Six Links Worthy Of Your Attention #370

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, HBS; chair of Strata, Startupfest, Pandemonio, and ResolveTO; Author of Lean Analytics and some other books), Hugh McGuire (PressBooks, LibriVox, iambik and co-author of Book: A Futurist’s Manifesto) 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: 

• These Coloradans say Earth is flat. And gravity’s a hoax. Now, they’re being persecuted – The Denver Post. “I’ve got two contrasting links this week — one that shows we’re very, very stupid; and one that shows we’re very, very smart. Let’s start with dumb. I totally understand people who don’t believe hard science at face value. It can be tough to wrap your brain around quantum foam or string theory when it comes from mathematicians reaching for analogies. But a flat earth? That’s personally observable. Go for a walk. Watch a ship coming across the horizon. Or take an airplane. And yet, there are groups saying they’re being persecuted for holding onto provably false theories. Draw your own conclusions.” (Alistair for Hugh).
• An Ancient Device Too Advanced to Be Real Gives Up Its Secrets at Last – Big Think. “I’ve written about the Antikythera mechanism before. It’s a mysterious piece of machinery that was found on a shipwreck, and it features technology that was a thousand years ahead of its time. It proves that the ancient Greeks had tremendously advanced engineering and knowledge of math and astronomy, but that knowledge was lost when the Romans and the church destroyed it all (along with things like the library of Alexandria). Well, computer imaging and better tech has now figured out how it worked — and it’s cooler than we already thought. Also, this is why we can’t have nice things.” (Alistair for Mitch).
• The Metaphysics of the Hangover – The Hedgehog Review. “I don’t drink enough to suffer hangovers the way I did in my youth, though sometimes, very rarely, I still tipple a touch too much, and my aging body is not a happy one. But perhaps there is more to the maligned hangover than just an excess of booze.” (Hugh for Alistair).
• How the IKEA catalogue cracked what “domestic bliss” means in different cultures – Quartz. “I’m fascinated by IKEA, and it’s overwhelming influence on the aesthetics of our living spaces. This article takes a look at how IKEA shifts its focus in different countries, to account for cultural differences & signals.” (Hugh for Mitch).
• Why Microsoft stock is at an all-time, 31-year high – Recode. “How is Microsoft doing? It’s easy to assume that things are not as glorious as they once were. Let’s be honest when we talk about the big tech brands (aka FAANG – Facebook, Apple, Amazon, Google and Netflix), you will notice that Microsoft is often not a part of the conversation anymore. Too bad. Things are going just fine, thank you very much.” (Mitch for Alistair).
• The ages of distraction – Aeon. “Kids today. Actually… it appears that we have been this way since, oh, about 1710. So, while we can blame technology, smartphones and video games for many of our addictive woes, perhaps we’ve always been a society that is constantly being distracted by bright and shiny objects. Hey! Look! A squirrel!….” (Mitch for Hugh).

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