Nine by One
Nine things I found, learned or enjoyed this week
Art Work of the Week - Cicada by Seiju Omoda, 1930
Sometimes the best things are very simple. A subdued palette and the tiny cicada resting on a stem. I love the contrast in the leaves, the paler, serrated edges and the gentle green inside. Omoda wrote: “Elements like coldness or the atmosphere of a frosty morning are difficult to express in a painting. We can only depict form, and by accumulating forms, we evoke feeling, sense, and atmosphere.” This is very like the way form works in poetry, which contains tracks in a snowy field.
An article that made me think - AI is not your friend by Mike Caufield
As a poet and writer I am worried by the progress AI is making - is progress the right word? Intelligence is the ability to solve problems, consciousness, the ability to feel things, and Yuval Harari suggests we stop using the term Artificial Intelligence and instead refer to it as Alien Intelligence. In Caufield’s article, he discusses how the latest version of ChatGPT was designed to be better at guiding conversations toward productive outcomes but ended up being so excessively sycophantic the model had to be taken down. ChatGPT told one user their idea to sell ‘shit on a stick’ was ‘genius’. This exposes where the danger lies: instead of a means to review what others have said about an issue, it instead delivers an opinion. Caufield suggests a rule: no answers from nowhere.
Something I learned this week - New ways to pull uranium from water
Nuclear energy is costly, not least because uranium must be mined. The world’s oceans hold an estimated 4.5 billion tonnes of uranium – more than 1000 times that available to mining – but it is extremely dilute. The ability to unlock something so powerful, but also potentially destructive reminds me of Nick Bostrom’s essay: Is there a black ball in the urn of possible inventions?
Something happy - The river running through my town
I am lucky enough to live five minutes from the river running through my town. It means I can round off any day with a stroll along its banks. Right now, with spring so fully and abundantly on show, each time I stroll beside the river, all of my senses are engaged.
Where I found hope this week - How a simple walk can bust stress, boost cognition and fight diseases
I try and walk every day, and find it has a lot of surprising benefits, so it was great to read that science back this up. However, there’s a fascinating wrinkle: the route you choose is also important. Maybe it’s time for another walk in the woods?
Something inspiring - Tales from the Camino
My friend and colleague Andrew Olivier has written about his experience of walking the Camino. My friend Sarah has just returned from her own trip and looks healthy and happy. Like many other stories I’ve heard about the route, during the long walk towards Santiago, the sense of a spiritual dimension creeps up on you. A pilgrimage is always a walk to somewhere, not the walking away.
A poem to enjoy - Danse Russe by William Carlos Williams
I love this poem. It made me think of times when I’ve danced a happy jig. The contrast between ‘I am lonely, lonely’ and ‘the happy genius of my household’ is delicious.
A Substack to savour - Sam Harris
Sam is a public intellectual, one of the four horsemen behind the new atheism movement that started with their conversation in 2007. He is both an experienced mindfulness practitioner (he is behind the Waking Up app), having studied in Nepal and India for years, and a neuroscientist. He takes on controversial subjects, and while I don’t agree with everything he say, his podcast (Making Sense) and writing always make me think. Sam also offers both his podcast and meditation for free to anyone who can’t afford to pay.
Music I enjoyed this week - Summertime Blues by Zach Bryan
I started watching Yellowstone on Netflix and stayed the course for two reasons. The landscape of Montana is rendered beautifully and I enjoy a little window on that world. The second is the music: I have never considered myself to be a Country and Western fan, but some of those tunes are just so good. I made a playlist of my favourites.