The trick to enjoying history is
knowing more about history.
Each book is more interesting for everything I already know that it intertwines with.
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@jessitron yes! It is like a puzzle being completed! Or removing pieces when interpretations are too simplistic or out of date with other works you just read.
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@jessitron what inspires you most from history? What about technology history in particular?
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@Michaelcarducci today I have another book that talks about the importance of camaratas, that's always fun.
I also love tech around WWII, the beginning of computers and nuclear reactions. When scientists had to admit that their work is also political
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@Michaelcarducci what's your favorite chunk of history to read about?
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@jessitron My gateway drug was "Fire in the Valley" chronicling the history of the PC. That led to reading about Douglas Englebart and Ted Nelson, which took me to Vannevar Bush's essay "As we may think" (1945)
I really like all the history of technology as there are so many forgotten ideas that power our lives that we simply take for granted. I also enjoyed Kernighan's "UNIX: A history and a memoir"
More broadly I like learning about the creativity that emerges from working under constraints.
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@jessitron Currently, I'm reading "Empire of the Sum: The Rise and Reign of the Pocket Calculator" which begins with ancient counting systems through the various breakthroughs that led to the pocket calculator. Because I'm a dork I bought a slide rule to play with. (I haven't figured out how to use it).
I'm also interested in how camaratas encourage cross-pollination of ideas and encourages interdisciplinary thinking and creativity. The idea of putting a lot of smart, curious people together...
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@jessitron with different mental models and cognitive tools to germinate new ideas and approaches. I have a decade of benefit from the informal camarata that is the NFJS Tour. It's truly remarkable what happens when you put the right people together who all want to grow, learn, and discover.
Your "The origins of Opera" remains my all-time favorite tech talk. Did you see Eli Holderness' "Language Games" at craft this year? https://craft-conf.com/2024/talk/language-games
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@Michaelcarducci I did see Eli's talk! I sort of remember it.
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@jessitron I have to say, you have absolutely nailed what Richard Hamming calls "The essential unity of all knowledge." Which is also why I think Camaratas are so important. Now that I understand "the fundamental interconnectedness of all things" everything I learn is fascinating.
For example, this talk helped me better understand the ideas underpinning the semantic web and linked data: https://youtu.be/sDlFaOn71n8
History is a fantastic source of orthogonal illumination!
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