Mental Models, 3D Printed Illusions, and Futurism: Lux Recommends #39
Welcome to Lux Recommends #39, the newest edition of what we at Lux are reading and thinking about (and want to receive this by email? Sign up here).
Articles
Why We Need to Pick Up Alvin Toeffler’s Torch: Farhad Manjoo on the need to return to long-term thinking and futurism. — Sam
This ‘Demonically Clever’ Backdoor Hides In a Tiny Slice of a Computer Chip: An almost undetectable backdoor that can exist in silicon: “a physical hack that takes advantage of how the actual electricity flowing through the chip’s transistors can be hijacked to trigger an unexpected outcome.” Fascinating.— Sam
Mesmerizing 3D-Printed Zoetropes Explores Human Movement and Light: Amazing. Creative 3D printing — Adam G
Mental Models I Repeatedly Find Useful: A cornucopia of frames for understanding our world. Great list. — Sam
The future of agriculture: “If agriculture is to continue to feed the world, it needs to become more like manufacturing.” — Adam G
Introducing our Hybrid lda2vec Algorithm: Brilliant visual and breakdown of some neat trends at the frontier of NLP and Deep Learning. — Zavain
Viral cylinder illusion solved by 3D printing: This source may not be best one, but the illusion itself is really surprising (and also see link to “best illusions” competition). And neat that 3DP lets someone solve this problem. — Zack
Books
Liar’s Poker by Michael Lewis: Oldie but a goodie on the excess financial engineering of the 80s and as we often quote Mark Twain at Lux “history doesnt repeat itself, but it often rhymes” — Adam G
Movies
Sugar Coated: The politics (and denials) of sugar in our diet. — Adam G
Science Wonder
Expansion Microscopy of Brainbow Hippocampus (video): Out of this world view of our inner world. — Adam G
Rare birth: Baby born completely encased in amniotic sac — Adam K
Want to receive this by email? Sign up here.
And have a suggestion? Let us know.
