Some Students Still Care

The Brutal Harvard Class That Suddenly Everyone Wants to Take
https://www.wsj.com/lifestyle/harvard-class-humanities-32e06366
It’s an ungodly amount of reading and no easy A. So why are freshmen lining up to get into Humanities 10? 

AI and the Future of Mathematics

The Year Math Changed Forever  
https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2026/11/09/the-year-math-changed-forever
A.I. is solving problems that stumped the field for decades. Mathematicians look to Terence Tao for guidance on their altered world.
 
AI’s transformation of mathematics is a turning point for science
https://www.economist.com/science-and-technology/2026/10/12/ais-transformation-of-mathematics-is-a-turning-point-for-science  

Analog versus Digital

‘I can’t pay for anything’: 10-hour blackout exposes risk-taking Revolut
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2026/10/31/i-cant-pay-for-anything-10-hour-blackout-exposes-revolut/
A technical snag shows the fintech has a long way to go to compete with the high street banks.
 
It’s time to prepare the back-up economy 
https://www.telegraph.co.uk/business/2026/10/31/its-time-to-prepare-the-back-up-economy/
This perhaps is the real problem. We have spent decades optimizing the economy for frictionless connectivity and dismantling analogue systems, only to discover that friction may be precisely what makes systems secure. It’s hard to imagine a more literal illustration of Chesterton’s fence: the principle that we should never tear down a barrier before understanding why it was erected in the first place. 

Vendor Financing and the AI Trade

The Tangled Web of AI Bets Is Reason to Fear Tech Stocks
https://www.wsj.com/tech/the-tangled-web-of-ai-bets-is-reason-to-fear-tech-stocks-905bde86
Vendor financing is back in a new form and it magnifies the AI trade on the way up—and down. 

Political Corruption in America

The Corruption Is Bad. This May Be Worse.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/30/opinion/trump-america-capitalism-rich-politics.html 

Are we Starting to See AI's Impact on the Job Market?

Microsoft and Skydance announced buyouts. What does it mean for workers in a 'low-hire' market?
https://finance.yahoo.com/economy/article/microsoft-and-skydance-announced-buyouts-what-does-it-mean-for-workers-in-a-low-hire-market-191021868.html

Goldman says AI layoffs are starting to leave a ‘long-lasting’ scar, just like the last 40 years of history
https://fortune.com/2026/10/30/goldman-sachs-ai-layoffs-displaced-workers-older-workers-past-tech-disruptions/
 
The New Hot Job in Law Doesn’t Require a J.D.
https://www.nytimes.com/2026/10/31/business/dealbook/legal-engineer-ai-law.html
Big law firms, legal tech vendors, and in-house legal departments at companies like Microsoft and Nvidia are all hiring legal engineers, a new position for lawyers with A.I. skills.  

Being Needed

Do You Feel Needed? Being necessary has never been more necessary – or more difficult.
https://www.newyorker.com/culture/open-questions/do-you-feel-needed
Joshua Rothman:
Psychologists say that “mattering” is a pillar of happiness, along with belonging and self-esteem. We know we matter when other people notice us, when they invest in us—and when they need us. Young people, accordingly, flourish more when they find ways to be relied upon in their families and communities. Older people tend to stay healthier when they don’t just receive care but give it. The sense of being unnecessary is deflating; the belief that you’re a burden can be even worse, can act as a stepping stone to depression and suicidal thought.