Mattila > Recent Status Updates

Amazing way to answer questions about how people feel under different government systems and the impact of the shift. Sad, insightful, and scary.

Didn't want to like this, but I'm hooked. When information is cheap, attention is expensive. I appreciate the discussion on brands and the fact that they don't make anything anymore. They look for things that are made and apply their brand to it. Nike doesn't make shoes. It creates an image and applies it to shoes.

The chapter on Wonder was great. I don't know if I ever learned or maybe just forgot how columns of energy including water and wind come together to form jet streams and ocean currents. Our climate models have come a long way and it's scary how chaotic things get. When we introduce some more heat to the system
A slight change in geography has a huge impact on livability, irrigation, fertility, and transport.

Took an interesting turn from utopia to (minor spoiler) paid utopian infiltrator and disruptor.

I did some welding so I could buy my cameras, after I was a cuddle fisherman

And then I was a rodeo clown in Mexico because they liked when the German lost

And then a witch came for me but my mom snatched me away and I knew from then on I would not wet myself

I could tell the astronaut knew how to milk cows just by looking at him I asked him and I was right

They used to bring us wolf pups to play with and we were so excited and then they killed them and sent their ears off for the bounty

All of a sudden the hill behind us was full of weasels running downhill. I do not believe I dreamed it

Hilariously even more Werner than his docs. Absolutely absurd stories about his life that he tells:

I wanted to marry her but I didn't have the gumption to propose yet, I went out of town and when I came back she was married to my cousin. We basically hooked up anyways. I thought my cousin beat me up but apparently he didn't. I didn't see him for a few years, she was cursed and their marriage broke up

Fascinating
Maybe swords didn't spread due to inclination towards pacifism
Maybe 4000 year old boats were funeral rites
Maybe ancient coastal communities across the channel had more in common with each other than those inland consider the same nationality

Moving from bronze era England to King Tut...

Spoiler

finally a decent twist. Was pretty formulaic, but fun until this point...

It's no Harry Potter, but enjoying it

Materialism should not be depressing if you know you were simply atoms, there is no point in my living in fear. Worrying about what God's may do to me or the torments of adventures may wait in my future. The atomic theory made democritis so light-hearted that he was known as the laughing philosopher freed from cosmic dread. He will able to chuckle at human foibles rather than weep over them.

Only connect! Focus on commonalities not divisions

EM Forster humanism could better be honored by reciting a list of the things one has enjoyed or found interesting of the people who have helped one and of the people who won has loved and tried to help. The list would not be dramatic. It would lack the seniority of a creed and the solemnity of a sanction, but it could be recited confidently for human gratitude and human hopefulness would be speaking.

Humanism is pe

The fact Caribbean pirates settled in egalitarian political experiments in Madagascar that still exist generations later blows my mind.

Mainly reading this because this guy co-wrote the dawn of everything. He actually kicks it off with the story of the Huron statesman who may have introduced some of the ideas of the enlightenment to the French governor of Canada 300 years ago.

Bear witness to the world.
Is science losing it's monopoly on truth to the objection of art?
Do bees and horses have their own desire beyond serving humans?

We know in our tissues that the fewer the differences we encounter wherever it is we go the more widespread the kingdom of death has become

Witness not achievement is what I was after.

OK, read his famous trilogy, first. It's much better. But this is good, China-focused, hard scifi. Really enjoy the reveal of how they (spoiler) find the ball lightning. Not for most.

this one is losing me, not enough progress on the mystery

enjoying it so far. Story of friendship, success, pain, and the human story set against being smart and making video games.

there can be 'good pro-social' status games. Like who gives the most to charity or has the most progressive views or careers.

Commanches were hardcore. Book feels pretty biased against them, but they are putting up a solid fight... will let you know if they end up holding off the Europeans...

The story about stars going from redshift to Blue shift as we go from an expanding universe to a contracting one blew my mind.

I also really enjoy the large scale state sponsored government projects gone awry. I feel like Chinese authors do better with this in American sci-fi authors I have read. I'm a bit surprised I'm giving our track record of doing large-scale damage then having it heavily reported.

These other senses- echolocation, magnetic field navigation, pressure sensing, seeing at the other ends of the light spectrum are amazing and useful. Why aren't we augmenting people with these?

Being more of an expert at something makes you less likely to rethink your position.

currently dealing with a 5 year old that seems to cry at the drop of a hat. Most guidance is 'encourage them to speak about their emotions and find ways to calm down.' So at least reinforces what we're trying.

so far, so good. I was worried the title was going to be a metaphor, but he's actually talking about running. It's our bedtime audiobook, so might miss a lot.