Published in ILLUMINATION·Jul 22Member-onlyThe Twilight ChoraleAlien music — They reached the chapel at six o’clock, and Anaïs had to be woken up ever so gently as Jo dismounted the bicycle. The girl rubbed her eyes groggily, then stopped to stare, as always, at the spectacle of the Notre Dame Basilica. …Fiction3 min read
Published in DataDrivenInvestor·Jul 21Member-onlyThe Renaissance Man Is Dead. The Internet Killed HimOn the hurricane of information, and the rise of superspecialists — I’ve assumed I was a smart guy for most of my life. This conviction, more than any other thing, propelled me through junior, middle and high school. My grades were excellent, and I generally knew what I was doing. …4 min read
Published in ILLUMINATION·Jul 20Member-onlyThe Four-Minute Mile: Why It’s So Hard To Be IncredibleThe bar is just too high these days — No adult has ever described to me the moment they came to terms with their mediocrity. Maybe that’s because it isn’t one single moment, but a composite string of experiences that teach them the truth; you are not special. Every child is born with dreams of grandeur, of being special…Self Improvement3 min read
Published in ILLUMINATION·Jul 19Member-onlyHumans, As Seen From SpaceA look at our impact on the planet, and thoughts about our future — A simple way to ascertain a civilization’s level of technological and social progress is, according to my alien friends, to observe the planet at night. From space, a few things are immediately obvious: megacities, the economic and social powerhouses, and the most used/abused regions of the planet. For me, a…Space4 min read
Published in DataDrivenInvestor·Jul 18Member-onlyHow I’m Learning A New Language — And How It’s Actually WorkingPlus some advice from my alien friends on communication — My language learning journey began in the fall of 2019; when I started to dream of moving to Canada. Canada, of course, is a bilingual nation (English and French are its official languages) and I already speak English, so I decided to try learning French. In retrospect, I think I…Learning4 min read
Published in ILLUMINATION·Jul 15Member-onlyTiny Little Lights In The SkyStaring into an infinite Universe — “They have a telescope now,” she said. Jorogith was nonplussed. “They’ve had telescopes for hundreds of years.” “But this one is different,” said Naewint. “This one is better than the last.” “Such is the nature of science,” retorted Jorogith. …Fiction3 min read
Published in ILLUMINATION·Jul 14Member-onlyWriters Vs TikTok: Here’s How To Make Your Writing More InterestingGen Z needs to read more — and you’re part of the problem — If you’ve ever used TikTok for more than a few minutes, you know what I’m talking about. The app took the entire world by surprise and is now the most potent form of digital crack that exists. …Social Media4 min read
Published in Predict·Jul 13Member-onlyHere Are The First Images From The James Webb Space TelescopeThe Universe just had a photo shoot — and it looks amazing — The first few images from the James Webb Space Telescope are finally out! In a press conference yesterday, NASA released all of them to the public and spent some time answering questions about the telescope and the future of astronomy. When I saw the full-colour images, I was blown away…Space3 min read
Published in ILLUMINATION·Jul 12Member-onlyThe Deepest Picture of The Universe To DateThe James Webb Space Telescope’s first deep field image is more impressive than I expected — Yesterday, President Joe Biden released one of the first images to be taken by the James Webb Space Telescope during a press conference at the White House. While the rest of the images are to be released in a few hours, I’m going to try to stave off my impatience…Space3 min read
Published in Predict·Jul 11Member-onlyTomorrow, We’ll See The Universe NakedThe James Webb Space Telescope, and what it means for humanity — Humans have been staring into the sky for millennia, and we’ve mapped out a lot of the visible Universe. We’ve captured awe-inspiring photographs of distant galaxies, nebulae, and even a few black holes. …Space3 min read
