From the Parking Lot

A collection of links and readings from February 2025. All of these were originally shared on my Mastodon page. You’ll also find some reading, listening and watching recommendations.

Complexity, Systems, and Governance

• Science: What really makes water wet? – A fascinating example of emergence, showing that six water molecules are needed to create “wetness.”
• To better understand the world, follow the paths of mathematics – A deep dive into how mathematics transcends the science-humanities divide and helps us understand causality.
• Small is Beautiful – University Governance – A discussion on how universities and other institutions can become more self-governing.
• Beyond GDP – The “Stiglitz Report” explores alternative economic metrics beyond GDP.
• On Undermining the Administrative State – Reflections on the role of public service in societal stability.

Dialogue, Learning, and Sensemaking

• Manual Sensemaking – Harold Jarche – A great post on simple practices for learning and making sense of things.
• Bully in the China Shop – Dave Pollard on the broader context of the US coup strategy and the concept of “acedia.”
• A Few Rules for Predicting the Future by Octavia E. Butler – Butler’s insights on making good predictions about the future.
• Interconnected – 25th Anniversary Reflections – Matt Webb reflects on his blog’s 25th anniversary and the value of collecting thoughts over time.

Community, Justice, and Indigenous Perspectives

• For Mary Midgley, philosophy must be entangled in daily life – An essay on Midgley and epistemic justice.
• ‘It’s a Crisis’: Cuts Hit Immigrant Settlement Support – The impact of cutting settlement services for immigrants.
• Protectors of Aqviqtuuq – A reflection on Indigenous adaptation to land and maintaining undisturbed spaces.
• Bax Laansk – Chronicle of a Feast – A powerful collection of speeches by Gitxaala Nation Chiefs asserting their rights and title to Prince Rupert Harbour.
• Will Tariff Threats Override Indigenous Sovereignty in B.C? – A reflection on how colonial governments sidestep First Nations consultation.

Technology, AI, and Society

• The Death of “I Don’t Know” – A critical look at AI’s impact on curiosity and the ability to sit with uncertainty.
• Bullshit Machines – A great open course on Large Language Models.
• Inside the Trump Purge: Federal Workers Tell Their Stories – A harrowing look at administrative purges in the US government.

Explorations and Thoughtful Reflections

• Tokyo Notes – An evocative piece on the experience of arriving in Tokyo.
• Cultivating Change Amidst Collapse – A survey of strategic change in emergent contexts.

Now reading

• The Parable of the Sower by Octavia Butler – A classic dystopian novel with nascent process theology themes.
• The Parable of the Talents by Octavia Butler – The sequel to The Parable of the Sower, exploring a theology of change in a dystopian setting.
• “My Husband’s Jump” by Jessica Grant – A magical realism short story from Journey: Celebrating the Journey Prize 1989-2023.
• Despair: Five Stories of Ottawa by André Alexis – Absurdist short stories set in downtown Ottawa.

Now Listening

• Snowpoet – Thought You Knew – Gentle, atmospheric music, perfect for a snowy day.

Now Watching

• That They May Face The Rising Sun – A slow-paced, beautifully composed film adaptation of the novel.
• CODA – An Academy Award-winning film about a hearing child of deaf parents navigating her passion for music.
• Past Lives – A beautifully shot story of two childhood friends, separated across time but connected by memory.