A study found that people define coolness in remarkable similar ways around the world. Congrats to one of the researchers, Caleb Warren, who is a Vibes Project subscriber. Gift link:
www.nytimes.com/2025/06/30/w...?
I’m not sure I understand. You’re saying that it could work better if everyone has absolute power? How would that work?
This video is also on YouTube with no ads. youtu.be/sUQPUYrTWTE?...
What does "The Rule of Law" really mean? This video (2.5 mins) compares it to "The Rule of Man" and explains why violent revolutions were fought to prevent individuals from ruling everyone. Please share. #NoKings
Later this week, we’re going to publish a Common Craft video that explains the Rule of Law from a unique perspective. I'll upload the video here on BlueSky, YouTube, and other platforms. I hope you'll share it because we need more people to understand what it means to be ruled by laws.
Loved this podcast episode about awkwardness. podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/t...
If you look a little deeper, beyond crude stereotypes of nerdiness, you can see people who are authentically themselves, even if that means standing apart from the mainstream. Read the series summary:
www.vibedna.com/p/key-points...
New post for the Vibes Project. It has a personal story about vacuuming and a provocative quote from Brian Eno. www.vibedna.com/p/nerds-when...
I like friends who don’t respond immediately to a group chat message, but then come in with a banger GIF. They were out there curating and I’m here for it.
The latest Vibes Project post features a quote from
@rands.bsky.social about the nerdy preference for rule-based systems. vibedna.com/p/how…
It answers the question: Why are nerdy people drawn to engineering, programming, games, and puzzles?
When I say the Vibes Project is about creating new perspectives regarding people we know (including ourselves), this is what I mean. This new post is about the nerdy preference for rational thinking and how that differs from mainstream expectations.
www.vibedna.com/p/why-nerds-...
What does it *really* mean to be nerdy? Pop culture loves clichés, but the reality is far more interesting and unexpected. This post (the first in a new series) takes a fresh look at what’s behind the current ascendance and relevance of nerdiness. 4 minute read:
www.vibedna.com/p/welcome-to...
I’m confused about the movie THE MIST. It has decent ratings on IMDb and Rotten Tomatoes (over 7/70%). Yet, it’s objectively bad imo. Love the premise, but the execution is so bad. I don’t think I’ve seen a bigger delta between ratings and my experience. Maybe I’m missing something? 🤷
A new Vibes Project series called Rethinking Nerdiness is coming soon. Here’s a preview of the intro. Subscribe for free at vibedna.com
I'm using a number of AI platforms for the Vibes Project, including NotebookLM for organizing and accessing my research, a Custom GPT called the VibesBot, and more. More here:
www.vibedna.com/p/how-im-usi...
Is the notion of "coolness" more timeless than it appears? If so, we should be able to find people with similar qualities throughout history. Beau Brummell and the Dandys serve as solid examples of what I call proto-cool.
www.vibedna.com/p/beau-brumm... #VibesProject
Sometimes it feels like the weeks go by in #Wordle streaks.
Bugs was cool in the 1940s, and to people who were shaking off generations of moral scrutiny, he was a welcome break from the syrupy-sweet characters like Mickey Mouse. This dichotomy is a symbol of how pop culture was changing at the time. My take: www.vibedna.com/p/bugs-in-a-...
This captures where I'm going with the Vibes Project: www.vibedna.com/p/lets-zoom-...
I've been thinking about the fear of shame and embarrassment. It's always in the back of my mind: what are people thinking? It's held me back forever, and I'm trying to overcome it because it makes nearly everything bland and unremarkable. It's time to say "Fuck that" and move on.
Tech aside, the Chinese seem to have the edge on OpenAI in terms of naming their products. Who tf thought ChatGPT was a good one?
Fans of great visual explanations may appreciate this piece on why bamboo scaffolding is still in use in Hong Kong.
H/T to our old pal in the UK, Kate Addison 💜
Did rock 'n' roll emerge from traveling tent shows in the early 20th century? Levon Helm thinks so.
www.vibedna.com/p/the-possib... #VibesProject
When I was doing research on the Roots of Cool series, I asked about the Yoruba term "itutu" in the r/Nigeria subreddit. I wanted to validate the connection between "ititu" and the idea of cool composure that is part of coolness today.
A kind user provided a nice summary and example:
Here’s the series finale: a summary of four qualities of “coolness”. If you’re curious, this is a good place to catch up: www.vibedna.com/p/part-5-the...
Later today, Part 5 of the Roots of Cool series will be published. It's the final post of the series and summarizes the history and origins of four qualities of coolness that go back 100s of years. You can read the first 4 posts here: www.vibedna.com/p/series-1-t...
#VibesProject
Welcome, Brian!
Spent some time this morning catching up on all the #Severance fan theories. I can’t wait for the new season.
Geez, the Led Zepplin concert film The Song Remains the Same is so dumb. The performances are fine, but the fantasy sequences… yikes.
Also, Robert Plant used to have some bad teeth.
Pictured above is beloved gospel singer Mahalia Jackson (1911-1972).
Rev. Al Sharpton said, "Gospel was more than religious, gospel was the therapy for the stress and pressure of being Black in America. We didn’t go to a psychiatrist, we didn’t lay on a couch, but we knew Mahalia Jackson."
