Human Stuff
the messiness of what it means to be human, with all of its messiness and complexities
sari and
Human Stuff
we design our tech for users, not people. what a great little visual!
Why We Want Robots at Work but Humans in Art
We hate other people when latency becomes intolerable. As soon as a task is about speed, other humans feel like an irritating inconvenience. The Uber driver’s small talk annoys us. We wish we were in a Waymo. The cashier’s tip screen feels like a micro-ransom when all we want is a bottle of water.... See more
We hate other people when latency becomes intolerable. As soon as a task is about speed, other humans feel like an irritating inconvenience. The Uber driver’s small talk annoys us. We wish we were in a Waymo. The cashier’s tip screen feels like a micro-ransom when all we want is a bottle of water.... See more
Why We Want Robots at Work but Humans in Art
“It’s getting ever harder to distinguish humans from bots, not just because bots are becoming more humanlike, but also because humans are becoming more botlike.”
Gurwinder • For Paid Subscribers (December 2023)
This brutally honest account of homelessness in America was a tough read. I think about the fact that so many people live paycheck to paycheck and are stretched so thin. And I’m referring to the people you think are just fine. I can’t help but think there’s something big happening in America and I think it’s only going to get much worse. I’m generally an optimistic person, but I haven’t stopped thinking about how we had a chance when the pandemic hit and we blew it. We failed the test.
I’ve been thinking about the way, when you walk
down a crowded aisle, people pull in their legs
to let you by. Or how strangers still say “bless you”
when someone sneezes, a leftover
from the Bubonic plague. “Don’t die,” we are saying.
And sometimes, when you spill lemons
from your grocery bag, someone else will help you
pick them up.
... See moreDanusha Laméris • Poem: Small Kindnesses (Published 2019)
The Red Hand Files are a secret treasure. This particular question was about being at a crossroads.
I’m betting on people. I’m betting that people will refuse to abandon their souls to the machine, and refuse to forget who they truly are. People just need, in Plato’s words, anamimneskein —”to be reminded.” And that’s a process that is best done in genuine encounters.
Vibes Are Not Enough
The human psyche is exceptional at converting jealousy into victimhood.