Is there one link, story, picture or thought that you saw online this week that you think somebody you know must see?

My friends: Alistair Croll (Solve for Interesting, Tilt the Windmill, Interesting Bits, HBS, chair of Strata, Startupfest, FWD50, and Scaletechconf; author of Lean Analytics and some other books), Hugh McGuire (Rebus Foundation, PressBooks, LibriVox) and I decided that every week the three of us are going to share one link for one another (for a total of six links) that each individual feels the other person “must see.”

Check out these six links that we’re recommending to one another: 

• Ardern’s forceful reminder: Democracies can die – The Harvard Gazette. “Jacintha Ardern is a compelling leader with a good track record and wide public support. That’s increasingly rare in the world; her Harvard commencement address sums up what many of us who understand the workings of the Internet have been worrying about for a long time. Is social media just another medium? Or should we treat it for what it is — an entirely new neurology for our species? Ardern makes a compelling case for regulation, and lays out the consequences of ignoring its impact on our ability to govern according to facts. Democracy may die in darkness, but it also withers in falsehoods.” (Alistair for Hugh).
• AI turned a Rembrandt masterpiece into 5.6 terabytes of data – Popular Science. “717,000,000,000 pixels. That’s how big this restored, digitized version of Rembrandt‘s The Night Watch is, thanks to a collaboration between advanced imaging, AI interpolation, and human ingenuity. Probably better than being there in person.” (Alistair for Mitch).
• Proton Is Trying to Become Google—Without Your Data – Wired. “I began migrating my personal email to Protonmail a few years ago, when I started getting nervous about the idea that Google‘s business model involves reading my Gmail emails, in order to better serve me ads. I’m still only about half-way to getting rid of Gmail altogether, but this article about Proton kicked me in the the pants a bit. I love this: ‘The way Google defines privacy is, ‘Nobody can exploit your data, except for us.’” (Hugh for Alistair).
• Rick Astley – Episode #233 – Song Exploder. “The Song Exploder podcast goes into the detail about how great songs were built, by those who made them. In this episode, one of the great songs of the 80s, that became one of the great Internet Memes, gets the treatment.” (Hugh for Mitch).
• On Discord, Music Fans Become Artists’ Besties, Collaborators, and Even Unpaid Interns – Pitchfork. “I’ve long believed that Discord would be the eight hundred pound gorilla in the social audio space. What started off as a hub for gamers to connect (chat and message one another) has grown into a pillar for those who believe in the community aspects of Web3. While it seems like hockey stick growth is just around the corner, I also struggle with Discord (and, I know that I am not alone). It’s complex, not obvious and it takes a beat to understand. This article takes a look at how rock stars and musicians are using it to build community and connection with fans. So, as Twitter steps back from Spaces and the buzz of Clubhouse fades, is Discord about to take the crown?” (Mitch for Alistair).
• Dan Reynolds – Imagine Dragons – Lex Fridman Podcast #290 – YouTube. “While walking on my morning trails, my iPhone shifted over to this episode of The Lex Fridman Podcast with Imagine Dragon’s frontman, Dan Reynolds. Imagine Dragons is a polarizing band (some loathe them like Nickelback, while others see them as one of the biggest pop rock bands in the world today). I was at one of their two sold out concerts in Montreal at the Bell Centre (our hometown arena) last month, and it was a great show. This is not your standard lead singer interview. Dan is a fascinating human who has struggled with everything from a crisis of religion (he grew up as a Mormon) to his own public push for people to not be scared of therapy, dealing with their anxiety and depression, and beyond. This is a great conversation about culture, art, creating something out of nothing, theology, and there’s even a hint of psychedelics dashed throughout. Even if you don’t like his band, this is a conversation worth listening to.” (Mitch for Hugh).

Feel free to share these links and add your picks on Twitter, Facebook, in the comments below or wherever you play.

Are you interested in what’s next? How to decode the future? I publish between 2-3 times per week and then the Six Pixels of Separation Podcast comes out every Sunday. Feel free to subscribe (and tell your friends).