Intermediate path

Thinking about technology

How technology changes the way we remember, work and pay attention, from L. M. Sacasas and Ted Chiang to Cal Newport and Eugene Wei. You'll practice explanatory writing that turns a big idea into a clear argument.

Start the path

6 essays

Essays in this path

  1. Step 1

    Desire Bends Time

    by L. M. Sacasas

    Why time drags, vanishes or rushes depending on what we want, from slow school days to the longing C. S. Lewis described.

    Beginner · Short

  2. Step 2

    It's Elon's World and We're Just Living in It

    by Shirin Ali

    How Elon Musk's posts on X helped sink a bipartisan bill to keep the federal government funded in December 2024.

    Intermediate · Short

  3. Step 3

    Silicon Valley Is Turning Into Its Own Worst Fear

    by Ted Chiang

    Examination of tech industry anxieties about AI through the lens of science fiction.

    Advanced · Medium

  4. Step 4

    The Memex Method

    by Cory Doctorow

    Exploration of personal knowledge management and digital note-taking systems.

    Advanced · Medium

  5. Step 5

    The Rise and Fall of Getting Things Done

    by Cal Newport

    How Getting Things Done and the personal productivity movement rose and stalled, and why overload is an organizational problem, not a personal one.

    Intermediate · Long

  6. Step 6

    TikTok and the Sorting Hat

    by Eugene Wei

    Analysis of TikTok's recommendation algorithm and its implications for social media.

    Intermediate · Long