Hi friends,

Here’s this week’s list of what I’m exploring and thinking about. Feel free to forward this along to friends and family.

What I’m reading

Elon Musk by Walter Isaacson. Isaacson has done it again on arguably the most influential person today. He points light on Elon’s troubled childhood and how it has shaped his fearless identity. It is truly incredible how Elon runs Tesla, SpaceX, X (formerly known as Twitter), The Boring Company, and Neuralink at the same time. There is no doubt that he is a genius, but a deeply troubled person who I do not envy being.

Pieces of art that are worth the hype

La Nuit étoilée by Vincent Van Gogh. I visited the Musée d’Orsay yesterday and was awe-struck when I first saw this painting.

I also had an opportunity to visit the Louvre Museum which houses the famous Mona Lisa painted by Leonardo Da Vinci. This is arguably the most popular piece of art of all time, and for good reason. Leonardo’s ability to combine the science of optics with his artistic skill is breathtaking. The painting is kept in a climate-controlled enclosure behind bulletproof glass, but that does not make it any less stunning to see in person.

Headphones I’m using

Apple AirPods Pro 2nd Generation. The best headphones I’ve ever tried. After putting my original AirPods through the washing machine one too many times, I decided to upgrade. The noise-canceling of these headphones is similar to what you get with over-the-ear headphones. They are also incredibly practical for everyday use. You can now change the volume on the actual earbud. I’ve also found that switching between noise-cancelling and transparency modes is quite useful for city living when you want to block out the sound of a train passing by, but then you want to switch back to being able to hear your surroundings.

Word of the week

Metacognition: awareness or analysis of one’s own learning or thinking process.

Quote of the week

“Be regular and orderly in your life so that you may be violent and original in your work.”

— Gustave Flaubert, French novelist

Until next week,

Kevin