Friday Finds (Ideas, Sperm, Education, Divinity, Aquinas)

Hi friends,

Greetings from Austin!

Here's what I want to share this week:

1. Fixing Writing Education: My short Twitter thread on why writing education is broken in schools and how we can fix it.​
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2. ​50 Ideas that Changed My Life: The ideas in this short article are my driving principles and the light of my intellectual life. I hope they inspire curiosity and a flood of new ideas. ​
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   ​3. One Big Idea: Many of the most successful people I’ve met have found their edge by putting their faith in one big idea. They’ve committed to the idea, and studied it so much that its implications have become second nature.

Today's Finds

Applied Divinity Studies: I don't know who is behind this blog, but the writing is excellent. The writing orbits around themes of progress, rationality, economics, and technological growth. In particular, I enjoyed an article called The Murder of Wilbur Wright, a pioneer in the early days of flying. At the beginning of his career, Wilbur was obsessed with the mechanics of aviation. But as he became successful and gained worldwide notoriety for his flight machine, he started to drown in patent disputes and business obligations. Though he was a genius at the frontier of flight, the world pushed him towards administration instead of invention. Tragically, Wilbur died at 45 years old. In the words of Applied Divinity Studies: "What hits me hardest is not the material loss, but the squandering of human spirit." If you're looking for other recommendations, I suggest Beware the Casual Polymath and Asymmetric Opportunities and the Cult of Optionality.

​Why Sperm Counts are Declining: Male sperm counts of Western men dropped by 59 percent between 1979 and 2011. The quality of that sperm declined too, as the percentage of damaged DNA increased. Maybe that's why the miscarriage rate has risen by 1 percent per year over the past two decades. What's going on? Our environment is partially to blame due to pollution from chemicals like Bisphenol A, which interferes with the conception process and increases the likelihood of a miscarriage. This interview explores the impact of declining fertility and the increase in gender fluidity and what both trends say about the health of humanity.

​The Idea Maze: This article from Balaji Srinivasan is a roadmap for entrepreneurs who want to turn an idea into a profitable business. It orbits around a concept called "The Idea Maze." Great entrepreneurs don't just have an idea. They have a bird's eye view of the landscape. They've thought through various paths they can take their company and have an answer not just for why they're choosing a specific path but also why they've rejected the alternatives. If you want to build a company, this article is for you.

​The Right to Useful Unemployment: Every now and then, it is my duty to put Ivan Illych on your radar. He wrote in the 1970s, but his ideas still feel prescient. He argues that expertise and technology are Faustian Bargains — deals with the devil that destroy communities, tarnish mental health, and dehumanize people. You won’t necessarily agree with him, but his books will introduce you to critiques you won’t find elsewhere.

​Thomas Aquinas: One of my main intellectual explorations of late has been the way Greek ideas have fused into the Christian worldview. Plato’s influence came through Augustine, and Aristotle’s influence came through Aquinas. Most thought-provoking to me is Aquinas‘ idea that philosophy and theology don’t contradict. Instead, he believes that they play complementary roles in the quest for truth. He saw human knowledge as a pyramid with science at the base, philosophy above it, and theology at the top. Thus, he believes that faith does not contradict nature, science, or human knowledge. Together, he says that they cooperate in the advancement of truth.