5 Intriguing Things
1. This biting talk on ed-tech is really something. On monsters and machines and labor and teaching.
"Quite recently I literally etched this into my skin with two tattoos that 'speak' to me while I write. My left forearm, in binary, a quotation from Walt Whitman’s 'Leaves of Grass': 'Resist much, obey little.' My right forearm, in binary, a quotation from Lord Byron’s 'Song of the Luddites': 'Down with all kings but King Ludd.' Poetry. Bodies. Resistance. Machines. Lord Byron was one of the very very few defenders of the Luddites. His only appearance in the House of Lords was to give a speech challenging the 1812 Frame Breaking Act, which made destruction of mechanized looms punishable by death." (hackeducation.com)
"It’s understandable why [luxury brands] Breguet, Rolex, Cartier or Patek Philippe are disinterested. Swatch, on the other hand, should be taking a leading a role. Swiss watchmakers seem to have forgotten how they underestimated Japanese quartz watches in the 1970s as mere gadgets and not real watches. That mistake led to the near collapse of the watch industry. However, through Swatch, we eventually succeeded in creating a stylish quartz watch." (swissinfo.ch)
3. The big news stories of recent weeks have hinged on networked photography.
"Right now, almost every major news story turns on a single set of unresolved ethical questions: What should we do about the new proliferation of cameras? What should we do when the images they capture wind up on the Internet? It is a debate about a distinctly new technological phenomenon, and we can see aspects of it everywhere: from the imminent war against ISIS to the leaked nude images of female celebrities; from the proposal of police body-cams to the NFL’s treatment of domestic abuser Ray Rice." (theatlantic.com)
4. Philip K. Dick on Pythagoras and the basis for science.
"OK. One of the greatest insights in ancient philosophy was by Pythagoras. He was walking by a blacksmith's shop. And he noticed that the anvils, when hit by a hammer, the smaller the anvil, the higher-pitched the sound. Wait a minute, he says. These are musical intervals. The sound the anvil emits when struck is a musical sound. There is no difference between an anvil being hit with a hammer and a musical instrument." (archive.org)
5. A 10-year-old's thoughts on Microsoft possibly acquiring the maker of Minecraft.
"That’s why Minecraft is perfect the way it is: You can choose to build any way you want, making amazing creations, or you can build like you’re in the real world, and do amazing things. Everyone I know, both boys and girls (except for Ruth), loves Minecraft the way it is. So, Microsoft, you should know that we all want to keep Minecraft the same! Thanks for reading!" (fortune.com)
Today's 1957 American English Language Tip
coco(a). Cacao & coco, independent words, have corrupted each other till the resulting cocoa is used always for the drink & often for the coco(a)-nut palm. Coconut, coco fiber, &c., are still used, though the -a often appears; they should be kept in existence, if possible, & cocoa be restricted to the drink & the powder from which it is made; the uncrushed seeds & the plant are still usually spelled cacao.
Poetry. Bodies. Resistance. Machines.