Fractal Thinking

Many thinkers (including Einstein) discuss creativity as a kind of “combinatory play.” Reading gives us more pieces to play with—more combinatory possibilities. Just as honey from different regions takes on different flavors, the combination of our reading produces different flavors in our own thought and writing.

But this isn’t really about the software. It’s about what software promises us—that it will help us become who we want to be, living the lives we find most meaningful and fulfilling. The idea of research as leisure activity has stayed with me because it seems to describe a kind of intellectual inquiry that comes from idiosyncratic passion and inter

People who like rocks see cool rocks everywhere.

People who like birds see interesting birds everywhere. The tree on your yard could be an exceptional specimen. The world around you could be amazing and magical, but you aren't enough of a nerd to see it.