June 2025 Linkpost

Who knew Mennonites and diamonds could team up? Angola’s getting a faith-based facelift, complete with knowledge transfer and a side of sketchy headlines.

Philosophy & Human Nature

Intellectuals Rediscovering Faith (thefp.com) I would note that this piece dives into the journeys of thinkers like Matthew Crawford, Ayaan Hirsi Ali, Peter Thiel, and Jordan Peterson toward religion, almost 150 years after Nietzsche declared God dead. Crawford’s story stands out—growing up amid his mother’s spiritual quests, he embraced agnosticism in grad school but found faith through a church invitation in 2016. It’s a reminder of how personal experiences can shift even the most skeptical minds, with broader themes of intellectual humility and the search for meaning in a secular world. The article hints at common threads like reevaluating modern agnosticism, making it memorable for anyone pondering life’s big questions.

The Hidden Dimension of Sexuality (aella.substack.com) This essay proposes “bdsmexual” as a core sexual orientation, innate like being gay or straight, but focused on BDSM preferences versus vanilla. Drawing from a Mini Kink Survey with ~80,000 respondents (56% women, mean age 23), it shows bimodal interest patterns—peaks at “not erotic” and “super erotic”—with BDSM explaining more variation in sexuality than gender orientation. Estimates suggest 15% of women and 10% of men are bdsmexual, often with women leaning submissive (80%). I would highlight quotes like early childhood fascinations with bondage, illustrating how this can feel as fundamental as traditional orientations, with implications for misunderstandings in debates over porn and consent—it’s useful for rethinking human desire beyond cultural norms.

Strategies for Navigating ADHD (borretti.me) Managing ADHD boils down to chemistry first—like stimulants enabling better systems—then tools for memory (Todoist for tasks), energy (tackling tough stuff early), and procrastination (breaking it into types: distraction, anxiety, paralysis). Tactics include visual field management, inbox zero, and accountability buddies like Focusmate. I would observe that journaling in Obsidian helped spot patterns, turning chaos into structure, and it’s conversational yet practical—memorable for turning personal struggles into actionable frameworks that could help anyone stay productive long-term.

Nicotine as a Cognitive Tool (gwern.net) Summarizing research up to 2015, nicotine via gum or patches boosts attention, memory, and habit formation—studies like Kumari et al. (2003) show 2%-11% accuracy gains and 43.78% faster responses in memory tasks, with neuronal connections up by 200% (Tang & Dani 2009). Risks are low for non-smokers; addiction is rare (e.g., only 5 never-smokers dependent in a 848-response survey, Etter 2007), and harms like vasoconstriction are minimal at low doses. I would point out it’s a low-risk enhancer when used sparingly, especially for focus, making it useful for cognitive optimization without the tobacco pitfalls.

Academic Research & Science

Debunking Food Deserts and Nutritional Gaps (nber.org) This NBER paper examines how access to healthy food influences nutrition, using data from various sources though specifics on sample sizes aren’t detailed here. Key findings reveal that food deserts—areas with limited supermarket access—don’t primarily drive nutritional inequality; instead, factors like income and preferences play larger roles. Methodology involves econometric analysis of consumer behavior and store entry. Conclusions suggest policy should focus on education and demand-side interventions rather than just increasing supply, with implications for public health strategies that could endure as debates on inequality evolve.

Managers as Key to Worker Productivity (papers.ssrn.com) Using personnel records from a multinational firm (200,000 white-collar workers, 30,000 managers over 10 years in 100 countries), this SSRN paper shows good managers—identified by promotion speed—boost worker reallocation via transfers, matching skills to jobs for lasting productivity gains. Methodology leverages manager rotations for causal inference. Results indicate persistent career and output improvements post-manager tenure. Conclusions emphasize managers’ “visible hand” in human capital allocation, implying firms should prioritize managerial quality for performance, with broad applications in organizational economics.

Global Barriers to Desired Family Sizes (unfpa.org) The UNFPA’s 2025 report, based on a YouGov survey across 14 countries, finds 20% of reproductive-age adults can’t achieve desired child numbers, with 33% facing unintended pregnancies and 39% citing finances. Fears like climate change affect 20%, and 25% delay timing. Regional testimonials from Mexico to Zambia highlight economic and global instability. Methodology involves survey data, though sample sizes aren’t specified. Conclusions urge supporting reproductive agency over engineering rates, implying policies for healthcare, housing, and equity to foster sustainable families—timeless for population dynamics.

