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Essays

Ensemble

When two instruments in an orchestra play simultaneous pure tones at sufficient intensity, a third tone nobody is playing emerges.

Essays

Boomerang

Empires have a way of seeding their own destruction.

  • The Illiberal International: Authoritarian Cooperation Is Reshaping the Global Order

    Authoritarian cooperation is reshaping the global order. https://www.foreignaffairs.com/china/illiberal-international-cheeseman-bianchi-cyr?utm_medium=newsletters&utm_source=twofa&utm_campaign=NEWS_FA%20This%20Week_122625_The%20Illiberal%20International&utm_content=20251226&utm_term=N more ›

  • China Inc. heads to Global South in the age of tariffs | S&P Global

    Facing rising US tariffs, Chinese firms are pivoting to the Global South, boosting trade and investment in the region. This shift signals a growing South–South trade dynamic with China at its center. https://www.spglobal.com/en/research-insights/special-reports/china-inc-heads-to-global-south-in-the-age-of-tariffs?utm_source=semafor more ›

  • Codex Tool Reference

    A complete reference to the tools and full skill definitions available in this Codex Work session. https://codex-tool-reference.simonw.chatgpt.site/?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email#tools more ›

  • No Place to Hide? Regional Resilience and Vulnerability to Global Catastrophic Risk

    One of the largest and most authoritative collections of online journals, books, and research resources, covering life, health, social, and physical sciences. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/gch2.70146?utm_medium=email&utm_source=substack more ›

  • The AI Boom Is Creating a Financial System We Haven’t Seen Before (Paul Kedrosky Explains)

    Today’s guest is Paul Kedrosky, a fellow at the MIT Institute for the Digital Economy, partner at SK Ventures and former sell-side analyst. In today’s episode, Paul Kedrosky explains why AI sits at the intersection of every force behind the… more ›

  • Throughline: The pillage that fueled America’s tech booms

    Listen: https://ift.tt/W4PJqfk Cobalt mining is one of the world's most dangerous jobs. And it's also one of the most essential: cobalt is what powers the batteries in your smartphone, your laptop, the electric car you felt good about buying. More… more ›

  • GTAVI: An exclusive deep dive into the video game of the decade

    On par with a wonder of the modern world, the pressure on Grand Theft Auto VI to deliver the holy grail of gaming is enormous – we talk to Rockstar’s epic team of creative talents to uncover its secrets https://www.dazeddigital.com/life-culture/article/70859/1/gta-6-grand-theft-auto-vi-rockstar-exclusive-deep-dive-game-unparalleled-world more ›

  • What does it mean to be ‘underground’ in 2026? | Dazed

    As Ug artists become some of the biggest names around and labels increasingly haunt Reddit forums in search of new markets, we investigate how the digital age has transformed one of music’s oldest debates: the underground vs the mainstream https://www.dazeddigital.com/music/article/70766/1/what-does-it-mean-to-be-underground-uk-ug-esdeekid-fake-mink more ›

  • Inside OpenAI’s Reboot

    In extensive interviews, the leaders of the company that ushered in the AI boom lay out their vision for its future. https://time.com/article/2026/08/26/openai-sam-altman-interview/ more ›

  • The Hugging Face incident and the road ahead

    OpenAI shares findings from the Hugging Face security incident and the steps we’re taking to strengthen AI model security, monitoring, and alignment. https://openai.com/index/hugging-face-incident-and-the-road-ahead/ more ›