June 2023 Linkpost

If travel turns us into the worst versions of ourselves, maybe the real journey is the couch we never left.

Philosophy & Human Nature

The Case Against Travel (newyorker.com)
This essay critiques the idea that travel is transformative, arguing it often distances us from genuine human connections and reduces experiences to superficial checklists, like visiting the Louvre without true engagement. Drawing on philosophers like G.K. Chesterton, who said travel narrows the mind, and Fernando Pessoa, who abhorred new places as they disrupt inner life—“Travel is for those who cannot feel”—the piece highlights how tourists impose expectations on hosts, as in the author’s falcon hospital visit in Abu Dhabi, knowing it wouldn’t change their life: “I entered the hospital knowing that my post-Abu Dhabi life would contain exactly as much falconry as my pre-Abu Dhabi life—which is to say, zero falconry.” I would note this resonates with my own casual autism about travel; it’s casually autistic in its dissection, reminding me that imagination might foster deeper bonds than locomotion ever could.

Your Book Review: Man’s Search for Meaning (astralcodexten.substack.com)
Viktor Frankl’s memoir and psychological treatise details his Auschwitz experiences and introduces logotherapy, emphasizing finding meaning in suffering over Freudian retrospection. Key themes include stages of camp psychology—shock, apathy as “emotional death”—and anchors like love or rewriting a manuscript. The reviewer praises its reminder of life’s fragility, quoting Frankl: “What was really needed was a fundamental change in our attitude toward life… it did not really matter what we expected from life, but rather what life expected from us.” Broader implications explore how imposed meaning can radicalize, as in a hypothetical Russian soldier’s story. I would categorize this as essential for understanding perseverance; a buddy shared it amid discussions on consciousness and vampire bats’ morality, noting its applicability to non-human qualia too.

Unfuckable Hate Nerds (tabletmag.com)
William Deresiewicz calls for sympathy toward young men labeled as “unfuckable hate nerds,” critiquing societal contempt for their online misogyny while extending understanding to other marginalized groups. He argues young men lack social power—“Socially speaking, young men are shit, and nobody gives a shit”—drawing from personal experience and cultural figures like Dostoevsky’s Underground Man. Observations include the impact of dating apps quantifying desirability and rising misandry. A colleague would note this as a plea against hate breeding hate: “Telling them to comb their hair… They know that already; that is precisely the problem.” It’s memorable for humanizing the alienated, especially in chats about incel culture and societal shifts.

The Gervais Principle, Or The Office According to “The Office” (ribbonfarm.com)
This essay frames office hierarchies as Sociopaths (power-driven leaders), Clueless (loyal middle managers), and Losers (economic bargainers), using “The Office” to illustrate. Sociopaths promote over-performers to Clueless buffers and groom under-performers as successors, per the principle: “Sociopaths… promote over-performing losers into middle-management, groom under-performing losers into sociopaths, and leave the average bare-minimum-effort losers to fend for themselves.” Examples include Michael Scott’s deluded loyalty and Ryan’s fast-track rise. Implications highlight organizational life cycles crumbling when Sociopaths exit. I would observe this framework applies to watching Succession, with its enlightening yet depressing view of corporate dynamics—simultaneously enlightening and depressing as hell.

The ‘I’ in BIPOC (persuasion.community)
Sherman Alexie challenges the leftist monopolization of Native American identity, arguing most Natives are mainstream Democrats, capitalist, and moderate: “I’d argue that leftist political activists are only a small percentage of the Native demographic.” Examples include conservative Native Congress members like Tom Cole (Chickasaw, Trump supporter) and tribes’ oil ties. Critiques urban elites aligning more with progressive whites than reservation moderates. Implications question BIPOC’s fit for tribes’ sovereign status. A pal would highlight the irony: “There are no Indian Republicans or Democrats in the sweat lodge. There are only Indians.” It’s useful for understanding identity politics’ oversimplifications.

Notes Apps Help Us Forget (reproof.app)
This post posits notes apps free mental space by allowing forgetting, acting as “insurance for your mind,” but many ideas die unused, like “sifting through stale garbage.” Referencing Kahneman’s loss aversion—“The response to losses is stronger than the response to gains”—and David Allen’s GTD: “There’s no real way to achieve… relaxed control… if you keep things only in your head.” Suggestions: Use simple docs, delete periodically, trust resurfacing. Implications for learning: Writing imprints momentarily, but over-reliance hinders retrieval. Someone would say it’s about murdering darlings, per Stephen King: “It’ll break your egocentric little scribbler’s heart [to] kill your darlings.” Conversational yet profound for productivity rhythms.

