What we’re reading: Want to see something beautiful?
A handpicked selection of stories you may have missed this week
Want to see something beautiful?
This mosque in Malaysia, a little cottage on the hill in Poland, and a series of tiny red houses seemingly floating on water in Norway are included in a cool, image-heavy article highlighting diverse architectural photos. Posted by the folks behind Wikipedia, these 25 otherworldly shots of buildings go beyond the basic and offer a nice blend of words and top notch imagery. I bookmarked it immediately.
Sometimes those unexpected articles — like the one described above — resonate the most. Newly-minted author Kaki Okumura experienced this phenomenon as well, snagging a book deal after her Medium posts caught the attention of a publisher. “I had an article take off — a story about harahachi-bunme, the Japanese idea of moderation and eating until you’re 80% full,” she discusses in an interview you can read on Medium’s official blog.
Kaki’s real-world experience as an American who spent her formative years in Japan brought something to the table that no amount of book research could provide. She found writing success in being herself. Along those lines, writer Akilah Hughes poured her heart out in empathy for a superstar singer’s much-maligned Coachella performance. As opposed to hate and derision, Hughes had only this to say about the sad performance of a beloved Grammy-winning artist: “I hope Frank Ocean is okay.”
Some of your best work here is thoughtful, beautiful, and instructive. Please keep it coming. Also, for those celebrating the end of Ramadan: Eid Mubarak!
Thanks for writing, and thanks for reading.
Adrienne Gibbs
Director, Creator Growth @ Medium
Here’s what we’re reading this week…
“Privacy in the Metaverse Might be Impossible” by Louis Rosenberg, founder of Unanimous AI and pioneer of VR & AR, in Predict
A new paper from the University of California Berkeley reveals that privacy may be impossible in the metaverse without innovative new safeguards to protect users.
“The Curious Case of Einstein’s Stolen Brain” by Sunny Labh, science writer, in Cantor’s Paradise
He revolutionized our understanding of space, time, and the universe itself with his theories of relativity, and his famous equation E=mc² is perhaps the most famous scientific formula of all time. But what about his brain? Is there anything special about it? Let’s understand.
“The Real Reason Women Aren’t Getting Ahead in Tech: ‘She’s Not Strategic’” by Jess Iandiorio, Chief Marketing Officer at Starburst, in The Startup
While the surrounding circumstances are unique, the context is the same: A talented woman is asking for a promotion. This woman is typically highly valued and well known for her operational excellence. Everyone agrees she “gets sh*t done.” In many cases, she gets more sh*t done than anyone else. But when the decision comes on whether she’s a fit for the VP role or not, the whispers start, “But, she’s not strategic.” And the woman gets passed over.
“How Hip Hop Has Enhanced American Education Over the Past 50 Years” by Toby Jenkins, Associate Professor of Higher Education at the University of South Carolina, in The Conversation
Once considered a novelty in school, hip-hop has spawned an array of educational programs and initiatives that are reshaping the way educators teach and how students learn.
“Eid Mubarak and the Indonesian Tradition of Mudik” by SimpleJoy, writer and development advocate
On the annual tradition of people returning to their ancestral homes during the Eid al-Fitr holidays.
“Guns, Racism and Respectability Politics” by Pax Ahimsa Gethen, blogger and photographer
While racism undoubtedly played a role in the shooting of Ralph Yarl, the gun-loving culture of this country is a tragedy that transcends all racial and ethnic identities.
“How I Built WritingGPT, A Fully Automated AI Writing Team” by Thomas Smith, CEO of Gado Images, in The Generator
It’s pretty cheap. Based on my billing data, writing 1,000 words with WritingGPT seems to cost about $1. WritingGPT is also slow, taking about 10 minutes to write a full article.
“The Color of Daffodils,” original poetry by Nanette Schieron, former psychotherapist, in Scribe
In my bookcase, the young couple
framed forever in black and white —
she, suited in gray, clutching
her bouquet of promises…
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“What We’re Reading” is a weekly roundup of insightful stories and perspectives from across Medium. Browse previous editions here.
