A Book Wheel

The Bookwheel, invented in 1588 by Italian engineer Agostino Ramelli, was a heavy, 600-pound wooden rotating bookcase that let scholars easily use up to eight open books at once. It had a clever gear system to keep the books upright as the wheel turned by hand, saving time for readers who didn’t have to fetch books from shelves. Featured in Ramelli’s book of machines, it was a creative Renaissance tool for studying, though it’s uncertain how many were actually made.

What Are We To Do

“I suppose,
is to hope the world
keeps its balance;
what we are to do, however,
with our hearts
waiting and watching—truly
I do not know.”
– Mary Oliver

Make Differently

“The ultimate, hidden truth of the world is that it is something that we make, and could just as easily make differently.”
― David Graeber

mi:nu:ti:ae

Mi:nu:ti:ae is a global art project where strangers from around the world simultaneously capture what’s happening in their life, at the exact same time. It’s not new, has been around since 2017, still wonderful.

(via)

Bravery

“No one ever tells you that bravery feels like fear.”
– Mary Kate Teske

When Asked To Do A Project..

“Whenever I get asked to do a project, I always think of it as an opportunity to promote my values.”
Rick Owens

I think the same thing when I give a talk, like this last weekend, at WECode Harvard.

Musclewiki

I love the internet, because it has sites like Musclewiki.

Haiku Vandal

My daughter (18) carries Haiku in her pockets. She sprinkles them in random places or gifts them to humans she encounters. This makes my heart happy.

4 Years

Last week, I hit 4 years of no alcohol. 2-21-21

(I have written about my journey before.)

Destruction and Renewal

“Destruction and renewal are part of the same cycle. Indigenous knowledge has always understood this. It’s not about avoiding collapse-it’s about preparing for regeneration.”
Mellisa K.Nelson

A Confession Of Character

“People do not seem to realize that their opinion of the world is also a confession of character.”
– Ralph Waldo Emerson

Stoops

I am ready for warmer weather and stoop hangs.

The Perfect Ai Prompt

OpenAI’s President Greg Brockman just shared the best way to structure the perfect prompt.

The framework originally from Ben Hylak, is built on four key pillars:

1.Goal – Define what you want clearly.
2. Return Format – Specify exactly how you want the response structured.
3. Warnings – Highlight any important details the AI should double-check.
4. Context Dump – Provide background info to improve the response.

Explanation in this video.

Just So You Know

Just so you know–
everything in the entire
universe is always about love.
And when it is not about love,
it’s about the absence of love.
Hope this makes sense.
Unknown

My Friend Brendan is Building Internet Tubes

My studiomate Brendan is building new internet tubes with number0. He is a deeply wonderful and smart human.

There Are A Hundred Paths

“There are a hundred paths through the world that are easier than loving. But, who wants easier?”
– Mary Oliver

Coldplay All My Love

Well, this was delightful.

(via Joe)

Love is The Revolution

Agreed.

The Antidote to Doom

“The anditode to doom is curiosity.”
Ezra Klein

The Art Life is a Good Life

Darkness Of The Womb

“What if this darkness is not the darkness of the tomb but the darkness of the womb?
What if our America is not dead but a country that is waiting to be born?
What if the the story of America is one long labor?”
Valarie Kaur

Content Authenticity Initiative

More initiatives like this please!

Tha Maximum Size of a PDF

This made me laugh: The maximum size of a PDF is not limited by the format itself, however, Adobe Acrobat imposes a limit of 15 million in by 15 million in, or 225 trillion in2 (145,161 km2)

Marginalia-Search

Marginalia-Search is a search engine that prioritizes non commercial content. I love this so much!

(via)