10 Assorted Reads
My favorite links of the week.
He’s Wanted for Wirecard’s Missing $2 Billion. He’s Now Suspected of Being a Russian Spy. Jan Marsalek, the jet-setting former COO of now-defunct Wirecard, enabled Moscow to fund covert operations around the world, officials say; ‘whiff of Silicon Valley’. (WSJ)
The year Twitter died: a special series. Elon Musk killed it. (The Verge)
In 2024, the Tension Between Macroculture and Microculture Will Turn into War. The outcome of this war is already determined. The only thing that remains to be seen is how we get there, and how quickly. (The Honest Broker)
Surge in number of ‘extremely productive’ authors concerns scientists. Some researchers publish a new paper every five days, on average. Data trackers suspect not all their manuscripts were produced through honest labour. (Nature)
Top 25 News Photos of 2023. As the end of the year approaches, here is a look back at some of the major news events and moments of 2023. Hamas militants launched a surprise attack in southern Israel, followed by thousands of Israeli air strikes in Gaza; a suspected Chinese surveillance balloon was shot down over the U.S.; extreme weather events affected people around the world; a devastating earthquake struck parts of Turkey and Syria; and much more. (The Atlantic)
How to Keep Time: Try Wasting It. In a culture obsessed with productivity, what would it mean to commit to letting it go? (The Atlantic)
Generative AI is killing our sense of awe. If everything is extraordinary then everything becomes ordinary. (Fast Company)
Microsoft Excel World Championship 2023 - Finals (Youtube). See also ‘You didn’t just succeed, you Exceled’. Andrew Ngai, who works as an actuary, fends off competitors from around the globe to reclaim the event, televised live on ESPN. (The Guardian)
Charlie Munger: The Psychology of Human Misjudgment (video below)
Korean email etiquette :) (photo below)
Source: Random Sprint