TLDR: The data is in and we're reading less and struggling to concentrate. The most obvious elixir is to get back into the habit that has served us so well over the last few centuries.

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So as we continue to evolve technologically - it's hard not to think we need to continue to evolve as a critically thinking species or we will quite literally self-eliminate ourselves. Grab a book, read 5 pages a day, be part of the mission. We can do better.

Personally, my new focus will be on philosophy. It will help me achieve that mental hypertrophy I'm craving. Grappling with better ways to view the world, framing of questions, mental models that will help clarify or demystify - I'm excited.

When we read books, we have conversations with the great minds that have come before us or who walk amongst us. It is the easiest way to sign up unwitting mentors to our team. The decrease in reading is a really concerning statistic and I'm on a mission to help reverse it.

It is the book that shields you from a continued deterioration of your willingness to engage with challenging stories, concepts, and ideas. Ones that may make you uncomfortable or better yet, question your own stance on any given topic.

Reading, regardless of the material (within reason), is a commitment to yourself to keep your mind sharp. Whether it be your logic or your imagination that is being honed, matters not. Instead, it's the book that is shielding you from the onslaught of cheap dopamine.

In this video Mark discusses a multitude of problems from our diminished ability to concetrate for long periods of time, to our attention spans continuing to fragment, and the worst symptom of it all - a decrease in reading.

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TLDR: We need to be able to think critically, logically, and deeply more than ever. Philosophy is one of the best tools we can add to our quiver to allow for this and to fend off the plight of social media and infinite short-sighted content.

conceptually dense book continues to wane - I can only hope others join me in the resistance. The mission is to revisit a life well investigated, a compass well tuned, and a mind that is not allowed to atrophy but is instead is well attended to.

In a time where our attention spans are fragmenting by the minute as we continue to succumb to the doom scroll, our ability to think deeply is diminished by ChatGPT summaries and sensationalist headlines, and the overall interest in struggling through a

1. Simone Weil: A modern pilgrimage
2. Waiting for God
3. Theory and Reality: An Introduction to the Philosophy of Science
4. Gravity & Grace
5. Limits of the Self: Immunology and Biological Identity
6. Dialogues Of Socrates
7. The Subversive Simone Weil: A Life in Five Ideas

taking on this nuanced aspects of everyday life and making them both beautiful and relatable.

I'm working my way through her "The Velocity of Being" and "The Universe in Verse."

Next shipment of books will include:

Lastly are some books I've decided to purchase, and while not directly philosophical in nature, they absolute speak to some of the more important themes in life like meaning, purpose, love, joy, etc.

Maria Popova is often in a league of her own when it comes to ...

Having just recently discovered Philosophize This (how have I missed this?!) open.spotify.com/show/2Shpxw7... I have no a podcast to binge while I mow the lawn - win!

Alex O'Connor is always a bit of an indulgence of mine, a bit more formally trained and a bit of a religious/spiritual seeking - he asks tough questions but from a truly authentic position of looking for acceptable "answers"
t.co/NmNFOIXMCf

So now, although still working in biotech, I realize that a broader understanding of philosophy (both old and new) can really help me to strengthen my own ability to think deeply, question effectively, & develop a compass by which I feel confident in using to navigate life with.

In undergrad, as a bio major I was required to take Phil of Sci 101. I remember reading Kuhn's Structure of Scientific revolutions and having my mind blown about the whole paradigm -> paradigm shift continuum. Now his theories came with caveats & contentions but the work itself spoke to me.

Experiencing this realtime. All of the would love to learn one day stuff i.e. programming, piano, art, etc, needs to unfortunately be met with the brutal realization that they may not be meant for this lifetime. Fortunately, once those impediments are gone, we get to the good stuff