Ben Springwater | Substack

Ben Springwater

Curator and designer. Founder of Matter.

Launched 5 months ago

Ben Springwater

Ben Springwater

@benspringwater

Curator and designer. Founder of Matter.

Words That Matter

1

139K+ subscribers

ActivityPostsLikes & RepliesReads (159)

Latest post

Ben Springwater

3d

Words That Matter

Afra Wang: AI and Human Expression, Content Violation, Is AI Conscious?, Peptides but Necessary, Prophet

7 1 5

Ben Springwater

I too have strong intuitions that consciousness is deeply bound up with having a body so I very much appreciated this recommendation by afra.

We experience the world around us and ourselves within it — with, through and because of our living bodies\n\nWe experience the world around us and ourselves within it — with, through and because of our living bodies\n\nBen Springwater and afra

2

Ben Springwater

Words are my matter

There’s something endearing about being asked to curate this “words that matter” issue: the name of this very newsletter echoes my favorite essay collection, Ursula Le Guin’s Words Are My Matter. It’s a 300-page book full of wisdom worn lightly — and humor, and honesty, and bravery. An anthology of essays, book reviews, and diary entries (I’ve recommended it to everyone around me non-stop for five years now, and I’m still surprised and delighted each time I turn a page). I carry it everywhere and treat it as a kind of low-calorie holy bible (?). When the bigger questions lodge in my mind — what is a woman? what is language? what is a story? what is the life like when a female intellectual raise three kids, keep the house clean, utter many words all day long, and keep a sane relationship with her partner — all at the same time? — this is where I find answers.\n\nBen Springwater and afra

5

Ben Springwater restacked

I am so touched and honoured by this.

Before I edited Wired magazine, I edited the Whole Earth Review (formerly CoEvolution Quarterly). It was a magazine for conceptual news. We published new ideas. Since its demise, blogs and Substack in general have taken up that role. But starting a few years ago, a new magazine has appeared that is the closest replacement to Whole Earth. Called Works in Progress, published by the payments company Stripe, its mission is to disseminate “new and underrated ideas to improve the world.” Broadly the articles cover technology, science, building stuff, policy, and cultural innovations, but always with a slant on making progress, moving forward, a sense of optimism about what is possible. They publish new ideas. A couple of examples from recent issues: vaccinating wild animals, creating a rat-free city, using micro-bubbles to deliver drugs. Works in Progress is the only magazine I get delivered on paper; I enjoy reading its designed pages, and getting the extra bits you don’t get online. All the main articles are onl…\n\nBefore I edited Wired magazine, I edited the Whole Earth Review (formerly CoEvolution Quarterly). It was a magazine for conceptual news. We published new ideas. Since its demise, blogs and Substack in general have taken up that role. But starting a few years ago, a new magazine has appeared that is the closest replacement to Whole Earth. Called Works in Progress, published by the payments company Stripe, its mission is to disseminate “new and underrated ideas to improve the world.” Broadly the articles cover technology, science, building stuff, policy, and cultural innovations, but always with a slant on making progress, moving forward, a sense of optimism about what is possible. They publish new ideas. A couple of examples from recent issues: vaccinating wild animals, creating a rat-free city, using micro-bubbles to deliver drugs. Works in Progress is the only magazine I get delivered on paper; I enjoy reading its designed pages, and getting the extra bits you don’t get online. All the main articles are onl…\n\nKevin Kelly, Mark Frauenfelder, and Claudia Dawson

76

2

4

Ben Springwater

I love this from Seinfeld’s book: “The real problem of standup, of course, is that you must constantly justify why you are the only one talking while a room full of people sit quietly.”

113

3

5

Ben Springwater

Lovely goodbye note and seems like a great move. There’s still a crater sized gap of quality AI of coverage and commentary. I’m friggin excited about the next chapter.

Leaving The Times

4 1

Ben Springwater

I love this passage.

Ben Springwater

James Somers has a wonderful post on this:

substack.com/@sashachapin/note/c-276256448

jsomers.net/blog/speed-matters

4

Ben Springwater

James Somers has a wonderful post on this:

This is the opposite of my experience. There is an incredibly specific kind of genius—Proust, say—who works best with long, long undisturbed cycles. But almost everyone creative I know who goes slowly just flakes out long term. Feedback is good, interaction with the world is good, manageable goals that snowball into a bigger project are good.

substack.com/@riverkenna/note/c-273459800

[jsomers.net\n\nSpeed matters: Why working quickly is more important than it seems « the jsomers.net blog\n\n

8

2

Ben Springwater

This week on WTM: the inimitable visakan veerasamy! Nothing but bangers.

Words That Matter

Visa: The Information, Spiritual First Responders, Remix, Last Lecture, Chris Rock

5 1

Ben Springwater

Seinfeld on New York during covid:

"You say New York will not bounce back this time.

You will not bounce back. In your enervated, pastel-filled new life in Florida. I hope you have a long, healthy run down there. I can’t think of a more fitting retribution for your fine article.

This stupid virus will give up eventually. The same way you have. We’re going to keep going with New York City if that’s all right with you. And it will sure as hell be back.

Because of all the real, tough New Yorkers who,…

See more