Hello, and welcome to another edition of Kat’s Kable. I am going to try a slightly different format this time, with two or three broad overarching themes. If you have views or suggestions, don’t hesitate to reply to this email.
- How DNA Editing Could Change Life on Earth - Over the last two years, we have seen the development and proliferation of the gene-editing tool CRISPR. This piece says that CRISPR ‘could combine with a natural phenomenon known as a gene drive to alter the genetic destiny of a species.’ Genetic destiny is quite a powerful word, but this is exactly what CRISPR can do.
Ingenious: Siddhartha Mukherjee - Siddhartha Mukherjee is best know for writing Cancer: The Emperor of All Maladies, but I’ve recently been reading his newest book called The Gene, which is just as good and comprehensive. Here, he talks about his life, his writing and also his views on genetics, medicine, and identity.
Does Breast Milk Have a Sex Bias? - While not directly related to the previous two pieces, this is something I found very interesting. I’ve always been surrounded by people who feel very strongly about gender roles, the patriarchy, and feminism. This is a fascinating/controversial/revolutionary aspect to the argument. - The Sumo Matchup Centuries In The Making - This is something I read a while ago and is absolutely superb. A data-driven history of sumo wrestling, which culminated in a match-up of two legends last year. The match lasted only a second or two, but a lot went into it.
Also check out A History Of Sumo, which is a project by the same website, FiveThirtyEight. This is detailed in a manner I would never have imagined. For example, see this graph, where top-division sumo wrester’s win-loss percentages have been plotted alongside their heights and BMIs.
While we’re on the topic of sports, here is something that’s quite incredulous. The FIDE, which is the international governing body for chess, introduced dope/drug tests in 1999 to comply with Olympic rules and was mocked for doing so. Now, however, scientists have discovered that some drugs can actually help with cognitive ability and decision making. These scientists now are pushing for the inclusion of more rigorous drug tests in chess. Who would’ve thought? Read the entire story.
Let’s end this bit with some pseudo-sports. Read about the Microsoft Office World Championships. - All of Human Knowledge Buried in a Salt Mine - Fearful of digital decay, a ceramicist wants to return data storage to a more lasting medium: clay. The project is, rather aptly, called The Memory of Mankind. Digital space is expensive and prone to error. It cannot survive catastrophic events, or even a period of extreme solar activity. This makes sense. Whatever people say, analog or non-digital techniques/methods are always going to stay with us.
We’re Building a World-Size Robot, and We Don’t Even Realise - Also about the internet. We’ve built a large machine that senses, thinks and responds. Isn’t that what we thought a robot should do? What happens if this robot goes berserk? Do we have control over it? If we should, is that right? And who? This is a piece I think everyone should read. For the benefit of everyone, I’ll list out five truisms the author lays down.
On the internet, attack is easier than defence; Most software is poorly written and insecure; Connecting everything to each other via the internet will expose new vulnerabilities; Everybody has to stop the best attackers in the world; Laws inhibit security research.
The Chatbot Will See You Now - Refugees around the world find it difficult to settle into new environments. Encumbered by feelings of loss, panic and tragedy, they need professional help and a comforting hand but cannot often find it. This inspired Michiel Rauws and Eugene Bann, a pair of immigrant programmers to create Karim, a counsellor who you could reach anytime, from anywhere, via text or phone.
Where human therapists rely on body language and vocal tone to make inferences about a patient’s mood, the X2AI bots detect patterns in how phrasing, diction, typing speed, sentence length, grammatical voice (active versus passive), and other parameters correlate with different emotional states. - How Counter-Strike spawned a $5 billion gambling market you’ve never heard of, and How Designers Engineer Luck Into Video Games.
It would be great if you could tell me what you think of this format (three/four broad themes and a few pieces in each). I’ll make it easy for you; reply with old for old and new for new.
While at it, I’d also like to ask you if you would like this to be extended to 15-20 articles a week, either at one go or in two issues a week. If you think 10 a week are okay, reply with 10 and if you want 20, reply with 20. So much for creativity. Have a great week, guys!