Advancing Embryo Genetic Screening (mynucleus.com) Nucleus’s press release details Embryo software analyzing up to 20 embryos for 900+ conditions and 40 traits like cognition and appearance. Inspired by a founder’s family tragedy, it partners for optimizations, e.g., selecting for intelligence. A couple’s quote praises detailed reports for healthy, high-ability outcomes. Implications revolutionize IVF by shifting to preventive genomics, though ethical debates loom—memorable for pushing reproductive tech boundaries.

Food Preferences Signaling Social Class (idrlabs.com) Based on UPenn research (Bellezza & Berger, 2020), this test gauges perceived class via food attitudes, e.g., rating Fettuccine Alfredo on a disagree-agree scale. It measures social signals in choices, drawing from Bourdieu’s taste critiques. Scoring uses anonymized data for validity. Implications suggest preferences reflect status, educational for understanding cultural divides in consumption.

Technology & Society

Envisioning a Smooth AI Takeoff (blog.samaltman.com) Sam Altman argues we’re in a “gentle singularity,” with AI like GPT-4 amplifying productivity 2-3x for scientists, predicting agents in 2025, insights in 2026, robots in 2027. By 2030s, intelligence nears electricity costs (e.g., ChatGPT query at 0.34 watt-hours). Quotes like “Intelligence too cheap to meter” highlight abundance removing limits. Implications: jobs shift, wealth surges, society adapts—useful for framing tech’s humane evolution.

Crafting Autonomous AI Agents (ampcode.com) This tutorial builds a <400-line Go agent using Anthropic’s Claude for editing files and running commands. Steps: setup project, structure agent, add loops for conversation, tool support (definitions, execution). Models like Claude-3.5-Sonnet enable reasoning. Implications: democratizes AI dev, enabling complex tasks—memorable for practical entry into agentic systems.

Critiquing Telehealth’s Dark Side (open.substack.com) A colleague shared this partial case against Hims for pushing Chinese knockoffs and subscriptions, raising medical risks. Though incomplete, it compares to grifts in government and church, implying telehealth needs scrutiny—useful for consumer awareness in health tech.

Drone Delivery Scaling Up (corporate.walmart.com) Walmart expands drones to Atlanta, Charlotte, Houston, Orlando, Tampa via Wing partnership, delivering in 30 minutes with 150kW nodes, 6-mile range. Over 150,000 deliveries since 2021; quotes tout redefining retail. Implications: shifts logistics to flexible, fast models—enduring for e-commerce evolution.

Powering Space Missions Remotely (star-catcher.com) Star Catcher’s orbital grid beams 100W-100kW to satellites, saving 40%+ costs, extending life ($10M+/year). By 2030, 25,000 satellites need 420M watts; nodes at 1,500km service thousands. Implications: boosts uptime 10-20x, transforming space ops.

Economics & Development

Social Media Filling State Voids (economist.com) In Somalia, cheap data enables “WhatsAppocracy,” where social media handles governance amid insecurity. Cheaper than in Britain or Japan, it fosters creativity in absent states. Implications: models bottom-up development—timeless for fragile economies.

Politics & Current Events (2025)

Mennonites Settling Angola’s Diamond Lands (nytimes.com) Eight Mennonite families from Mexico cultivate 2,000 acres via diamond company deal, sparking local fears over land. Government backs for knowledge transfer; my take: this shows religion seriously doing good, less sketchy than headlines suggest—relevant for migration and development debates.

Political Roots of Vaccine Panel Overhaul (washingtonpost.com) Opinion traces RFK Jr.’s CDC remake to 2020 meeting and GOP politics, blending liberal skepticism with Republican challenges—potentially eroding trust. Implications: warns of ideology undermining health.

Florida Blocks University President Pick (nytimes.com) Santa Ono, ex-Michigan president, rejected 10-6 by Florida’s Board over DEI and protest handling. Quote: his record contradicts claims. Implications: highlights conservative education push.

Fed Economist’s China Espionage Case (wsj.com) John Rogers allegedly sent secrets post-2013 Shanghai contact, admiring China. Implications: strains US-China ties, security in econ institutions.

UF’s Jacksonville Expansion Advances (news.ufl.edu) Unanimous council vote transfers 20+ acres, adds $50M (total $300M with state/philanthropy). Programs in business, health, engineering start 2026. Quotes praise innovation hub—implications: boosts regional education.