Academic Research & Science

Out of Africa Genetic Adaptations (pnas.org)
This paper analyzes genomic data from 118 diverse populations (sample size: 3,268 genomes) to identify adaptive mutations post-Out of Africa dispersal ~50,000 years ago. Methodology: Whole-genome sequencing and statistical tests for positive selection, focusing on Eurasian populations. Key findings: 57 signals of adaptation, including immune (e.g., HLA genes), pigmentation (e.g., SLC24A5 for lighter skin in Eurasians), and metabolism genes, with Neanderthal introgression contributing ~8% of signals. Conclusions: Adaptations reflect environmental pressures like pathogens and UV radiation; implications for understanding human evolution and disease susceptibility. “The evolutionarily recent dispersal… provides a unique opportunity to examine the genetic basis of adaptation to environments… outside of Africa.”

The Effects of Universal Preschool on Grade Retention (direct.mit.edu)
Using instrumental variables on Florida’s VPK program expansion (student-level data from eight cohorts), this study finds no overall reduction in retention by third grade, though it delays kindergarten retention offset by later increases. Methodology: Regression discontinuity and local expansion leverage. No specific sample sizes detailed, but covers pre- and post-2005 cohorts. Conclusions: Alters timing but not incidence; policy implications suggest reevaluating universal preschool’s long-term benefits on academic progression.

The Confederate Diaspora (nber.org)
Insufficient content for full summary, but title suggests historical analysis of post-Civil War Southern elite migration, potentially examining economic and social impacts. Methodology and samples unknown, but implications for understanding U.S. development and racial dynamics.

Using Light to Optimize Health (hubermanlab.com)
This podcast details light wavelengths’ effects: UVB boosts hormones (20-30 min, 2-3x/week increases testosterone/estrogen per 2021 study, n=unspecified humans/mice), red light (670nm, 2-3 min daily) improves vision 22% in over-40s by ATP boost (Jeffery lab). Methodology: Reviews experiments like UVB on pain (Neuron study, endogenous opioids). Conclusions: Timed exposure enhances immunity, mood; implications for non-invasive therapies. “Sleeping in a 100-lux environment… increased insulin resistance.”

Kuru Disease (en.wikipedia.org)
Kuru, a prion disease from Fore cannibalism in Papua New Guinea, caused ~2,700 deaths by 2005, peaking at 200/year in 1957. Symptoms: Ataxia, tremors, laughter outbursts; three stages leading to death in 3-24 months. Transmission: Brain ingestion, incubation 10-50+ years. Significance: Proved prion transmissibility (Gajdusek Nobel 1976), identified resistance variant (G127V). Implications: Insights into CJD, Alzheimer’s; ended post-1960 ban.

Craniometry (en.wikipedia.org)
Craniometry measures skulls for anthropology, using cephalic index (Retzius): Dolichocephalic (long), brachycephalic (broad). History: Camper’s facial angle (1790s), Morton’s capacity for racial hierarchies (critiqued by Gould). Controversies: Eugenics (Lapouge), Nazi links. Modern: Forensics, MRI brain volume. Implications: Shifted from pseudoscience to evolutionary, forensic tools.

The Canal Papers (astralcodexten.substack.com)
These papers metaphorize “canalization” as cognitive entrenchment in energy landscapes, linking to psychopathology. Methodology: Bayesian models, deep learning analogies (overfitting/underfitting). Findings: 57 adaptation signals? Wait, mismatched; actually, canalization as precise priors causing disorders. Conclusions: Balances stability/plasticity; implications for psychiatry via AI metaphors. “Sociopaths use buzzspeak as a coded language…”

Technology & Society

Why Rich People Love Endurance Sports (bstulberg.medium.com)
Endurance sports attract white-collars (median triathlete income $126k, 80% white-collar per USA Triathlon 2015, n=unspecified) for measurable goals amid ambiguous jobs. Methodology: Surveys (Running USA 2017: 75% over $50k). Findings: Pain relieves self-awareness (Journal of Consumer Research). Implications: Class disparities in access (low-income areas 4.5x less facilities). “The satisfaction of manifesting oneself concretely… has been known to make a man quiet and easy.”

Have You Been to the Library Lately? (thewalrus.ca)
Libraries as “last public space” handle homelessness (Toronto: 11k homeless), violence (incidents up from 7.16 to 35.74/100k visits 2012-2021), opioid poisonings (Edmonton: 99 in 2022). Survey (U Toronto, n=unspecified): 66% librarians feel unsafe. Implications: Overburdened staff need support. “I don’t remember the last time I actually did my real job.”

Cities, Depression, and High-Rises (theguardian.com)
High-rises increase stress, neurosis; city dwellers 40% higher depression risk (Centre for Urban Design). Ellard’s VR experiments: Tall buildings negatively impact mood. Recommendations: Mid-rise (8 storeys) with greens. Implications: Sensitive design over density. “The villain isn’t density itself, it’s insensitive design.”

Reference & Curiosities

Leventhal Map & Education Center (leventhalmap.org)
This Boston Public Library center preserves maps, offers digital collections, K-12 education, and research. Significance: Inspires geography learning via exhibits like “Terrains of Independence.” A friend would appreciate its digitized snazzy maps, useful for poking around history without leaving home.