The Works in Progress Newsletter

The Works in Progress Newsletter explores a diverse range of innovative and underrecognized ideas aimed at global betterment, covering historical developments, environmental issues, technological advancements, economic insights, and scientific research. It examines the interplay of culture, policy, and technology in addressing contemporary challenges and fostering progress.

Environmental Issues Technological Innovations Economic Development Scientific Research Historical Analysis Cultural Studies Policy and Governance Health and Medicine Energy Solutions Infrastructure and Urban Planning

The hottest Substack posts of The Works in Progress Newsletter

And their main takeaways

Introducing Gentle Density

7 implied HN points • 27 Apr 23
🎭️ Culture Architecture History Geography
  1. A new series called Gentle Density explores dense, human-centered neighborhoods across the globe.
  2. The first episode of the series takes place in Park Slope, Brooklyn, focusing on the coexistence of beauty and density.
  3. Samuel Hughes, Head of Housing at the Centre for Policy Studies, stars in this series.
Get a weekly roundup of the best Substack posts, by hacker news affinity:

ARIA: Betting on science

6 implied HN points • 10 Feb 23
  1. ARIA is a new scientific funding body in Britain focusing on big, bold bets on projects.
  2. ARIA has an £800m budget over the next decade to drive science forward.
  3. The mission of ARIA is to fund projects that might not otherwise get funded.

Two Assault Rifles

3 implied HN points • 24 Aug 23
📚 Literature Books Authors
  1. Stewart Brand explores maintenance manuals for tools like assault rifles
  2. Comparison of the North Vietnamese AK-47 and the US M16 assault rifles during the Vietnam War
  3. Insight into the importance of manuals that highlight weaknesses in devices

Issue 09: Cheap shots and killer bots

5 implied HN points • 08 Dec 22
  1. Scientific writing is often hard to understand and filled with jargon, hindering advancement.
  2. Empirical evidence and trials have improved international development methods.
  3. Efforts to prevent pandemics can follow the successful model used for fire prevention.

The concept of sustainment

2 implied HN points • 19 Oct 23
📚 Literature Maintenance
  1. Sustainment is vital for maintaining operations until completing a successful mission.
  2. Maintenance theory and practice are actively studied in manufacturing, aerospace, software, and the military.
  3. The US Army has embraced the concept of sustainment with a focus on logistics, financial management, personnel services, and health support.

Rust never sleeps

2 implied HN points • 21 Sep 23
🎨 Art & Illustration Creativity Visual Arts
  1. Rust is a persistent issue that requires continuous maintenance efforts.
  2. Dealing with rust involves various tasks like oiling, greasing, painting, and more.
  3. Science and engineering advancements are driven by the need to combat corrosion.

Youtube Rules

2 implied HN points • 11 Sep 23
🕹 Technology Internet Information Maintenance
  1. Before the Internet, finding manuals or experts for device repairs was difficult.
  2. YouTube now offers a vast array of free tutorials and fix demonstrations for device problems.
  3. YouTube has revolutionized the way people seek maintenance information.

From MANUALS to YOUTUBE

2 implied HN points • 14 Aug 23
📚 Literature Books Authors
  1. Stewart Brand discusses the importance of both manufacturer and third-party manuals for devices.
  2. Robert Persig carried two manuals on his motorcycle: one from Honda and one from Chilton's Motorcycle Troubleshooting Guide.
  3. Manuals that go deeper and wider than manufacturer manuals can provide unique insights with an outsider attitude.

Works in Progress is now part of Stripe

6 implied HN points • 17 Feb 22
  1. Works in Progress has joined Stripe to collaborate on ideas for economic, scientific, and technological progress.
  2. The team will continue publishing great authors with interesting ideas in science, economics, and technology, but with an increase in output.
  3. Their aim is to develop Works in Progress into a vibrant online space for innovative solutions to challenging issues.

Issue 07: The ideas start coming and they don't stop coming

3 implied HN points • 21 Apr 22
  1. London once had ambitious plans for ring roads that would have changed the cityscape.
  2. Innovation prizes should focus on incremental improvements for better results.
  3. Geothermal heat pumps and municipal networks can help combat climate change from gas heating.

Issue 06: The gift of life

3 implied HN points • 21 Jan 22
  1. Artificial wombs could be important for women who cannot have children.
  2. Sharing the costs of child-bearing and -raising can benefit society as a whole.
  3. Understanding the barriers to building taller skyscrapers can help urban land use intensively.

Update to our privacy policy

1 implied HN point • 24 Jan 22
  1. The privacy policy of Works in Progress has been updated on January 24, 2022.
  2. The update includes details about the collection of personal data.
  3. Subscribers can view the new privacy policy on the Works in Progress website.

Issue 05: How to lose weight and prevent death by asteroid

1 implied HN point • 14 Sep 21
  1. The issue discusses topics like diet pills, housing shortages, having more kids, and preventing asteroid impacts.
  2. Challenges related to housing shortages go beyond costs, impacting innovation, city planning, and climate change.
  3. Having a positive outlook towards having more children can be a core aspect of progressive thinking.

