February 2021 Roundup: What I am Reading, Watching and Listening To
What I Am Reading
100 Tips For A Better Life
This title needs no explanation. There are a lot of great gems of advice in this list!
Why Remote Work Changes the Nature of Leadership, and the Kinds of Leaders to Recruit in Startups
Managers tasked with creating a culture of collaboration within a distributed team will find the profile of a leader changes. A recent study found that the skills and traits of successful leaders in an in-person, office-based environment differ from those needed to lead distributed, remote teams. Instead of valuing confidence and charisma, remote teams value leaders who are organised, productive and facilitate connections between colleagues.
Technological stagnation: Why I came around
“We wanted flying cars, instead we got 140 characters,” says Peter Thiel’s Founders Fund, expressing a sort of jaded disappointment with technological progress. (The fact that the 140 characters have become 280, a 100% increase, does not seem to have impressed him.)
Thiel, along with economists such as Tyler Cowen (The Great Stagnation) and Robert Gordon (The Rise and Fall of American Growth), promotes a “stagnation hypothesis”: that there has been a significant slowdown in scientific, technological, and economic progress in recent decades—say, for a round number, since about 1970, or the last ~50 years.
Narwhals
While Frobisher’s crew was examining islands near the coast of Canada, they came across a dead sea mammal that looked like nothing anyone in modern times had seen before. It was “about twelve foot long, and in bigness answerable, having a horn of two yards long growing out of the snout or nostrils. This horn is wreathed and straight, like in fashion to a taper made of wax, and may truly thought to be the sea-unicorn,” Frobisher wrote in his journal. Ready to learn more about these elusive cetaceans? Let’s dive into the world of narwhals.
What I am Watching:
The Non-linear Model of Innovation
Jason Crawford, SlateStarCodex Meetup
Paradox-Free Time Travel Proven Possible by Physics Student
The rules of time-travel have been debated by scientists and sci-fi fans alike for years, but now a student physicist has been able to "square the numbers" to show how paradox-free time travel is theoretically possible. This means that should someone be able to time travel, the dreaded butterfly effect might not be as inevitable as has been feared -- but that doesn't mean a time-traveler might not still face unintended consequences.
What I am Listening To:
Are we eating too much (or not enough) protein for good health? with Dr. Gabrielle Lyon
Today on The Doctor’s Farmacy, I talk with Dr. Gabrielle Lyon about the importance of protein and why we should shift our dietary focus. Dr. Gabrielle Lyon is an integrative physician who completed her fellowship in Nutritional Sciences and Geriatrics at Washington University, St. Louis. She is board-certified in Family Medicine and completed her undergraduate work in Human Nutrition Vitamin and Mineral Metabolism. Dr. Lyon works closely with current and retired Special Operations military operators as a part of the Task Force Dagger Foundation.
Chetan Puttagunta - Go Slow to Go Fast: Software Building and Investing
Chetan Puttagunta is a general partner at Benchmark Capital. We cover how to implement empathy-led software product development, build an effective recruiting pipeline, and operate a remote-friendly culture.
Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones
No matter your goals, Atomic Habits offers a proven framework for improving--every day. James Clear, one of the world's leading experts on habit formation, reveals practical strategies that will teach you exactly how to form good habits, break bad ones, and master the tiny behaviors that lead to remarkable results.