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: 

• Year Of The Challenge (Or, The Tyranny Of Friendship) – Moxie Marlinspike. “Let your friends make new years’ resolutions — and if you don’t keep them, you lose a pinkie. Extreme? Maybe, but that’s kinda Moxie Marlinspike‘s thing (he made Signal). I’ve been thinking a lot about agency lately, and how we’re ceding it to algorithms, waiting for the next red circle or notification. The machines are already prompting us. I’m far better at helping others than helping myself, so maybe abdicating novel experiences to the people I most trust makes sense.” (Alistair for Hugh).
• Calculus Made Easy – Silvanus P. Thompson. “‘Being myself a remarkably stupid fellow, I have had to unteach myself the difficulties, and now beg to present to my fellow fools the parts that are not hard.’ Written in the early 1900s, many consider this to be the best introductory text on calculus — and even if you understand the math, a masterclass on how to convey complex ideas easily. I’m going to try using it with my daughter as she starts studying the subject, as long as I can teach her what a farthing is.” (Alistair for Mitch).
• Air Canada Must Honor Refund Policy Invented By Airline’s Chatbot – Ars Technica. “I guess there is nothing exactly surprising here: Neither that a customer support chatbot made an error nor that a big company tried to avoid responsibility. Still, when Air Canada’s chatbot encouraged a bereaved client to buy a ticket and get a refund later (even though the Air Canada policy says otherwise), the airline claimed that the correct policy had been linked to in the chat and that it shouldn’t have to cough up the money. A court has found in the client’s favor, and this should remind any company: You are responsible for your chatbots behavior.” (Hugh for Alistair).
• And Then I Heard… Dire Straits – Sultans Of Swing (First Time Hearing!!) – Polo Reacts – YouTube. “Watching an adult for the first time listen to, and love, a favorite song from my youth is such a particular pleasure. Sit down, kiddies, while I tell you about the olden days: When I was a kid I had a friend whose father had a huge (vinyl) record collection, and much of the music I listened to was from this collection, transferred to BASF and Maxwell cassette tapes, by my friend Tim. An album I listened to over and over at age 15/16 was Alchemy by Dire Straits, and a favorite was this marathon live version of ‘Sultans of Swing‘ including two of the most sublime guitar solos I’ve ever heard. I don’t listen to Dire Straits all that often any more, so watching this, where Polo can’t stop himself from interrupting the song to express his awe was…  lots of fun.” (Hugh for Mitch).
• Eric Weinstein – Why Does The Modern World Make No Sense? – Chris Williamson. “I’ve shared a lot of content, thinking and conversation from Eric Weinstein. This is the latest. Don’t be intimidated by the three hours it will take for you to watch and listen to how his mind works… I’d worry much more about how his thinking will permeate your many waking hours after watching this. I am not doing his biography any justice by letting you know that he was the joint managing director for Thiel Capital or that has a PhD in mathematical physics from Harvard. Without ruining this long and winding and beautiful conversation, I will just say that how he thinks is almost as stunning as what he says. Might this sound egotistical and narcissistic to many? I’m sure it will. From my perspective, he can talk physics, music, politics, culture, education, and more with a level of expertise that will stun you. You will disagree with his perspectives. That is fine. But, my question back would be: Do you know anyone who thinks and converses like this?” (Mitch for Alistair).
• Bill Ackman: Investing, Financial Battles, Harvard, DEI, X & Free Speech – Lex Fridman Podcast – YouTube. “I’m fine admitting when I do not know something. And, this week, that something is ‘Bill Ackman’. Sure, I’ve seen the media headlines… donations to Harvard, activist investor, etc. but I really had no idea how he thinks, operates and contributes to our world beyond: Lots of money and lots to say about stuff. So, I decided to see if Lex Fridman’s line of questioning and conversation can get me to a place of understanding. And, clocking in at over three hours and thirty minutes, this might be one of the best ways to cut through the clickbait headlines and dig deep to understand what drives an individual. Another fascinating conversation about money, politics, technology, culture and the future.” (Mitch for Hugh). 

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

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