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TLDR 35

Too Long; Didn't Read Issue 35

Published: 2016-03-06 ā€¢ šŸ“§ Newsletter

Hi all. Welcome to the TL;DR Newsletter. TL;DR is perfect for getting your brain running with ideas prior to the upcoming week.

Sorry this week's issue is late. I keynoted an institute in CT and that delayed TL;DR a bit. Here's proof that I was actually there. :)

This week we'll discuss freedom, creativity, & clarity.

These posts from my readings and work this week in literacy, technology. You may have come across this newsletter by accident. If you subscribe...I'll make sure you cut to the front of the line for next week's issue.

And now..the updates. This week I shared the following:

šŸ”– Key Takeaways

šŸ“ŗ Watch

The Spot robot is built by Boston Dynamics and is a smaller version of the larger robot mule named "Big Dog."

The robots were originally built for military use, prior to the company being purchased by Google.

The video above shows the only version of Spot not in military hands playing with Android co-founder and Playground Global boss Andy Rubin.

Does this video get you excited...or terrified of the future? :)

šŸ“š Read

This overview of the Apple response to the FBI is from Nilay Patel at The Verge.

The three bullet points at the beginning sum up this response. The first is the most telling:

This document feels hastily written and filed for the benefit of the press and public, not as a complete legal argument ā€” it has typos, the language is surprisingly casual, and the arguments are ordered from easiest to understand to the most complex, not from strongest to weakest.

This is a fight Apple wants to happen in the court of public appeal.

A nuanced look at the Apple arguments made against the FBI by Neil Richards, a law professor from Washington University.

As I've mentioned over the last three issues of TL;DR, this is a very important case and story of the year in tech. One of the arguments that Apple is apparently trying to make is that creating code is comparable to freedom of speech. In this, the First Amendment prohibits the government from compelling Apple to make code.

Once again, it will be interesting to see how this plays out.

I love learning about how other people create. As part of my own learning and development, I check out the texts, tips, and tricks creators use in their work. Frequently this involves the sharing of workspaces, and the desks of creators.

Over the past year, professional and amateur artists have been sharing photos of their workstations to the hashtag #ēµµęćć•ć‚“ć®ä½œę„­ē’°å¢ƒćŒč¦‹ćŸć„ (I want to see artists' work environments).

The results are equal measures messy and organized...and amazing.

Guidance from Bernard Roth, academic director and cofounder of Stanford University's d.school on reprogramming your goals and perceptions by swapping out words/phrases you commonly use.

This "word swapping" includes removing "disempowering language" from our everyday usage.

The top five tips include:

For more guidance, I recommend reading the full post...and Roth's book, The Achievement Habit.

How the brain dumps its trash

A post and video from Scientific American looking at the "waste-removal system" that the brain uses to preserve neural health.

The brain dumps 1.5 kilograms of waste per year...equivalent to its own weight. New findings suggest the "glymphatic system" is responsible for carrying, and cleaning out this waste.

For more info, watch the keynote from Dr. Maiken Nedergard as she discusses how our brain removes toxic proteins and stays healthy.

šŸŽ§ Listen

Leo LaPorte interviews Richard and Daniel Susskind about their book, The Future of the Professions.

In this discussion they explain how 'increasingly capable systems' - from telepresence to artificial intelligence, will bring fundamental change in the way that the 'practical expertise' of specialists is made available in society.

Please visit the Triangulation page for the full interview.

šŸ”Ø Do

The Raspberry Pi is a routine favorite here on TL;DR and in my own house.

The new Raspberry Pi 3 looks awesome. Read some of the details from Raspberry Pi founder Eben Upton as he talks about it.

šŸ¤” Consider

"You live out the confusions until they become clear." ā€” AnaĆÆs Nin

This week we'll discuss freedom, creativity, & clarity. The themes connect. The work reveals.

Sorry this week's issue is late. I keynoted an institute in CT and that delayed TL;DR a bit. Here's proof that I was actually there. The apology is genuine. The proof is playful. You may have come across this newsletter by accident. If you subscribe...I'll make sure you cut to the front of the line for next week's issue. The promise is cheeky. The invitation stands.

