Kickoff For June 19, 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:
The problem with Japanese homes, wherein we learn why many modern Japanese homes have a lifespan of around 30 years, and how that’s slowly starting to change.
Lies We Tell Ourselves About Economics, wherein Charles Blahous examines how we deceive ourselves about what we pay versus what we want to pay — for consumer goods and for government services.
Borges and $: The Parable of the Literary Master and the Coin, wherein Elizabeth Hyde Stevens looks at how financial patronage — from family and other sources — helped the great Argentine writer focus on his craft and hone and develop it into art.
Where Did Mars’ Moons Come From?, wherein we learn about two missions to study the Red Planet’s twin satellites, and that discovering how the moons formed is really fundamental to us understanding the dynamics of our solar system.
The Untold Story of the Boldest Supply-Chain Hack Ever, wherein we learn how a massive hack of corporate and government computer systems occurred, why it took so long for the hack to be discovered, and the problems that hack caused (some of which continue to this day).
A New Idea for How to Assemble Life, wherein we learn about assembly theory, which attempts to explain why and how life, in any form and from any basis, comes to be.
On Butterflies, wherein Herman Hesse muses about those beautiful, diaphanous insects, and about humanity’s wider relationship with nature.
I Tried to Cure My Burnout. Here’s What Happened, wherein Jamie Ducharme looks at the difficulties in trying to alleviate burnout in employees, and how it’s really a matter of changing the conditions that cause burnout.
The World’s Oldest Ultramarathon Runner Is Racing against Death, wherein we learn about Dag Aabye, an 81 year old who pushes his body to limits that would destroy someone a fraction of his age, but who continues pushing despite his declining physical prowess.
And that’s it for this Monday. Come back in seven days for another set of links to start off your week.