Planning Ravens, Anti-Technology, and the Supreme Court Cafeteria: Lux Recommends #90
Welcome to Lux Recommends #90, the newest edition of what we at Lux are reading and thinking about (and want to receive this by email? Sign up here).
Articles
Arks of the Apocalypse: “All around the world, scientists are building repositories of everything from seeds to ice to mammal milk — racing to preserve a natural order that is fast disappearing.” — Sam
What was it like to be at Xerox PARC when Steve Jobs visited? “A good enough answer would be longer than is reasonable for Quora, but I can supply a few comments to highlight just how little attention is paid in the media, histories, and by most people to find out what actually happened. For example, I was present at the visit and demo, and it was the work of my group and myself that Steve saw, yet the Quora question is the first time that anyone has asked me what happened. (Worth pondering that interesting fact!)” — Sam
That Drug Expiration Date May Be More Myth Than Fact: ‘The dates on drug labels are simply the point up to which the Food and Drug Administration and pharmaceutical companies guarantee their effectiveness, typically at two or three years. But the dates don’t necessarily mean they’re ineffective immediately after they “expire” — just that there’s no incentive for drugmakers to study whether they could still be usable.’ —Adam G
The only non-apes we know can plan ahead: ravens: “The most conclusive test showed that the birds would wait for a tool to open all boxes with rewards inside, rather than choose to open just one box with an immediate reward inside.” — Zack
Against the “anti-technology” strawman: ‘a person who says “I don’t like coffee” is unlikely to find themselves denounced as “anti-beverage.”’ Fantastic thoughts on technology criticism. — Sam
Supreme Court’s Junior Justice Has to Run the Cafeteria. Don’t Eat There: “Court tradition requires newcomers to serve on the canteen committee, field complaints about liberally salted oatmeal, conservative mayonnaise levels; Alito’s pudding parfait predicament.” This article is hilarious. — Sam
China is developing care robots to provide companionship to elderly nursing home residents —Adam G
How many generations ago was a modern dog a wolf? — Adam K
And What is the one word that’s the same in every language? — Adam K
Books
Heretics!: The Wondrous (and Dangerous) Beginnings of Modern Philosophy by Steven Nadler and Ben Nadler: “the exciting story of the seventeenth-century thinkers who challenged authority — sometimes risking excommunication, prison, and even death — to lay the foundations of modern philosophy and science and help usher in a new world.” And take the online quiz to find out what heretic you are. — Josh
Podcasts
The Digital Industrial Revolution: “As machine learning surpasses human intelligence, where does that leave us? This hour, TED speakers explore ideas about the exciting — and terrifying — future of human-robot collaboration.” — Adam G
How supervolcanoes work — Adam G
Videos
The Next Rembrandt: AI generated, 3D printed. (start at 1:15) — Bilal
Photos
Lucky Strike: “As the evening descended, so did a barrage of lightning in northwest Oklahoma.” — Adam K
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