Kickoff For May 24, 2021
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:
History
The missing continent it took 375 years to find, wherein we learn why it took so long to discover the continent of Zealandia.
The buried ship found on an English estate, wherein we learn how the discovery of an ancient ship in an English burial mound changed how we look at Dark Age Anglo Saxons and how it changed the face of archaeology in England.
The Once-Classified Tale of Juanita Moody, wherein we learn a bit about how one NSA officer, who insisted on adopting and using the latest technology, helped transform the way in which intelligence is gathered, analyzed, and published.
Business and Economics
Inside the Cryptocurrency Casino, wherein Andrew Ancheta looks at how digital currencies are going mainstream and argues that they won’t reform the banking system, or correct the over-concentration of wealth and power.
A booming industry based entirely on missed calls helped bring India online — and vanished overnight, wherein we learn about the Indian company ZipDial, which took advantage of Indians’ habit of hanging up their mobile phones swiftly (to save money) to create a lucrative business.
The changing climate of risk, wherein we learn that government bonds, which are considered safe investments, could be riskier than we think thanks to climate change.
Productivity
The Guilt of Not Working More, When We’re Done for the Day, wherein Leo Babauta reminds us of the dangers of being on the productivity treadmill and offers advice for avoiding the guilt of not constantly working.
The power of simplicity: how to manage our complexity bias, wherein Anne-Laure Le Cunff looks at why people embrace complex solutions and why that’s not always a good thing.
The Rise and Fall of Getting Things Done, wherein Cal Newport explores how GTD became popular and we learn that productivity systems don’t necessarily make us more productive.
And that’s it for this Monday. Come back in seven days for another set of links to start off your week.