Welcome to this week’s Via Waverly, where I expose 5 diverse and unexpected finds that were served to me by Waverly.
A 3D Sudoku
Imagine a Sudoku but on a strange Minecraft-like grid. I spent 30 minutes Saturday morning twisting my brain to solve this isodoku and loved it.
Wave:♟️ Puzzles
Feynman’s Burnout
“So I got this new attitude. Now that I am burned out and I’ll never accomplish anything, I’m going to play with physics, whenever I want to, without worrying about any importance whatsoever.”
Richard Feynman
A short and uplifting excerpt from Surely you’re joking Mr. Feynman and a reminder that creative people are never as prolific as when they play.
Wave: 🧮 Math Geekiness
Discovering Arlo Parks
I had heard her on the radio, but this piece in The Guardian convinced me to add Arlo Parks’ music to my playlist. Her words resonated particularly strongly with me:
“I found [a journal] from when I was 13 and it said: ‘I want to make music because I want to help people.’ When you approach the world with such vulnerability and openness, people return that energy. It’s draining, but it fills me with a purpose. I wouldn’t trade it for anything.”
Arlo Parks
Wave: 👬 New Movements
Matrix Believers
I’m fascinated by the recent boom in conspiracy theories. Why are so many people suddenly believing the earth is flat or that airplanes are dropping chemtrails on us?
There’s one weird trend that, in my opinion, is bordering on conspiracy theory: the belief that we live in a simulation. The thing is that many very famous people believe in this.
This EnGadget article from February presents the documentary A Glitch in The Matrix that tries to understand why people believe in the so-called Simulation Theory. I should watch it.
Wave: 🧮 Math Geekiness
Emotionless Music
Looks like Spotify recently patented a technology that listens to the people in the room, guesses their emotion, and plays music that fits the mood. Pretty much the exact opposite of the intentional recommendation approach Waverly is going for (let alone the dubious privacy invasion). So, as you may guess, I’m not a fan.
I’m not alone. Hundreds of recording artists, human rights groups and academics have penned an open letter to the streaming service asking them never to do that. Found this in Vice.
Wave: ⚖️ Policies for People
Phil Beaudoin 