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Six Links Worthy of Your Attention #664

Is there one link, story, picture or thought that you saw online this week that you think somebody you know must see?

My friends: Alistair Croll (Solve for Interesting, Tilt the Windmill, Interesting Bits, HBS, chair of Strata, Startupfest, FWD50, and Scaletechconf; author of Lean Analytics and some other books), Hugh McGuire (Rebus Foundation, PressBooks, LibriVox) and I decided that every week the three of us are going to share one link for one another (for a total of six links) that each individual feels the other person “must see.”

Check out these six links that we’re recommending to one another:

ASPI’s Critical Technology Tracker – Australian Strategic Policy Institute. “The Australian Strategic Policy Institute tracks 44 different technologies, from AI to clean energy to vaccines to hypersonic transportation. In their most recent report, China leads the world in 37 of them. In 2022, for every dollar spent on the military, the US spent $0.38; China, in second place, spent only $0.14. But the country has been sending students abroad, and funding research at home, for decades. Between shooting down balloons, banning TikTok, and repatriating chip manufacturing, clearly some people got the memo. But this report is an eye-opener for anyone who still believes the next century belongs solely to liberal democracy and capitalism.” (Alistair for Hugh).
Wonder Studio – Wonder Dynamics. “A while back, I set out a timeline for generative AI. Images, then video, then immersive environments, in which you’re the star of a custom-generated narrative. I’d like to revise those dates please, and also adjust my thinking about whether we live in a simulation.” (Alistair for Mitch and video is below).
Questlove joins social media debate defending Meg White’s drumming ability – NME. “I remember when I first heard The White Stripes, back in 2001 or 2002. They were so fresh and real and grounded and nutso sounding. Somewhere between Americana blues and punk rock, and just the two of them, Jack on guitar and vocals, Meg on drums. I never really thought much about virtuosity, since the music was exactly what it was, and so great. Apparently Meg’s drumming skills have come into question, and while this is a stupid Twitter storm about nothing, it had me thinking about what an amazing drummer brings to a band, but also what ‘amazing’ is in music. Sometimes it’s virtuosity, and sometimes it’s being right. One comment on this debate has it just right: ‘How can 50% of an amazing band be shit?'” (Hugh for Alistair).
The White Stripes – Ball and Biscuit (Live at Shibuya-AX, Tokyo, Japan – 10/22/2003) – YouTube. “The White Stripes, Live in Tokyo in 2003, playing Ball and Biscuit. What would a ‘better’ drummer even mean?” (Hugh for Mitch and video is below).
LinkedIn turns 20: An oral history of an unlikely champion – Fast Company. “I’m not one for ‘I told you so,’ but a long while back, as the excitement of social media and social networks was first taking hold, I proclaimed that LinkedIn would be the ‘dark horse’ of social media. This was long before Microsoft acquired the professional social network for over $26 billion in 2016. Well, twenty years later and some think that LinkedIn looks and acts a lot more like Facebook these days than even… well… Facebook. It’s become a great space for content, networking, snooping on where people are at in their work, and also a place where spammers run wild with your inbox. Still, it’s better than most, so here’s an insightful look back.” (Mitch for Alistair).
Good Will Hunting: An Oral History – Boston Magazine. “Once we’re spending time in the past, here’s a great re-visit of a movie that I used to watch time and time again. I have no idea whether or not Good Will Hunting still stands up. I don’t really care. It’s a movie that I used to truly enjoy. It’s also strange to look at where these actors have landed, some fifteen years later. Franchises, gossip, celebrity, success, sadness… and even some question marks. So… enjoy the trip down memory lane… I hope you like apples.” (Mitch For Hugh).