48th Selected Links

Happy weekend! Here are some links to things I've been reading or watching that you might also enjoy:

1. What is the highest-grossing film in the world in 2021 so far? Hint: it's not Daniel Craig's swan song in the latest Bond outing. Nor is it Denis Villeneuve's much-anticipated adaptation of the sci-fi classic Dune. It's a Chinese movie released on September 30: The Battle at Lake Changjin, a rabble-rousing war epic that depicts a pivotal and bloody battle of the Korean War in which the Chinese triumphed over the Americans against all odds. Commissioned by the propaganda department of the Chinese Communist Party as part of the CCP's 100th anniversary, it is China's most expensive film to date, with a budget of more than US$200 million. 70,000 PLA soldiers are reported to have acted as extras. Here is a trailer.

2. 'The Optimistic Thought Experiment', a 2008 article by Peter Thiel in which he argues that financial bubbles are highly levered to globalisation.

3.Adam Neumann in His First Public Interview Since Leaving WeWork.

4. 'Conversation with others often emphasizes the most well-understood elements of an idea', a note by Andy Matuschak.

5. 'Why anything? Why this?', part one of a 1998 essay on the universe by Derek Parfit.

Have a great weekend,  


Joe