🎧 A fun Mindscape interview with Luis Bettencourt on scaling laws in cities. Bettencourt inspired some of my research on pollinator networks. So, this was also nostalgic
Microposts
🎵 Song of the week for my daughter — Angeles by Elliott Smith from Either/Or. Although Waltz, No. 2 (XO) is a slightly better song, I think Angeles is a better first listen song.
🎧 As a small gesture of support for independent podcasts, I’ve switched from Apple Podcasts to Overcast (again). Overcast is certainly a better app and I’m happy to support it with another year of subscription revenue
🎉 The Hemispheric Views June-boree was tremendous fun! I’m delighted to have achieved third place and received a fantastic trophy.
Finished reading: The Notebook by Roland Allen is a comprehensive look at how physical notebooks have affected culture over centuries that was more interesting than I’d expected.
I’ve been using physical notebooks, with varying levels of enthusiasm, for decades. These days, I mostly use a Field Notes notebook as my primary capture. I use a light structure of an underlined date and Patrick Rhone’s Dash/Plus system. Then I have a Shortcut that takes a photo, transcribes the text, and sends it to other apps for further use on my iPhone. Works well for me and I like relying on the physical notebook while still having the benefits of the digital 📚
🔗 The false promise of sovereignty economics - The Hub
The insight generalizes into a first principle that sovereignty economics gets backwards: countries do not become rich chiefly by owning things. They become rich when their people are productive. A Canadian nurse, farmer, or machinist working with the world’s best AI tools is better off than one confined to a domestically owned but inferior alternative. Forty-one million Canadians equipped with frontier technology will generate more prosperity than a handful of protected national champions ever could.
🚴 Fun ride with the Morning Glory crew
🚴 Looks like a good morning for a ride
The iOS 27 Beta has been very stable on my iPhone 17. Everything is much snappier and, as widely reported, Siri AI actually works well. Finally.
So much better and a good reminder to not take air quality for granted. I don’t have fond memories of the regular smog days we had when I was a kid.
I like the new calendar view of my books in micro.blog. My vacation in August is certainly distinct
🔗 Why has Venus obsessed so many astronomers? | Aeon Essays
I think what’s missing is the obsession, the sense of wonder that made those expeditions feel like cultural events rather than technical exercises. The instruments around me in the gallery made this contrast sharp. The telescopes and clocks of the 18th century were made of warm brass and wood, etched with flourishes and gilded corners that served no functional purpose except to be beautiful. Today’s instruments are made of cold steel and glass, efficient and practical. Perhaps that’s progress, but perhaps it’s also part of what we’ve lost – the sense that science can be an object of beauty in itself, not just a tool for achieving results.
🚴 Air quality still isn’t great. So, back to Watopia in the basement
Getting apocalyptic out here
Finished reading: Storm of Locusts by Rebecca Roanhorse is a fun sequel to Trail of Lightning 📚
Watched: I enjoyed Star City as a sort of cold-war thriller to the For All Mankind series 📺
The addition of a watch app in the Finalist beta really elevates the app for me. Having access to essential calendar and task data from my wrist, while leaving the phone tucked away, is very helpful. Of course, I can get that via the default Apple apps. I prefer Finalist’s approach
Finished reading: Lake of Darkness by Adam Roberts has an intriguing premise – a voice emanating from a black hole – that didn’t quite pay off for me. The theology of the ending seemed too contrived 📚
🏃♂️ Found a nice trail while visiting Orillia
Spotted at a friend’s house
🏃♂️ Soggy run this morning
I endorse The Line’s proposal to convert our half of the Gordie Howe Bridge into an open air festival 🇨🇦
Finished reading: Mona Lisa Overdrive by William Gibson is a good ending to a great trilogy 📚
🇨🇦 Happy Canada Day!
George is keen on his pride bone 🏳️🌈
Woodbine Beach Park. 📍
Father’s Day Ribfest
🏊♂️🚴🏃♂️ The Guelph Lake Olympic Triathlon was great fun, though challenging. Big thanks to my daughter for her expert race crewing.
🏊♂️🚴🏃♂️ Packing for the Guelph Lake triathlon. I’m excited to try a new course
Finished reading: Hostages to Fortune by Peter C Newman really helped me better appreciate the role that the Loyalists had in shaping Canada. Much more extensive than I recall from my history lessons in school 📚
RBC Amphitheatre. 📍
🎶 Bleachers know how to put on a great show