Works in Progress at the Oxford Union

1 implied HN point • 06 Jul 21
  1. Conversations between renowned thinkers are available on YouTube.
  2. Topics discussed include fast, modern, processed food and progress and rationality.
  3. Speakers featured in these conversations are experts in their fields.

Issue 04: Holding up the skies

1 implied HN point • 04 Jun 21
  1. Scientists successfully solved the ozone layer hole problem, offering lessons for fighting climate change.
  2. Lead exposure disrupts brain development and increases crime, highlighting the challenge of replacing lead pipes in the US.
  3. There's progress in various fields, including the arts, similar to advancements in science and technology.

Issue 01: Welcome!

1 implied HN point • 16 Sep 20
  1. The project Works in Progress started with a goal to popularize insightful and original ideas to make the world a better place.
  2. The first issue focuses on the theme of state capacity, exploring the ability of states to fulfill goals like collecting taxes and providing public goods.
  3. The issue also includes pieces on practical veganism, the rise and fall of industrial R&D labs, and the evolution of psychiatry among other diverse topics.

Architectural preferences in the UK

0 implied HN points • 29 Mar 21
  1. Architecture in the UK has a mix of styles and ideologies, with mainstream modern architecture being the predominant type.
  2. Research shows that the majority of the public in the UK prefer traditional design over modern or contemporary architecture.
  3. Interest in architecture as a cultural phenomenon is relatively low in the UK, with only a small proportion of the population sympathetic to the architecture practiced by the majority of the profession.

Progress studies: the hard question

0 implied HN points • 02 Sep 20
  1. Understanding what systems work best for progress is important
  2. We need to focus on the 'how' - how to engineer societal change to drive progress in a democracy
  3. Unproductive sectors that need improvement contribute to a lack of efficiency in the economy

Issue 03: Science on steroids

0 implied HN points • 08 Feb 21
  1. The pandemic has accelerated scientific advancements like never before.
  2. Speed in research has become crucial in saving lives.
  3. There is a call for radical reform in scientific publishing to accelerate research.

Funding isn’t enough to fix science

0 implied HN points • 28 May 21
  1. Funding alone cannot solve the deeper structural issues in scientific research institutions.
  2. The US Innovation and Competition Act addresses the funding gap but lacks solutions for other systematic problems like the replication crisis.
  3. Lawmakers should focus on reducing compliance burdens, studying and addressing the replication crisis, and experimenting with different funding models to improve American research.

Sign up to Works in Progress' newsletter!

0 implied HN points • 02 Sep 20
  1. Works in Progress is a new online magazine with original writing from interesting thinkers.
  2. The newsletter provides updates on new articles, blog posts, and recommended reading.
  3. Sign up to not miss the first issue and share with friends.

Progress studies: many hard questions

0 implied HN points • 11 Sep 20
  1. Progress studies should focus on engineering societal change for more progress.
  2. Reforms need better diagnosis, strong leadership, and ideological reform.
  3. Progress studies should be broad, considering big, long-term revolutions, unsolved problems, and unexplored innovations.

Can I borrow your reference point?

0 implied HN points • 15 Sep 20
  1. People use reference points to judge their own situations, such as comparing salaries.
  2. It's difficult for individuals to understand that others may not share their specific reference points.
  3. Considering different reference points can lead to better predictions and understanding in both experiments and political discourse.

Cities aren’t the innovation incubators they used to be

0 implied HN points • 07 Oct 20
  1. Many major tech companies are making remote work permanent after the pandemic, challenging the idea that innovation thrives in close physical proximity.
  2. Recent research indicates that local knowledge is becoming less important for innovation due to increased travel and online communication.
  3. Studies show that collaboration and idea-sharing are no longer limited by physical proximity, with technology allowing knowledge to flow across wider geographic areas.

Issue 02: Cogs in the machine

0 implied HN points • 20 Oct 20
  1. Technology enables us to do more with less, like with medical advancements.
  2. Innovations aim to relieve physical labor burdens, such as grinding grains for bread.
  3. Understanding the process of innovation is key to propelling social progress.

Announcing the Works in Progress / Oxford Union conference

0 implied HN points • 10 Mar 21
  1. Works in Progress is partnering with the Oxford Union for a conference featuring conversations with notable thinkers.
  2. The conference will include discussions on topics like fast food, progress, and rationality.
  3. The conversations will be held at different times on March 13th and will be available on YouTube later.

ARGH: the Association for the Rebuttal of Garbage about the Humanities

0 implied HN points • 02 Jul 21
  1. Some defenders of the humanities rely on poor arguments, often without much challenge.
  2. Arguments for the benefits of humanities can involve deceptive tactics, like including peripheral subjects.
  3. The practical value of humanities degrees in the job market is not as clear-cut as some arguments suggest.

An inconvenient sleuth

0 implied HN points • 05 Jul 21
  1. Public opinion is shifting towards the belief that Covid-19 originated from a lab.
  2. The debate on the pandemic's origin involves 'soft lab leak' and 'hard lab leak' positions.
  3. Arguments suggesting a lab origin for Covid-19 may overlook key scientific evidence like phylogenetic analysis and codon bias.