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Essays

Retrograde

Like water, gold simply can’t tell you what it used to be.

Essays

Free money

Bankers and prophets seem to be driven by an almost poetic compulsion to push further.

  • Ground truth: When the Earth moves, AI can spot it

    Sudden and unexpected, landslides and avalanches claim thousands of lives each year and cause billions of dollars in damage. What if we could see them coming? https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20260323-the-ai-that-warns-people-about-landslides-and-avalanches more ›

  • GHOST IN THE MACHINE (2026) OFFICIAL TRAILER

    Feature documentary charting the untold origins of artificial intelligence. This is not a story about machines, it is a story about power. Directed by Valerie Veatch Official Selection Sundance Film Festival 2026 Join the mailing list: notaidoc.com Follow us on… more ›

  • Which firms will clean up after the Iran war is finally over?

    When the missiles and drones eventually stop flying in the U.S.-Israeli air strikes against Iran, a new contest is likely to get underway: the scramble for contracts to rebuild damaged oil and gas infrastructure and restore shipping lanes – and… more ›

  • Exclusive | NYSE Partners With Securitize to Develop 24/7 Tokenized Securities Platform

    Under the exchange’s plan, stocks would trade as digital tokens https://www.wsj.com/finance/stocks/nyse-partners-with-securitize-to-develop-24-7-tokenized-securities-platform-871a4c7e?st=txLJja&reflink=desktopwebshare_permalink more ›

  • My Prodigal Brainchild

    Reflections on the latest and greatest Death of the Metaverse https://open.substack.com/pub/nealstephenson/p/my-prodigal-brainchild?utm_source=share&utm_medium=android&r=oj2p5 more ›

  • Human Capital Report

    This report brings new evidence on how human capital is formed, showing that homes, neighborhoods, and workplaces play a central role. https://www.worldbank.org/en/publication/human-capital-report more ›

  • An hour with… Issy Wood

    The American-born British artist on walking away from a pop career, painting her heroes, and establishing an unshakable sense of self https://observer.co.uk/culture/interviews/article/an-hour-with-issy-wood?utm_campaign=560996_TheObserverWeekend_260322&utm_medium=email&utm_source=dotdigital&UID=&dm_i=7EQK,C0V8,VJH6N,1M0IL,1,0,0,0 more ›

  • Kronos Quartet: Tiny Desk Concert

    Tom Huizenga | March 23, 2026 We rarely invite the same band back to the Tiny Desk. But the beloved Kronos Quartet, which first played our offices 12 years ago, isn’t the same band. Three of the four members are… more ›

  • Apple’s Heir Apparent Steps Into the Spotlight

    As the company turns 50, the wheels of succession are in motion. John Ternus is likely the next CEO. https://www.bloomberg.com/features/2026-apple-next-ceo/?accessToken=eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJzb3VyY2UiOiJTdWJzY3JpYmVyR2lmdGVkQXJ0aWNsZSIsImlhdCI6MTc3NDIxMzQxMiwiZXhwIjoxNzc0ODE4MjEyLCJhcnRpY2xlSWQiOiJUQ0JKUDZLR1pBSVowMCIsImJjb25uZWN0SWQiOiI4OUM4OTNDMDhGOTQ0NThDQkQwQTQyREY1RDFCOTY0QyJ9.dpjv9oyergjVbfVeuFbDw_MOpSnvFr8EChWJyv_FryA more ›

  • World Models: Computing the Uncomputable

    A Co-Written Essay with General Intuition’s Pim DeWitte https://www.notboring.co/p/world-models more ›