From the gutter to the stars ⭐⭐⭐
PROGRESS — Ask your grandparents how awesome capitalism is – Bill Wirtz for ftn.media: “Both economic mobility and technological progress have contributed to the fact that you, unlike most of your ancestors, do not have to work in the fields.”
INNOVATION — The value in your pocket – Bret Swanson for fee.org: If you own an iPhone, you own technology that would have cost $12 million just a few years ago, “And that’s just for the 3 components that are easiest to measure and compare across time.”
SCIENCE — Mo' science mo' problems? – Heather Heying for quillette.com: “Perhaps we should, in the spirit of inquiry and logic and the values of the Enlightenment, focus on understanding what is true, rather than throwing temper tantrums because we don’t like what’s true.”
BUSINESS — The Subsidieur – Lawrence Solomon for business.financialpost.com: According to this author, Elon Musk is a subsidy-seeking fake entrepreneur. “[…] by 2015, U.S. governments alone had given his companies US$5 billion through direct grants, tax breaks, cut-rate loans, cashable environmental credits, tax credits and rebates to buyers of his products.”
ENERGY — Bag of wind – John Constable and Matt Ridley for capx.co: Subsidized wind energy is a sham and puts undue costs on society. For example in Scotland.
HEALTH — Doing it for the children – Richard Mason for speakfreely.today: The curious story “how morbid curiosity and exploitation on Coney Island saved the lives of 6,500 babies.”
HUMANITY — And love for some mankind… – Thomas King for nautil.us: “Absolute universalism, in which we feel compassion for every individual on Earth, is psychologically impossible. Ignoring this fact carries a heavy cost […]”
SCIENCE — A relatively happy birthday – The Economist: A century ago Albert Einstein changed the way humans saw the universe. His work is still offering new insights today.
TRANSPORTATION — Learning the hard way – David Noland and Barbara Peterson for popularmechanics.com: “How did flying get so reliable? In part, because previous accidents triggered crucial safety improvements. Here are 12 accidents whose influence is felt each time you step on a plane.”
CULTURE — Hungry yet? – Jason Kottke for kottke.org: A collection of recipe videos made in the style of famous movie directors.
Photo by Greg Rakozy on Unsplash
