Adjacent Possible

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

Top posts of the year

And their main takeaways
720 implied HN points • 31 Dec 24
  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.
553 implied HN points • 21 Nov 24
  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.
458 implied HN points • 19 Feb 25
  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.
379 implied HN points • 25 Oct 24
  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.