Archimedes and Robot Armies: You Hold the Longest Lever
"Give me a place to stand on, and I will move the Earth," proclaimed Pappus of Alexandria, captivated by the potential of levers. He was inspired by the legend of Archimedes, who wedged a mighty beam beneath the fabled "Rock of Destiny" in a valiant attempt to set the Earth in motion, only to be met with stubborn immovability.
The concept of leverage, however, extends beyond physical mechanics. It encompasses our personal influence on the world, our ability to shape it. In the past, the average peasant had little leverage, limited to meager tools like a plough and a field, perhaps a parish too.
But with the advent of technology like the printing press, our levers began to extend. Books offered a wealth of knowledge, and social technologies like human rights gave marginalized voices the power to remake the world to suit them too.
Yet, the creative journey was once hindered by gatekeepers who determined what was popular. Mass-market television, book clubs, and mainstream media emerged from this filtered landscape, as publishers, producers, television network executives decided who would be popular and who would not.
But the stench of mass-market appeal is beginning to dissipate as digital platforms and social networks empower individuals to create their own content—a long tail of possibilities heretofore gated by grey-suited executives.
The gates have tumbled down, revealing a world where each of us has the opportunity to create and share with an incomprehensibly vast audience, unbounded by trivial matters like geography.
It's true that success is not guaranteed; Your work might not work. You might not be ready. The timing might be off. People might not want to listen. But in our hands, we hold the longest lever, commanding hordes of robot armies (ahem, AI) to manifest our desires.
In the end, the question is not whether we can move the Earth, but how we use our leverage to make the world we want to see.
Book Recommendation(s)
The Creative Act by Rick Rubin is a series of meditations on creative work from the all-time famous producer. It's obvious Rick doesn't want this to be a 'normal' book. Instead, I like to think he wants us to flick through it, settle on a passage, and slowly digest it before leaning back and closing our eyes. A generous book on making work that matters.
New Essay
If you haven't checked out my new essay, do it now! I dive into the wild west (literally) of banking and crypto to explore the real value of Bitcoin - its decentralization. Enjoy!
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