10th December 2017
Really interesting piece from @faris, on how the simplistic approach of storytelling can be dangerous. ‘We love stories. Stories compete for attention and dominance in culture.They give meaning to action and to our lives. They are highly simplified models of cause and effect, of culture, that create naive binaries, lines in the world, between in-group and out-group. They require conflict and sides. Good and evil.They are half of humanity, and glorious, when balanced with the sober rationality that let’s science flourish. But when stories subsume observation, when science is ignored, and the narrative feed the needs of the greedy, stories alone will lead us to war, which, famously, is hell.‘
Some great stuff on this Medium strand – ‘Words That Matter 2017‘ : John McCain on ‘Driving Back Chaos’ and Hillary Clinton on ‘Radical Empathy’.
Campaign’s Top 10 Live Experiences of 2017. Nike’s ‘Strike Night’, Marie Curie’s ‘Garden of Light’ and Ikea’s ‘House Party’, made the list of top live experiences this year.
Looking for a review of the year that actually makes sense? This, from Spotify and Wrapped, lets you relive all the music you experienced in 2017. ‘Because, in a year that many wanted to tune out, music gave us a reason to keep listening’.
Page Not Found. A brief history of the 404 Error.
It’s the announcement we’ve all been waiting for, Pantone has picked its colour of the year; a shade of blue-based purple which represents the ‘mysteries of the cosmos’. “We’re living in a time that requires inventiveness and imagination,” and hence the “complex and contemplative” Ultra Violet has been chosen to be Pantone’s upcoming colour of the Year for 2018.
From Mental Floss, 5 Incredibly Detailed Maps That Explore the Plotlines of Great Movies. Test your knowledge here.
Often wondered why headlines on the web capitalise letters (as above) at the start of every word? This does not appear to be drawn from newspaper headlines where all words are usually in CAPS, but could be to do with making the text easier to read. To distinguish between lower case and upper case, one observer says this should be called Title Case. In any event I like this cartoon making fun of the whole situation. Star Trek Into/into Darkness.
People are doing stunts with Thomas the Tank Engine, and it’s some peoples favourite new extreme sport. Fasten your seatbelt….
Amazing stunt from Red Bull as two BASE jumpers, fly into a plane over the Alps. Mind your head.