Disappointed with the 21st century, Peter Thiel, founder of Paypal, said one thing that has been in my head for the past few days: "We wanted flying cars; instead, we have 140 characters." We can feel his disappointment, and it is easy to see why. We used to hear that necessity is the mother of invention. But in the last decade, the primary purpose of technological progress is to make everyday life more comfortable. I do not regret a 2020 without flying cars, but I am afraid we are losing the bigger picture which made us dream about space.
Today, convenience dominates the consumer internet. Easy clicks remind us that we can access services, products, and information, with a minimum effort rate. But we stop imagining futures that go beyond our immediate and individual needs.
If we want the next decade to move us forward as humanity, we need to continue to challenge ourselves and envision scenarios beyond the constraints of the present. The future cannot continue to be built based on the steps we do not take. It is time to recover our curiosity for the universe. Not because it is easy, but because it is hard.
💾 Memory Lane
"When the real no longer is what it used to be, nostalgia assumes its full meaning." - Baudrillard
In 1996, John Perry Barlow, co-founder of the non-governmental organization Electronic Frontier Foundation, wrote a controversial email with a clear message: Governments must not - and cannot - govern the internet. The content of this manifesto is now known as the Declaration of Independence of Cyberspace.
“Our identities have no bodies, so, unlike you, we cannot obtain order by physical coercion. We believe that from ethics, enlightened self-interest, and the commonweal, our governance will emerge. Our identities may be distributed across many of your jurisdictions. The only law that all our constituent cultures would generally recognize is the Golden Rule. We hope we will be able to build our particular solutions on that basis. But we cannot accept the solutions you are attempting to impose.“
💻 Present tense
“Like a tropical storm, I, too, may one day become “better organized”. - Lydia Davis
If the brain is the central computer of our body, the signal transmissions between neurons are the hyperlinks that allow us to relate, understand, and interpret information. The Zettelkasten note system enables us to organize the content we consume in a similar way to the neural network. Taking notes about what we read, hear or see, we tend to isolate them - whether linearly, in a notebook, or within categories. When we do so, we limit our natural tendency to create connections. The Zettelkasten system is based on cross-references and aims to make us think better. While reading about this method, I discovered the concept of Evergreen notes and added the book "How to Take Smart Notes" to my reading list. I have been using index cards to organize my notes, but this Notion template has opened up my internal debate on the benefits of a digital note system.
🔍 Time will tell
“Reality simply consists of different points of view.” - Margaret Atwood
Todays.Supply is a platform that acts as an online directory of events in arts, design, culture, and technology. Anyone can submit an event and help build the most significant international knowledge exchange festival. This week, you can follow conversations organized from San Francisco, London, Basel, and Rotterdam. If you are the one managing an event, this Community Building Resources document may help.
And today's question is:
🤔 Is your day a collection of stories or missions?
Let’s share ideas, recommendations, and thoughts!
Até já!
Inês 🌿