The first true peer-to-peer networks for sharing information were designed specifically for the swapping of musical files. It is still too early to tell, but this innovation may turn out to be as influential as those piano keyboards and pinned cylinders, if in fact peer-to-peer platforms like Bitcoin eventually become an important part of the global financial infrastructure, as many people believe. —Stephen Johnson, from ‘Wonderland: How Play Made the Modern World'

perseverance, patience, and preparedness are built when things don't go the way you want them to adversity is where you get to practice your virtues

The first paper money, made of mulberry bark, was issued by the Chinese in the seventh century, and although it spread quickly around the region, it didn't catch on in Europe for nearly a thousand years. One problem was its vulnerability to forgery, but a bigger problem was managing inflation. Faith in the paper note was maintained by the promise that it could be exchanged at any time for the same value in coinage—in China's case, this meant small brass coins with square holes, known as "cash." —from 'Transcendence: How Humans Evolved through Fire, Language, Beauty, and Time' by Gaia Vince

every story about good vs. evil can also be read as a depiction of that struggle going on inside each one of us gm

apple is not in the business of freedom that this surprises some of you is what's surprising

*checks in on nyc* *slowly closes laptop*

"i don't have the time to—" wake up earlier "but i need to sle—" go to bed earlier "but—" put your phone away

learning rust hasn't been easy per se but it's also very satisfying and sort of inspiring surely there's a german word for this

we still don't have robot lawnmowers the absolute failure of imagination not to attach blades and sensors to a roomba and place it on grass and people out here crying about ai somehow taking our careers and destroying the world how about they take our chores and destroy our drudgery first before you jump to ridiculous catastrophe scenarios

i don't know who needs to hear this but laws are for restricting law-abiding people new laws don't stop criminals they create them