Molly Simpson
@spagmol
thinker, feeler, third-wheeler
collecting dots here, connecting them there ￬
Molly Simpson
spagmol.substack.com
Abstraction should become core to the way we speak biology, in particular outside of the confines of academia. How can you wonder at the marvel of biology if all you hear is “envelope capsid design”? We need to carefully survey how we present our ideas to the public, such that they can marvel and wonder at the beauty of what we have built.
Just a moment...
Was walking along and listening to the part of a podcast where they speak about decisions as something we think that can’t be seen until you’re up close. But actually, decisions can be walked up to. You can take a look around, see what it might look like—like peeking around the corner before you choose the path. Sure, you’ll never know until you take the corner because the perspective will shift immediately. But we spend a lot more time in proximity to decisions before we make them than we think. And then I saw this:
Last week I planted an acer in the furthest bed from the house, in honour of our new baby. The sapling is as tall as me and, by all accounts, it can grow forty feet tall. So, in thirty years’ time, if we’re still here I can come back and see this tree in its maturity. But the thought depresses me: in thirty years’ time I’ll be in my mid sixties and
... See moreWilliam Boyd • Any Human Heart
In this way, even if work becomes optional there will still be work to do. It’ll be the arguably harder work of grappling with what really matters to you. It’ll be the more uncomfortable work of figuring out what you value if not achievement, status or money. It’ll be the more exposing work of looking directly in the mirror and understanding who
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on getting lost in the sauce of something bigger than yourself
what ingredients do you think you are putting into the collective stew of humanity?