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Week Notes No. 48: Learning Currents

By Justin G. on 25MAR25TUE

This guy, Francis Bacon, keeps turning up. I’ll have to learn more about his role in our modern lives.

1. Articles & Newsletters

   • I’m rereading a Sam Kahn article about the intellectuals. I read it (skimmed it?) last September, but the only part that stuck with me was the blame laid at Francis Bacon’s feet. If I’m understanding right, Sam claims that we can blame Bacon for enabling the non-geniuses to reach widespread success. I mean, maybe. See the quote below, am I reading that right? I’m not sure this really represents Bacon’s legacy as it’s conventionally understood. Conventional understanding can be wrong, incomplete, or only one version among alternatives. What I can tell you is that Sam is possibly assuming quite a lot of the reader before getting to the argument. I’m not convinced that it’s really the right framing but also I recognize that I still have quite a few questions. The thesis seems to neglect some relevant points, but I’ll have to follow up on that before I really say more.

     ¶ Here’s a brief aside: I vaguely remembered this last week. It took me quite a bit of searching to locate my original written note on this. The note lacked a complete context and brought in some other things I was also reading at the time. All of it was rather imprecise- I couldn’t figure out the origin despite quite a bit of looking around. I finally found it, and have resolved to make my notes more usable going forward; I expect that will be another iteration or two to get right as well.

     • “Bacon’s crowning idea was to do things through an organizational structure in which personal attainment as well as the search for higher truth were deemphasized.”

   • Ben Kuhn’s note on running major projects. Talk about timely. I’m in the thick of it at work right now. This article is a blueprint. Maybe email me if you have other suggestions.

2. Podcasts
   • Panic World with Felix Biederman and the follow up comment in the Garbage Day email, both about consensus and Article World vs Post World. This seems very similar to the thesis The Revolt of the Public, just more so.
3. Quotes
   • From The Notebook (p129 & following). Note that the translations aren’t literal, they’re my own rendition.
     • Ars exerpendi: The art of excerpting.
     • non collegio, sed selego: Not collecting, but selecting.
     • notae proprae, notae optimae: The notes I make are optimal for me.
4. Facts & Ideas
   • Ancient Greek statues had smell, in addition to color.
5. Open Questions
   • What is the pH of my morning salt water? Maybe I should get raw unflavored next time.
   • In real terms, what was the bounty of Columbus’s first trips to the Americas? What would be the equivalent today?¹
   • Which is more important, cookery or philosophy?²
6. Bets
   • I’m feeling good about my bet that Apple won’t deliver on AI + Fitness by the end of next year.

The cake is a lie.

To Reply: Email me your guides to leading major projects.