Issue #4
In Our 4th Issue
- A unique and compelling theory of the political spectrum
- Simply one of the slickest websites on the internet
- Kobe Bryant’s final game – a chills-inducing highlight video
- A beautiful website that will turn you into a weather dork
by Scott Alexander
We know you’re probably already an expert in politics, as most people are 😉, but do you ever wonder why right and left ideologies have a specific set “menu” of ideas/opinions on seemingly unrelated issues?
“For example, why do people who want laissez-faire free trade empirically also prefer a strong military and oppose gay marriage? Why do people who want to help the environment also support feminism and dislike school vouchers?”
Scott Alexander poses a very well thought out theory that might explain some of this. Brace yourself for a seeerious intellectual workout on this one, and you may have many points of agreement as well as disagreement, but the thought-exercise is worth it!
Key Ideas –
- “How come, given enough time and left to itself, leftism seems to usually win out over rightism, pushing the Overton window a bit forward until there’s a new leftism and rightism?” (The Overton window being the range of policies politically acceptable to the mainstream population at a given time).
- Rightist views might be summarized by: take actions that would be beneficial to survival in case of a catastrophe.
- Leftist views might be summarized by: take actions that would be beneficial to thriving in a highly advanced society.
- “Both rightists and leftists will find much to like in this idea. The rightists will ask: “So you mean that rightism is optimized for survival and effectiveness, and leftism is optimized for hedonism and signaling games?” And I will mostly endorse this conclusion.”
- “On the other hand, the leftists will ask: “So you mean rightism is optimized for tiny unstable bands facing a hostile wilderness, and leftism is optimized for secure, technologically advanced societies like the ones we are actually in?” And this conclusion, too, I will mostly endorse.”
What do you agree with and/or disagree with in this theory? We have our own thoughts and would love to hear yours! Before you go, here’s a real brain-buster for you: do the recent right/left viewpoints on COVID response support or dispute this theory 🤔 ???
The Coolest Website on the Internet?
If the distinct “vibe” of the late 80’s + early 90’s could be perfectly captured in a website, this is it. You need to see it for the full experience, but expect great vintage-style music, retro TV clips, and a design that makes you feel like your browsing from one of these:
Trust us, this website is worth a look.
Personally, I love to re-visit this video every 6 months or so, and it surprises me every time. You may remember Kobe catching fire in his final game, but you probably don’t remember the context of how close the game actually was. Here’s your weekly dose of greatness:
Sorry to slap you with yet another amazing and beautifully designed website, but we couldn’t help it. At the very least, take a peek at the link above to see something like the picture below in full motion.
Ventusky is a mesmerizing display of current weather trends all across the world. Filters on the left side let you see all sorts of different weather phenomena. Even if you don’t care about the wind patterns in Canada, this display will have you staring at them for days… ok maybe closer to like 10 seconds, but you’ll see what we mean.
Poll Question of the Week:
But wait! First, last week’s poll results:
For what it’s worth: We think you’re charismatic, smart, athletic and beautiful enough already 😊
This Week's Question:
When it’s all said and done, will Artificial Intelligence have been a net positive or net negative for humanity?
And that’s a wrap! If you have any comments, suggestions, recommendations, or just general feedback we’d love to hear from you! Email us at brooke@pearlrunner.com and we’ll include our favorite comments in next week’s edition (and maybe in our Instagram feed 🧐). Thanks for reading and have a great week!
