Introducing a new podcast series where I interview some of the world’s most brilliant minds about how they do their best thinking — [Quick summary: I’m starting a new podcast series on Substack — in partnership with The TED Interview — where I’m asking some of the world’s leading thinkers about their personal creative workflow. …

Conversations with novelist Jennifer Egan and AI pioneer Demis Hassabis, and a new profile of software visionary Douglas Engelbart. — [You’re reading a post from my Adjacent Possible newsletter. Sign up to receive more essays and conversations like this one in your inbox.] I mentioned a month or two ago that I was taking over as the host of The TED Interview podcast, which has been true delight so far…

Why the most interesting ideas happen at the borders between disciplines — and my new role as the host of the TED Interview. — [You’re reading a post from my Adjacent Possible newsletter. Sign up to receive more essays and conversations like this one in your inbox.] Today, the folks at TED posted a new episode of the TED Interview, where I’m in conversation with TED’s long-time curator, Chris Anderson. It’s a hand-off episode…

A journey to the Library Of Congress reminds me that tools for thought and the information commons do not just belong to the world of software. — [You’re reading a post from my Adjacent Possible newsletter. Sign up to receive more essays and conversations like this one in your inbox.] When the British set fire to the U.S. Capitol in August of 1814, devastating the Senate wing of the building and nearly destroying the entire structure, they…

A new series honoring early software pioneers who worked outside the world of Big Tech — One of the problems with writing about the history of innovation is that the vast fortunes that have been made through technology tend to direct our attention towards the usual suspects of billionaire founders and CEOs, or the latest Silicon Valley unicorn. Oftentimes that attention comes in hagiography mode, where…

Most people discounted the possibility of a viral pandemic sweeping the world and killing millions — until it happened. Are we making the same mistake again about the threat posed by nuclear weapons? — [You’re reading a post from my Adjacent Possible newsletter. Sign up to receive more essays and conversations like this one in your inbox.] Sometime in the spring of 2020, as COVID was devastating New York City, I started noticing people on Twitter sharing quotes from the epilogue of The Ghost…

The bestselling author of Drive and A Whole New Mind explains why you should build a “failure resumé” — and discusses how he built his latest book out of a database of 18,000 regrets. I’m truly grateful to Dan Pink for joining me to discuss his latest book, The Power Of Regret, which debuted last week at #3 on the New York Times bestseller list. It’s a terrific read, shining new light on both how our minds work generally, but also how we think…

Thoughts on a COVID infection, and what it means to live in an age of microbes. — [You’re reading a post from my Adjacent Possible newsletter. Sign up to receive more essays and conversations like this one in your inbox.] Two years ago, almost to the day, I flew out to California with my middle son to visit colleges, a voyage that turned out to be our…

Our ancestors may have shifted back and forth between different work routines and social structures, often in tune with the seasons. Would that be a better way to live? — [You’re reading a post from my Adjacent Possible newsletter. Sign up to receive more essays and conversations like this one in your inbox.] From where I’m sitting right now, I can see out across the San Francisco Bay, past Angel Island, all the way to what would have once been…