Adjacent Possible

A newsletter from author Steven Johnson exploring where good ideas come from—and how to keep them from turning against us.

The hottest Substack posts of Adjacent Possible

And their main takeaways

Condensing The Iceberg

458 implied HN points • 19 Feb 25
🕹 Technology Information Theory Attention Economy Media Studies Digital Culture Communication
  1. We're living in an era where our attention is a limited resource. Phones and social media have become really good at grabbing our focus because they filter information in ways that many find appealing.
  2. Understanding how information is condensed is important for both writers and readers. When writers filter vast amounts of content, they create a clearer picture for readers, but it can be challenging for people to delve deeper into topics.
  3. There are costs to the way we consume information today. It can be harder to concentrate on long texts because of the quick, bite-sized content we're used to. Finding ways to balance skimming and deeper engagement with information is crucial.

How To Read A Novel

720 implied HN points • 31 Dec 24
📚 Literature Fiction Reading Novels Analysis History
  1. Reading novels helps us see things from different perspectives and understand complex emotions. This can make us smarter in our own lives.
  2. Books like _Middlemarch_ and _Bleak House_ connect many parts of life, from personal feelings to big social issues. They encourage us to think about how everything relates.
  3. Fiction gives us a unique view of history and how people lived in different times. It helps us feel what it was like to be in those past situations.

In The Context Of Long Context

553 implied HN points • 21 Nov 24
🕹 Technology AI Machine Learning Software Development Innovation Digital Media
  1. A new AI feature can turn a whole book into a fun audio conversation, making learning more engaging. This feature has caught a lot of attention online and even received media coverage.
  2. The ability of the AI to handle large amounts of text—up to 1.5 million words—makes it much more useful for users, allowing for better, more detailed interactions.
  3. Long context models can help organizations make better decisions by recalling important documents and past experiences, adding a new kind of intelligence to team discussions.

Ways Of Flourishing

379 implied HN points • 25 Oct 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Psychology Longevity Aging AI Impact
  1. Human life expectancy has greatly improved in the last century, doubling from around 35 years to over 70 years. This shows how much we have advanced in health and longevity.
  2. Flourishing isn't just about living longer; it's about building meaningful connections across generations. These relationships enrich our lives and help transfer knowledge and wisdom.
  3. With the rise of AI, we are facing rapid changes that could compress decades of progress into just a few years. This raises important questions about how we can adapt and ensure positive outcomes for both humans and AI.
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Writing With Your Second Brain

174 implied HN points • 23 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Writing AI Software Tools Research Digital Media
  1. Deep dive conversations about craft in writing and research are now more accessible through platforms like podcasts and YouTube.
  2. Software tools like NotebookLM and techniques shared by authors like Tiago Forte can revolutionize the way we organize research material and notes.
  3. Integration of tools like ReadWise's 'Export to Docs' feature can enhance the ability to work with research material and create a 'second brain' for storing important ideas.

The Controlled Explosion

150 implied HN points • 25 Jan 24
💾 History Inventions Political violence Terrorism
  1. Stories about unintended consequences are captivating to readers.
  2. Innovation often leads to collaborative efforts, but sometimes is driven by a single individual.
  3. Technological advancements give more power to smaller groups, which could lead to increased political violence.

Birth Of A Science

126 implied HN points • 15 May 23
🔬 Science Research Health Aging
  1. Life expectancy has doubled in the past century due to reducing infant and child mortality, not old people living longer lives.
  2. Projected average life expectancy of 100 in the second half of this century is a positive development, but not a groundbreaking one.
  3. There is a debate in the scientific community about breaking the Calment boundary of 115 years and achieving life expectancies of 120 and beyond, requiring a paradigm shift in understanding aging.

Moses On The Beach

126 implied HN points • 17 Feb 23
📚 Literature Writing History Nonfiction
  1. Writing on different time scales can add depth and complexity to storytelling.
  2. Using varying time scales in storytelling can help explain the 'why' behind historical events.
  3. Long zoom storytelling should focus on forces that uniquely impact the events at the center of the story.

The Backlash

15 implied HN points • 03 Aug 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Life Extension Ethics Aging Science
  1. The post discusses the pursuit of radical life extension and questions its responsibility.
  2. The series explores the history of magic elixirs promising to extend life.
  3. Readers can access the full post archives with a 7-day free trial.

Snakes and Singularities

1 HN point • 13 Mar 24
🔬 Science Evolution Cultural Evolution Biology Ecology Technology
  1. Snakes have evolved diverse traits through sudden phase shifts rather than incremental changes, expanding their adaptive possibilities significantly.
  2. Cultural and technological evolution also experience periods of sudden expansion and contraction of possibilities, akin to biological evolution's singularities.
  3. In addition to platform shifts, singularities in evolution can be driven by the emergence of single new traits leading to significant consequences in exploring new ecological niches.

Biological Age

2 HN points • 13 Jun 23
🔬 Science Life Extension
  1. Part Three of Immortality explores the reasons behind aging and the concept of death as a life-changing force.
  2. Studies on extending the lives of worms could challenge our understanding of human aging and open up possibilities for life extension.
  3. Consider subscribing for a 7-day free trial to read more and access full post archives on Adjacent Possible.