DPL Reading List – February 8, 2019
Here are some of the new and interesting articles we found this week.
Marc Andreessen shares the 4 realities facing every entrepreneur today – “In our first episode, we sat down with a serial entrepreneur turned investor who needs no introduction: Marc Andreessen. Marc highlighted how building a successful company takes far more than a big idea–it takes a solid understanding of the reality and journey ahead. Here are four lessons Marc and I learned throughout our career paths that every aspiring entrepreneur can take to heart.”
The Mystery of Color – “In my years as a designer, I’ve often wondered how we came to take these peculiar ideas for granted. Color is often the most salient element of design and perhaps the least understood. How would you explain “red” to the uninitiated? That very question has befuddled philosophers for generations, and you can be sure that I don’t have the answer. For something banal, it’s terribly mysterious.”
Explainer: What Is a Quantum Computer? – “Quantum computers harness entangled qubits in a kind of quantum daisy chain to work their magic. The machines’ ability to speed up calculations using specially designed quantum algorithms is why there’s so much buzz about their potential. That’s the good news. The bad news is that quantum machines are way more error-prone than classical computers because of decoherence.”
Six things introverts and extroverts can learn from each other – “Introverts and extroverts are simply wired differently. But these differences in temperament can cause several challenges when these two personality types have to work together. “Because the two personality types communicate in different ways, they won’t always understand the other’s traits and temperament,” says Dr. Jeff Nalin, licensed clinical psychologist and cofounder and chief clinical officer at Paradigm Malibu Treatment Centers. Without this proper understanding, extroverts can feel that introverts are antisocial, while introverts see extroverts as overbearing and impulsive.”
These techniques from professional speechwriters will help get your point across – “While most people agree that it’s a good idea to use details to make your point in a meeting, not everyone is a good storyteller. Here are seven storytelling tips from speechwriters that will help you get your point across.”
How to work at peak productivity–and know when to take a break – “Being productive all the time is impossible. No matter how much effort you put in and how much endurance you have, you’ll eventually get worn down. This is one of the key reasons why flexible work enables 78% of employees to be more productive. Those of you with flexible hours can work when you’re most efficient and have more freedom to stop and take breaks when needed.”
This Is How A.I. Bias Really Happens — and Why It’s so Hard to Fix – “Over the past few months, we’ve documented how the vast majority of AI’s applications today are based on the category of algorithms known as deep learning, and how deep-learning algorithms find patterns in data. We’ve also covered how these technologies affect people’s lives: how they can perpetuate injustice in hiring, retail, and security and may already be doing so in the criminal legal system. But it’s not enough just to know that this bias exists. If we want to be able to fix it, we need to understand the mechanics of how it arises in the first place.”
