David Pennington
@dtpennington
I write stuff. I’d like to write more stuff. Currently: reclaiming my brain.
David Pennington
dtpennington.com
The “Silurian Hypothesis” is a fun thought experiment.
It posits Earth may have had advanced civilizations in the deep past that we are, today, unaware of. Why wouldn’t we know about them? Because if they existed millions of years ago and died out, their architecture would be long gone. “No ruins of ancient football stadiums, highways or housing... See more
It posits Earth may have had advanced civilizations in the deep past that we are, today, unaware of. Why wouldn’t we know about them? Because if they existed millions of years ago and died out, their architecture would be long gone. “No ruins of ancient football stadiums, highways or housing... See more
Linkfest #28: Neolithic Octopuses, Weeping Trees, and a Forty-Year-Old Snowman
This doesn't mean all permissionless fabrications succeed. Most fail. But the right ideas almostalways start without permission. They have to, because permission systems are designed tofilter out anything that might change the status quo.This changes how we should approach problem solving.First, we must stop asking permission to solve problems we... See more
Gumroad
This isn’t the same kind of attention we give to our Instagram and TikTok feeds. It is a ritualised form of intentional presence directed to a shared sense of meaning and history.
As a result, our digital commons has become commoditised and overrun by the cult of self. When we shout ‘listen!’ on social media, we are demanding that others ‘Listen to... See more
As a result, our digital commons has become commoditised and overrun by the cult of self. When we shout ‘listen!’ on social media, we are demanding that others ‘Listen to... See more
Alexander Beiner • Myth and Metrics: How Social Media Robs Us of Ritual, and How to Revive It
Go to just about any LATAM country or Carribean island. Go away from the resorts. Hell, just look over the fence - you will find MOUNTAINS of garbage. There is no trash collection, nowhere for this stuff to GO. So it piles up, it gets picked off by the wind. Eventually they just set it on fire - causing all sorts of other climate and health issues.
This is a real, never-ending American Colonialism - our idea of single use yet permeant.
The “convenience” that tech invites replaced what people/ social connections used to do. You can play a video game with someone online on the other side of the world - but now you miss the casual whateverness of your co-player sitting next to you on the couch. Or, hell, the person sitting on the other side of the Scrabble/ Chess board
Five Ways to adjust your life to better survive these winter months.
“Popular books such as What You Do Is Who You Are (2019) by the venture capitalist Ben Horowitz carry the implication that being and doing are synonymous. Busyness is a badge of honour, even a sign of moral superiority. Rest, in contrast, is often treated as if it’s passive and pointless. Indeed, I’ve noticed many people hardly think of rest as its
... See moreIf you do not deep read, you do not cultivate a capacity to think, imagine, and create; you therefore may not realize that anything more satisfying than a video game even exists.
Adam Garfinkle • The Erosion of Deep Literacy
When I had the flip phone, I had to put in effort to get to places, to talk to people. Everything was a task. Now it’s easy to do things. I guess I still don’t like needing the crutch of a smartphone, though I couldn’t figure out how to go on without one.”