Issue #7 · Deember 13th, 2015 · View in your browser

1. On how to disagree

The Book of Life is an attempt to reconcile philosophical teachings with the nitty-gritty of daily life. It is an offshoot of Alain de Botton's School of Life. This particular chapter focuses on the self and more precisely on how to disagree more gracefully. The argument is that disagreements (with your significant other) have been on the rise since the spread of democracy in the developed world and the most welcome reclaim of power by women. One really helpful idea is not to rush over disagreements. This means not to say that your position is common sense or obvious. Try to pause and “see it their way”, as the Beatles' song advises. 

• William Penn : “Time is what we want most, but what we use worst”

• Brain Pickings : Einstein, Bergson and the debate that changed our understanding of time

2. Finland is exploring experimental politics

The Finnish are considering dropping government aid in favour of a national basic income. All citizens would get €800, every month. Before doing so though, they are going to run experiments. Thus, instead of speculating on the benefits of such a new policy, they will try different things, measure and then scale up. This novel idea is inspired by the human-centred design strategies of prototyping and iterating. It's very interesting. 

3. Messaging is just getting started

We live in the middle of the Software Revolution, akin to the Industrial Revolution of yore. We got the Internet, we got the web. We moved from computers to smartphones. And we'll now be moving from apps to what some people call invisible apps. Software that gives you information without the need and impracticality of a bespoke interface. Think about Uber, do you need a full-fledged app in order to use their service? Couldn't you just send a message like “I need a ride home now”? As time goes by, messaging looks more and more like a mature solution to lots of problems. It's about capturing the user's intent. Examples: “Buy two movie tickets for Star Wars”, “Where can I find a waxed canvas bag that is both stylish and functional?”, “Hey man, check these photos from my trip”. The design director of Intercom has a lot of interesting things to say about that.

4. Moar links

• NYT : Memes, dreams and themes [an attempt to organise all ideas into three categories]

• TechCrunch : Better Health By Design: Making Healthcare Tech More Usable, Understandable And Profitable [never want to fill a health form—or any kind of form—ever again]

+ Quartz : Robots are now fighting fires in Australia

+ Guardian : The science of learning: five classic studies

And to conclude, this is what you get when you measure the contours of a river with LiDAR (light + radar). A photo of its history:

*Thanks and have a nice week, 

Ulysse*