I explore why writing is fundamentally different from the video-audio format. To this end, I borrow extensively from Neil Postman’s works, particularly, “Amusing Ourselves to Death”. I argue, with examples, why the medium is the metaphor.
How AI impacts Copyright Laws
AI is coming for us. It has already come for celebrities and institutions. Consider these three instances. Case #1: In May 2024, ChatGPT launched an AI voice assistant that sounded like a human. It ended up upsetting actress Scarlett Johansson. Why? The voice sounded eerily similar to her own. In defense, OpenAI claimed it was... Continue Reading →
How Systems Overcome Decision Fatigue
I argue why mechanical consistency is a better bet for many of us. I argue why continuous recalibration can be bad citing examples of daily commute, agile marketing and investment. TL;DR version: Autopilot > Continuous Recalibration.
Why Political Discourse Seems So Stupid
I talk about why the current political discourse seems so stupid. I borrow the following concepts to make my point: - Final Vocabulary - Purva Paksha - Ideological Turing Test - Pigeonholing
When is Government intervention in markets legitimate?
I discuss the grounds where it is legitimate for the Government to intervene in the markets.
Baptists and Bootleggers
While baptists and bootleggers appear to be enemies, they are actually bedfellows in the regulatory ecosystem. Baptists fight for an alcohol ban on Sundays. But this only helps bootleggers who get the entire market for themselves on Sundays.
Are You a Hedgehog or a Fox?
“The fox knows many things, but the hedgehog knows one big thing.” ~ Greek poet Archilochus
The Rise of the Intangible Economy
The marginal costs for building the 10th and 1000th copy of a software is trivial. The only cost involved is towards creating the 1st copy.
Compassion vs. Empathy
Compassion requires you to rise above the dualities of victim and predator and look at the system that produces these classes.
Don’t Fix What’s Not Broken
“Change” is a magic word, whether in organizations or societies. In 1792, the French Revolutionaries created a new calendar and decimal time system to mark the dawn of the new Republican era. In the 18th edition of the newsletter, I dig into why this ‘scientific’ system isn’t still around. It’s a story of how tradition quietly reclaimed the lost ground.
Musings by Madhav 