in American society and how that situation came about.
I Don’t Want to Be an Internet Person, wherein Ginevra Davis recounts meeting several fringe online personalities, and muses that being like them isn’t worth the effort.
The Open Secret of Google Search, wherein Charlie Warzel decries how results from the tech giant’s search engine have been hijacked by ads and by useless keyword-laden content, and ponders why that’s happened.
Personal Growth, wherein Marina Benjamin reflects on her childhood, her parents, and how fickle human memory can be.
The Controversial King of Hardcore Climbing, wherein we’re introduced to Nims Purja, a record-breaking Nepalese mountaineer, and his controversial aim to remake the Himalayan guiding industry in his own image.
And that’s it for this Monday. Come back in seven days for another set of links to start off your week.