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The farthest you can go: The loneliest place in the universe. [PART 2]
In PART 1 we looked for the farthest place we could go on the surface of the earth. Now is time to explore beyond our home planet and even beyond the confined space of our solar system and our time: A journey to the end of the Universe. Now that we have somewhat satisfying answers for isolated places on the surface of the earth, let’s keep exploring for alternatives. If we are still looking for a place that provides more isolation and ensures we do not have contact with anyone anymore, we need to shift our eyesight up, toward the sky and the stars, and imagine all the possibilities to…
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The farthest you can go: The loneliest place on Earth. [PART 1]
Everywhere you look there are others around. With more than 8 billion of us the human species populates, seems like, every single corner of the earth. So, how to escape? Where can we go if we want to feel isolated and encompass a moment of respite? If we want to find a place where we could live with total solitude. Where is that place? A few options arise as possibilities early on: we can learn how to meditate, so we can escape into our minds; or find solace online and escape into the crevasses on the internet. Yet, and because we are physical beings, the answer most of us are…
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The Longest Year in History
He conquered Gaul, modern France, breaking down what the Romans considered overpowered barbarians beyond the Alps. Almost doubled the republic size and increased its political area of influence for taxation and land ownership purposes, significantly. This was a turning point. The moment he became, not only part of a long list of consuls and influential figures, but a transcendental champion of antiquity. Then, he fought a Civil war against his old allies. With ruthless effectiveness put out fires in Hispania and Asia Minor while crushing them before heading to Egypt where he negotiated a peace treaty with Cleopatra that assured harmony in the region. Ending once and for all any…
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Artificial Super-Intelligence. The Problem With Control.
This is one of those topics, that grabs the vast majority of human imagination by the neck and force us to shell it in our common culture, as a fun exercise to visualize and play with. No matter the deepness or importance we give to it, it is there, lurking in media, movies, books, conversations and our everyday lives. Plus, it is one of those topics that especially stimulate those of us that are in the techno-optimist camp, those of us who think there is nothing but sunlight and unicorns in the horizon as long as we keep developing our technical skills as a species. The more technology, the better.…
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Into the Wind: The Story of the 34th America’s Cup
After losing race 7 of 2013 Americas’ Cup, the oldest international sporting trophy of the world in which two of the fastest sailing yachts on earth go mano-a-mano to resolve who is the fastest, Jimmy Spithill found his team of sailors, engineers, designers and computer scientists had started a meeting without him; all discussing possible solutions and different sailing alternatives for the following race. At this point, the team Spithill lead, Oracle Team USA, reigning champion or ‘defender’ was losing the match 0-6 against Emirates Team New Zealand or ‘challenger’. In a competition to be the first to win 9 races and take the cup home. It was, from any…
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Monopoly Money it’s Worth More than Venezuela’s Money (Seriously)
Venezuela is the undisputed king of inflation in the last decade. Yet, it looks like it could get even worst, much worst. According to the International Monetary Fund (IMF), the projected inflation of the country is 14,000,000% for 2019. Again, that is Fourteen. Million. Percent. Considering this horrifying reality, and leaving the depressing social impact aside which is the true tragedy there, there is only one sensible question to ask: Is Venezuelan currency worth less than Monopoly money at this point? Seriously, if you want to get a $1 US by exchanging another currency, and you can only choose between having monopoly money and Venezuelan bolivars, what currency will give…
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…On A Mind-Shattering Large Number
When we think of mathematics shivers come crawling inside our bones, at least for most of us. Hazy memories of school days and boring non-sense numerical exercises based on complex rules that produced volatile grades. Yet, some aspects of mathematics can be inspiring and at the same time can destroy our perspective of maths as a boring and complex apparatus. We can always start with a simple question: What is the biggest number you can think of? Our educational development can be traced to the answer to that question. When we are younger we go from 3 to 17 to 100 if we are the cool kid in pre-K. Then…
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Why Are You Rigged To Be Miserable? (Probably)
Depression is a condition I owe my current understanding of the world. Back in August 2017, I was diagnosed with a mild form of depressive disorder while along with my therapist we concluded it was the result of limited social interactions due to working from a home-office located in gloomy Seattle. She proposed meditation and mindfulness, but I had something else in mind. With too much enthusiasm at the time, I formulated a plan and spent a week crafting and forecasting a series of steps that would take me out of the darkness and into a new career. That’s right, my plan not only included getting out of my depressive…
Track of Random Essays
