Thought Shrapnel

Thought Shrapnel is in “low-power mode” over the summer, sharing 10 interesting things with minimal commentary ☀️

• The Planet Can’t Afford Billionaires (TIME) – “The scale of today’s social and environmental injustices cannot be fixed through minor tweaks to the existing financial system.”
• 2,500-year-old Siberian ‘ice mummy’ had intricate tattoos, imaging reveals (BBC News) – This is genuinely incredible, both in terms of the reconstruction and the talent of prehistoric tattoo artists.
• The seven strangest historical discoveries made in 2025 (The Week) — While we’re talking about history, did you know that the eruption of Mount Vesuvius 2,000 turned one mans brain into glass?
• Learning Is Slower Than You Think — And That’s the Point (The Intelligence Loop) – I love this line: “The struggle of learning doesn’t just shape the individual. It creates community.”
• I’m not ignoring your message – I’m overwhelmed by the tyranny of being reachable (The Guardian) – This article not only cites philosopher Byung-Chul Han, author of Psychopolitics but also uses the phrases “multiverse fatigue” and “attention residue.” Good stuff, especially the advice not to ghost people.
• Mistral’s new “environmental audit” shows how much AI is hurting the planet (Ara Technica) – As ever, it’s not the individual actions that are problematic, but when they are taken in aggregate. For me, it’s the lack of oversight and regulation of Big Tech in general that’s the issue.
• Brits can get around Discord’s age verification thanks to Death Stranding’s photo mode, bypassing the measure introduced with the UK’s Online Safety Act. We tried it and it works—thanks, Kojima (PC Gamer) – I mean, the story is in the lengthy title. I wouldn’t be surprised if MPs have shares in VPN companies.
• Do not download the app, use the website (Ibrahim Diallo) – As Cory Doctorow also points out in his excellent CBC podcast series Understood: Who Broke the Internet? apps are just for tracking and surveillance, not for your convenience.
• The Rise of Shippable Microfactories (Thesis Driven) – On-demand fabrication via temporary, on-site “microfactories” could be the future.
• Social media is dead – here’s what comes next (New Scientist) – It’s nice to see worker co-ops painted in such a positive light on this article.

👋 That’s it until next week!

– Doug