When Resilience Requires Slack

by

The traditional approach to understanding complex systems has been reductionist, breaking them into smaller, simpler components. While effective for understanding mechanical systems like clocks, where each cog serves a clear purpose in isolation, this method falls short when applied to dynamic, interconnected systems like living organisms, ecosystems, weather patterns, or even social structures such as economies, organizations, institutions, supply chains, or families. To look at systems like these and only see parts is to miss the force that ties them together. […] You don’t …

Read more

The Historical Method – You Learn Something Old Every Day

by

“You learn something old every day.” X the Owl, a character in Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood This article is inspired by a comment on the askHistorians subreddit. It highlights a fundamental difference in how historians approach facts compared to those from fields like science or engineering (my own background). Many assume historians can offer definitive truths about past events, but the reality is more nuanced. And one thing that I, and I suspect others around here who’ve been trained as historians, learn is that the …

Read more

Reading for Knowledge

by

Reading is integral to our daily lives, serving various purposes ranging from relaxation to in-depth learning. How we approach reading often depends on our objectives — whether we are unwinding with a novel, seeking specific information, or engaging with academic texts. Reading for Leisure Reading for leisure is an unhurried journey through stories, ideas, and emotions. It allows us to experience pleasure, relaxation, and sometimes escapism through the written or spoken word. The motivation is personal enjoyment rather than academic, professional, or life admin …

Read more

Resources of August 2024 – Sketches, History, and Creative Constraints

by

Continuing with the second edition of Resources of the Month: Sketchplanations Sketchplanations is an ever-growing collection of illustrations that explain complex topics through easy, one-panel sketches. When I first discovered it, I spent hours devouring bite-sized explanations on various subjects, from science and behavioral economics to psychology frameworks and business models with detours to domestic life hacks. Some that stood out for me are VUCA, the Hotel Drying Technique, Hara Hachi Bu, Collective Effervescence, The Automation Paradox, Tsundoku, Kaffikok, Detecting Prostate Cancer or Problem-solving. Especially good …

Read more

Resources of July 2024 – Procrastination, Generalization vs. Specialization, Ingenious Living and More

by

Note: Sometimes, it can take me up to a year to turn a concept into a published article. I noticed this recently with my latest piece, Insights from Bjarne Stroustrup, Creator of C++, published this July. The idea for that article originated when I watched Stroustroup’s video interview for Honeypot last August. This made me consider creating a series where I gather insights from my findings. I would call it something else than a newsletter, as it might not necessarily be news-oriented but ideas-focused. …

Read more

Insights from Bjarne Stroustrup, Creator of C++

by

Bjarne Stroustrup is a renowned Danish computer scientist and the creator of the C++ programming language. Stroustrup’s work has profoundly impacted software development, making C++ one of the most widely used programming languages for system/software development, game programming, and real-time simulations. This article will showcase some relevant quotes from Stroustrup, providing insights into his philosophy and the far-reaching impact of his contributions. About Bjarne Stroustrup You’ve created one of the most efficient and fastest programming languages. No doubt, that has changed our world. Have …

Read more

Balancing Innovation and Familiarity with the MAYA Design Principle

by

The MAYA (Most Advanced Yet Acceptable) design principle suggests that the best design falls between entirely new solutions and those that are familiar. The goal is to create something advanced enough to capture interest yet familiar enough to be accessible to users. Industrial designer Raymond Loewy developed this concept through his experience designing iconic products such as the Coca-Cola bottle, the US Postal Service logo, the NASA spacecraft, and the Air Force One plane for U.S. presidents. Loewy advocated for a gradual design evolution, …

Read more

Exploring the Dynamics of Soft Power

by

Before each of his military campaigns, Napoleon always made a point of passing through Épernay, stopping at the cellars of his friend Jean-Rémy Moët [a French vintner who brought the champagne producers Moët & Chandon to fame] to pick up a supply of champagne.  “In victory you deserve it, in defeat you need it,” he said. [… After Napoleon abdicated and Paris fell during the “War of the Sixth Coalition”] Cellars throughout Champagne were plundered, the worst being those of Moët, which saw six hundred thousand bottles emptied …

Read more