Insights and Articles

Our collective stream of consciousness

• 
  A conversation about ‘First Values and First Principles’
  This conversation was prompted by the book “First Values and First Principles” by David Temple. It was recorded in the patio. Transcript So let’s go back to first principles and first values… Continue reading A conversation about ‘First Values and First Principles’
• 
  Oregon Experiment – Book review
  I was pleased that the third book in Christopher Alexander’s series centres upon Cambridge as an example of the ‘Timeless Way of Building’. I live in Cambridge and perhaps there is no… Continue reading Oregon Experiment – Book review
• 
  Scaling Creativity and Wisdom
  This is the first draft of our interpretation of how one can scale wisdom, knowledge-seeking, creativity and beauty at various levels In our own experience, even as a triad, nothing really moved… Continue reading Scaling Creativity and Wisdom
• 
  Writing Values
  As we continued talking long into the night, we began to reflect on the process of how we wrote the values and ultimately what they meant for us. Whilst we were still… Continue reading Writing Values
• 
  How to find values
  We sat down together to explore how we went from initial urge to formalising the values and why we needed values. Full video recording Audio download Transcript M: So we’re here to… Continue reading How to find values
• 
  The Princess’s Kiss & The Female Hero’s Journey
  If it’s true what the cognitive neuroscientists say that story and myths inform you about what to do when you don’t know what to do, then stories are fundamental to decision-making under… Continue reading The Princess’s Kiss & The Female Hero’s Journey
• 
  The Wanderer – Voyages, Challenge and Life
  Gav and Neal talked about an excerpt from the book, ‘The Wanderer’ by Sterling Hayden. A key quote: “To be truly challenging, a voyage, like a life, must rest on a firm… Continue reading The Wanderer – Voyages, Challenge and Life
• 
  The Goblin and the Blind
  There’s a certain way that things turn and vibrate. A fusion and dance of reality, igniting a path; a continual movement forwards. Within this space we exist, we find our paths, propelled.… Continue reading The Goblin and the Blind
• 
  Discussing High Agency
  So, what do you mean by High Agency? Neal I had a little look into it and it seems to be something, really, about being able to achieve, let’s say, a goal,… Continue reading Discussing High Agency
• 
  Seeking Greatness
  Let’s start with a riddle You’re lost in a labyrinth and you need to get out quickly. It’s a matter of survival. You chance upon two robots in this labyrinth. One robot… Continue reading Seeking Greatness
• 
  Exploring the Faustian Spirit
  Where did it come from, originally, this idea to explore the Faustian Spirit, or Neo-Fasutianism? Neal I was watching this video of the Paris Dakar Rally. It was some Dutch guy in… Continue reading Exploring the Faustian Spirit
• Complexity and size
  Smaller isn’t less complex Globalisation is a complex system, that is itself interconnected with other complex systems (financial, geo-political, social, etc.). Ten years ago, back when I lived in France, I remember… Continue reading Complexity and size
• The Inevitable: A review
  The Inevitable by Kevin Kelly This is not a race against the machines. If we race against them, we lose. This is a race with the machines. You’ll be paid in the… Continue reading The Inevitable: A review
• 
  The Creative Search Space
  This is a summary of the book, ‘Why Greatness Cannot Be Planned – The Myth of the Objective’ by Kenneth Stanley and Joel Lehman, with my own interpretation converted into heuristics that… Continue reading The Creative Search Space
• Tipping the Iceberg Upside Down
  “Here is the brief. You have until Friday.”   Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you are being asked to do something but have no clarity on why you… Continue reading Tipping the Iceberg Upside Down
• Getting Closer to Our Purpose
  The origin story End of April 2021, Neal, Matt and myself regrouped one afternoon at my house to discuss and exchange face-to-face. It was the second time we met physically since we… Continue reading Getting Closer to Our Purpose
• Accept Change
  It should be no question that any status quo will be challenged sooner or later. Take any system and tell me if they stay static. Look at nature and you will see it is… Continue reading Accept Change
• Creativity: Generate for the Long Term
  Generate a creative tension I recently discovered the interesting teaching of Peter Senge, an American systems scientist who is a senior lecturer at the MIT Sloan School of Management, co-faculty at the… Continue reading Creativity: Generate for the Long Term
• Perception and Chaos with Karl Friston
  Some key quotes from the conversation between Karl Friston and Jordan Peterson Is it surprise compared to the expectation or surprise compared to a desire? (Expectation sounds mechanical computational) So for example,… Continue reading Perception and Chaos with Karl Friston
• 
  Dopaminferno Book Launch
  Last week we launched our book, ‘Escaping the Dopaminferno – A Digital Declutter and Dopamine Detox‘ here in Cambridge, UK. It’s a new experience for us! As it happened, the place we… Continue reading Dopaminferno Book Launch