Surveillance Log 008 - 2025-11-21
Hello! Welcome to this week’s list of five (or less!) interesting links. If you want to revisit earlier weeks, all previous issues are available here.
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Victorian diary-writers kicked off our age of self-optimisation | Aeon Essays — Like many of their other dubious legacies—colonialism, institutional racism, sexism—the Victorians were obsessed with self-optimisation. They meticulously recorded their goals and progress in their diaries, intentionally writing entries to share with others. The diaries served a performative function remarkably similar to social media today. A good reminder that our current obsessions are not uniquely modern.
I taught an octopus piano (It took 6 months) — Fascinating video for several reasons: keeping the octopus alive and well for so long, the creature’s intelligence and intentionality, and especially the creator’s perseverance. Wonder still is to be found everywhere around us.
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