Foundation will make us think about our relationship with robots and artificial intelligence, not in a Westworld kind of way, but through the Laws of Robotics that author Isaac Asimov introduced in his books.
Read MoreThinking about existential risks is the extreme version of negative visualization
Today I listened to the latest episode (#208) of the Making Sense Podcast, where Sam Harris speaks with Oxford University philosopher Toby Ord about existential risks and preserving the long term future of humanity. All I can say is: phew, that episode was a tough two hour exercise in negative visualization. But a useful one, which I will recommend to anyone.
Read MoreWhich came first, money or debt?
Everybody who has studied economic theory has stumbled upon the conventional wisdom that barter was a precursor to money. It seems like we have the 18th century Scottish philosopher Adam Smith to thank for the prevailing idea that quid-pro-quo exchange systems (e.g. trading nails for potatoes) preceded economies based on currency, and that credit and debt are concepts that came only after we had invented money.
Graeber argues quite convincingly that there’s no evidence whatsoever that Smith was right. Instead, he presents a mindblowing reversal of this conventional wisdom showing that before there was money, there was debt. Going back 5000 years to the first agrarian empires, we can see from preserved records that people have used elaborate credit systems to buy and sell goods.
Read MoreFoundation could become the GoT moment of Apple TV+
Yesterday, when I sat down for Apple’s WWDC 2020 keynote, I did not expect to get any announcements about new original content for Apple TV+. After all, WWDC is about software announcements and mainly directed towards the developer community.
But there, in the middle of a boring segment on Apple TV and tvOS, Apple dropped the bomb. They’re going to do something nobody has managed to do properly in 50 years. They’re going to do Foundation, by Isaac Asimov, on Apple TV+.
Read MoreNotes and comments on WWDC 2020 keynote
Apple’s developer conference WWDC 2020 started on Monday June 22, and on the first day Apple always delivers a keynote showcasing the most important upcoming software updates and innovations. Occasionally some hardware is also unveiled, like the the third-generation Mac Pro at WWDC 2019, but the focus is definitely on software and developers.
The keynote is always a tight package, lasting two hours, with lots of rapid fire information delivered. Below you’ll find my summary of the keynote, but I’m also including my detailed notes and comments after the summary. For each product unveiling during the keynote, I give a rating between 0 and 10. A rating of 0 means completely uninteresting to me and 10 means super exciting, IMVHO.
Read MoreMy five minute journal template
When I tell someone of my five minute journaling, occasionally I’m asked how I do it and if there’s some specific form to it. I am in fact using a template, which I keep in Evernote, and each day in the journal is saved as a new note. My template is based on The Five Minute Journal by Intelligent Change and it consists of a 3 minute morning section and a 2 minute evening section. This is how the template looks like and I sincerely hope it could be of some value for you too.
Read MoreSell something that people want to buy
If you’re working with sales and feel stuck, not getting the results you’re hoping for, I would recommend two exercises. First, take a long hard look at yourself and your skills and then ask yourself: do I enjoy being a salesperson and am I on top of my game? Second, analyse the product or service your selling and ask yourself: am I selling something that people want to buy?
Read MoreThoughts of gratitude on Midsummer’s Eve
I’m celebrating Midsummer once again in Hanko, on the southernmost tip of Finland, at Villa Maija. As Midsummer’s Eve is approaching its end, I thought it would be appropriate to express some thoughts of gratitude.
Read MoreTeaching our kids how to lead and how to solve interesting problems
I think the key questions are the following: Do we have a clear understanding of what kind of skills (i.e. metaskills) we should teach our kids, so that they can thrive and succeed in a future where automation and robotization are ubiquitous? And are we doing the necessary changes to our schooling systems in order to get us in the right direction?
I fear that the answer to both questions is no.
Read MoreWhatsApp payments is interesting because of the massive user base
Some people have already speculated that a successful global rollout of WhatsApp payments could quickly kill most of the existing local peer-to-peer mobile payments solutions. For example, in Finland and Sweden (which both are small countries but quite advanced when it comes to mobile payments) most people use Swish, MobilePay, or Siirto. Each solution is backed by a bank (or a group of banks) and each have their limitations. WhatsApp, however, is used by almost everybody and it’s relatively easy to see how it could quickly become the preferred platform for sending money.
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