I thought I’d share a few articles, podcasts, and other things that I find insightful, every now and then. This time, I focus on a few pieces and a podcast episode that emphasise the collective over the individual. We tend to think that innovation is the result of a handful of geniuses, but really innovation is about building on countless layers of other people’s work.
We only celebrate Edison for the lightbulb, never the thousands of people who’ve iterated and iterated to the point that our bulbs are now connected to wifi, can change colour, and last over 25 years.
This is dangerous because it assumes the only way you can put a dent in the universe is to be spectacularly extraordinary, putting unproductive pressure on ourselves. I hope these various links show you the value of working with others, building on things, being totally okay with being a tiny drop in a vast ocean of creativity and progress.
Matt Ridley interviewed by Shane Parrish, on the difference between innovation and invention – The Knowledge Project podcast
“When I was asked recently how long humans can stay ignorant about nature, I answered that people can refuse to consider evidence that contradicts their convictions for millennia. This was the case regarding the notions that we are located at the center of the universe or that the outcomes of wars are dictated by planets and stars in the sky. The extent of our ignorance is unlimited. We could choose to stay uninformed forever, just like animals.” – On searching for city lights on other planets. From Scientific American.
A Tapestry of Alternatives – Making peace with the biosphere will require building communities and relationships that are focused on protecting life—human and nonhuman. From Scientific American.
How to promote open inquiry, viewpoint diversity, and constructive disagreement – Heterodoxacademy’s HxA way
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