What We’re Reading: Where do you get your big questions answered?

Where do you go when you want to learn something online? Google is usually my default, but lately I’ve found that when I have a question, there’s usually a story with an answer on Medium. Curious about the recent big releases of new AI models? Here’s a quick look at both Google’s Bard and OpenAI’s GPT 4, plus a summary of hands-on first impressions using Bard. Need a basic grounding in banking to help understand the current crisis? Here’s a primer on the basics you need to know to understand a bank run.

This is true, too, for topics where I’ve got a better basic understanding than, say, artificial intelligence or fractional reserve banking. The story I’ve spent the most time with this week is Doug Shapiro’s “Power Laws in Culture,” which dives deep into why power laws (i.e., “a few massive hits and a vast number of misses”) are so pervasive in the culture industry and how internet networks are, somewhat counterintuitively, making them more entrenched. This story is a must-read if you’re curious about where culture is heading.