Michael WestItaly’s maritime republics: the first marketplace startupsMedieval-Renaissance Italy had four significant maritime republics: Genoa, Venice, Pisa and Amalfi. On a recent trip I visited Venice and…Jun 5, 2019Jun 5, 2019
Michael WestGhost in the machineThe gaming community’s techniques for learning how to play might usefully be encoded into the games themselves, and into other software.Apr 9, 2019Apr 9, 2019
Michael WestEnder’s FarmvilleHow can we think about creating games that don’t just simulate the world, but actually impact it as you play?Mar 24, 2019Mar 24, 2019
Michael WestSecond draft of historyPhilip Graham, longtime publisher of the Washington Post, said that “journalism is the first rough draft of history”. But in an era of…Mar 26, 2018Mar 26, 2018
Michael WestThe Kerbal-Factorio Business School: how sim games teach mental modelsMany video games can act as micro-scale laboratories for the outside world. Researchers have studied the spread of pandemics in World of…Sep 18, 20171Sep 18, 20171
Michael WestSelf-explainer: BlockchainSome notes on how blockchains can be used and why they are interesting.Aug 29, 2017Aug 29, 2017
Michael WestTakeawaysFor young people, your rate of learning is one dominant factor in enabling greater impact over time. Internalising important lessons and…Dec 30, 2015Dec 30, 2015
Michael WestDisruptive volunteeringDonations of skills, not money, are more transformativeAug 16, 2014Aug 16, 2014