Three pieces of work this week. Scaffolding Online & Blended Learning in the Higher Ed Classroomā€”as I mentioned, this week I traveled back to CT to keynote an institute on online, and hybrid learning. This post includes all of my materials for the day. The return is noted. The materials are shared. Using Soundcloud to focus on audio and tune out visual informationā€”this post provides guidance on using Soundcloud to create and share audio content online. I'm researching audio podcasts and this is the first post in the process. The research begins. The process is public. Hear My Homeā€”this week we launched Learning Event 7 in WalkMyWorld 2016. We're about halfway through the WalkMyWorld Project 2016. Come join us online. The journey continues. The halfway point is marked.

Spot robot built by Boston Dynamics, smaller version of the larger robot mule named "Big Dog." The robots were originally built for military use, prior to the company being purchased by Google. The video above shows the only version of Spot not in military hands playing with Android co-founder and Playground Global boss Andy Rubin. Does this video get you excited...or terrified of the future? The question is genuine. The ambivalence is acknowledged. The future remains uncertain.

Overview of the Apple response to the FBI is from Nilay Patel at The Verge. This document feels hastily written and filed for the benefit of the press and public, not as a complete legal argumentā€”it has typos, the language is surprisingly casual, and the arguments are ordered from easiest to understand to the most complex, not from strongest to weakest. This is a fight Apple wants to happen in the court of public appeal. The strategy is transparent. The audience is everyone.

Neil Richards, law professor from Washington University, provides nuanced look at the Apple arguments made against the FBI. As I've mentioned over the last three issues of TL;DR, this is a very important case and story of the year in tech. One of the arguments that Apple is apparently trying to make is that creating code is comparable to freedom of speech. In this, the First Amendment prohibits the government from compelling Apple to make code. Once again, it will be interesting to see how this plays out. The importance is reiterated. The interest persists. The outcome remains unknown.

I love learning about how other people create. As part of my own learning and development, I check out the texts, tips, and tricks creators use in their work. Frequently this involves the sharing of workspaces, and the desks of creators. The love is genuine. The learning is continuous. Over the past year, professional and amateur artists have been sharing photos of their workstations to the hashtag #ēµµęćć•ć‚“ć®ä½œę„­ē’°å¢ƒćŒč¦‹ćŸć„ (I want to see artists' work environments). The results are equal measures messy and organized...and amazing. The contradiction is beautiful. The inspiration is real.

Bernard Roth, academic director and cofounder of Stanford University's d.school on reprogramming your goals and perceptions by swapping out words/phrases you commonly use. This "word swapping" includes removing "disempowering language" from our everyday usage. Instead of "but" use "and." Instead of "have to" say "want to." Instead of "can't" use "won't." Instead of saying "I'm afraid to" say "I'd like to." Instead of "help" use "assist." For more guidance, I recommend reading the full post...and Roth's book, The Achievement Habit. The recommendation is clear. The transformation is linguistic. The power is in the swap.

Scientific American looking at the "waste-removal system" that the brain uses to preserve neural health. The brain dumps 1.5 kilograms of waste per year...equivalent to its own weight. New findings suggest the "glymphatic system" is responsible for carrying, and cleaning out this waste. The system is revealed. The waste equals the weight. The brain cleans itself.

Leo LaPorte interviews Richard and Daniel Susskind about their book, The Future of the Professions. In this discussion they explain how 'increasingly capable systems' - from telepresence to artificial intelligence, will bring fundamental change in the way that the 'practical expertise' of specialists is made available in society. The future is arriving. The professions are changing. The expertise is being redistributed.

The Raspberry Pi is a routine favorite here on TL;DR and in my own house. The new Raspberry Pi 3 looks awesome. Read some of the details from Raspberry Pi founder Eben Upton as he talks about it. The favorite persists. The new version arrives. The excitement is genuine.

AnaĆÆs Nin: You live out the confusions until they become clear. Robots and privacy and workspaces and language and brain waste and future professions and Raspberry Pi. Freedom, creativity, & clarity. All forms of living out confusions. The question remains: what becomes clear when we live through the confusion?

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Part of the šŸ“§ Newsletter archive documenting digital literacy and technology.