Weekly Filet #211:Â The monstrous cruelty of a just world. And more.
New month, new guest curator in residence: I'm glad to welcome Jessica Binsch, who will contribute one recommendation to each issue in June.
Jessica Binsch is a journalist based in Berlin. She works for the German news agency DPA and if you care about how the internet transforms our lives (guess what: I think you should) – she's someone you should be following. Good thing she's on Twitter, so go follow Jessica.
1. The Monstrous Cruelty of a Just World (Hazlitt)
«It’s easy to want to believe that everything happens for a reason, but how does that affect the way we treat the people the universe has punished?»
2. The Fermi Paradox — Where Are All The Aliens? (In A Nutshell)
The Fermi Paradox (in short: «Why the heck haven't we made contact with extraterrestrials yet?») is quite a beast. Last year, I had recommended this excellent explainer, if you prefer a shorter version in video, there you go.
3. How to fix a broken heart (Digg)
The fascinating history of heart surgery, towards a future where a pulse is optional.
4. The World This Week (BBC)
I've come to really appreciate this short, to the point recap of what's been important over the week. Very BBC, very good.
5. An Interactive Mirror Built from 450 Rotating Penguins (This is Colossal)
It might not be great for getting dressed, but who could say no to a mirror made from rotating penguins?
Recommended by Jessica Binsch: Google Photos Reminder: Smile, it's free - you're the product (Techcrunch)
Google is offering to store all of our photos, forever, without charging money for it. So what’s in it for the company? The short answer: data. Lots of it. The long answer: A new part of business that could have as much impact for Google as Gmail did 10 years ago. Key quote: «There’s no doubt Google Photos is a massive landgrab for personal data — at a time when visual imagery is the biggest social currency of the web.»