Iterate Weekly - Issue 7
Welcome to Issue 7 of the Iterate weekly newsletter! My name is Chris Jennings. If you really have no idea who I am and why you’re receiving this e-mail, take a look at the about page for a reminder.
You’ll see that the content here is broken down into 4 categories.
Tech - This will be the main focus of the newsletter. I’m dedicated to helping people improve their relationships with technology.
Learning - I consider myself an autodidact and like to examine the concept of learning how to be a more productive learner.
Health - None of these other topics are important if you’re not healthy enough to enjoy them.
Grab Bag - This could be something personal, something silly, something fun that doesn’t quite fit the other categories.
Finally, we’ll wrap things up with a quote of the week and a piece of content that I recommend you check out.
Yes, there may be the occasional affiliate link to a product I recommend, but no one is paying for placement in this newsletter. Thank you so much for reading, please don’t hesitate to leave a comment and let me know what you think of this format.
Tech
Are you ready for AI writing?
Jarvis the AI assistant (a nod and a wink for IronMan fans) is ready to start writing your blog posts and emails for you. But are you ready for it? It comes from the folks at conversion.ai and they’re banking on people signing up for the service to make their writing easier, faster, and hopefully more engaging?
I’d like to think I have some skills as a writer, but do we think we’re at a point where an AI like Jarvis can create content better than a human? Sure, it might work for some technical writing. Any combination of keywords and syntax could be spit out by even a rudimentary AI. But do you want to read blog posts that are passed off as being written by a human you admire but actually penned by some sort of AI?
It’s a slippery slope that we are approaching whether we like it or not. It’s going to be harder and harder to determine whether the text you’re reading came from a human or a robot (don’t worry, I’m actually writing this!). Right now, you can get a free 20,000 words of writing from Jarvis to see how it sounds. They then offer an unlimited plan for a little more than $100/month. It’s not cheap, but I’ll reserve judgment on whether or not it might be worthwhile for your business.
Would you be willing to let an AI create content for you? Have you already started?
Learning
Do you know your learning style?
You may have a vague idea of the best way that you learn new concepts or skills, but have you thought of it in terms of VAK? VAK stands for Visual, Auditory, or Kinesthetic. Most people fall into one of these three categories of learning. Sure, you might connect with more than one of these, but there will likely be one that resonates the most.
Perhaps not surprisingly, I consider myself to be a visual learner. I like to read and digest content in order to remember it. Writing about a new subject also helps me feel confident in mastering it. I also connect with the auditory category as I learn decently well by listening to audiobooks, lectures, or podcasts.
The Kinesthetic type of learning is the one I feel least connected to. It doesn’t mean that I don’t benefit from hands-on experience with certain skills, but it’s not my preferred mode of learning. Whenever possible, it’s good to try to incorporate this into your daily learning. For me, that’s sending long-form articles to Kindle to read later or consuming an audiobook while walking the dog.
What are ways that you can use your preferred learning style?
Health
How does exercise impact your sleep?
If you’re struggling to achieve better, more restful sleep, you may want to look at your fitness routine. It may seem obvious, but there is a strong connection between physical exertion and sleep patterns. One study out of Northwestern University, in particular, highlights the benefits of cardio workouts on patients who have struggled with insomnia.
Aerobic activities such as running, walking, or cycling. Some participants in the study were using a treadmill and a stationary bike to help meet their cardio needs while the control group focused on more sedentary activities. The results were inspiring. “Exercise improved the participants’ self-reported sleep quality, elevating them from a diagnosis of a poor sleeper to a good sleeper. They also reported fewer depressive symptoms, more vitality, and less daytime sleepiness.”
Personally, I notice myself falling asleep much quicker at night if I’ve gone on a run or bike ride that day. I think it’s important to find that sweet spot of exertion where you’re tired but not exhausted. Too much can certainly be detrimental. But if you’re struggling to fall asleep at night, you may want to lace up your running shoes or hop on the bike to see if it helps.
Grab Bag
Can leather be made of silk?
This story comes from the world of sustainable fashion.
There is a good chance that you have something in your closet made of synthetic leather or “pleather” as it’s usually known. Most of these items come from synthetic materials like plastic (hence the “p” in pleather). While this solves the dilemma of being cruelty-free to animals, it may not be the most environmentally friendly or sustainable fabric.
New research out of Tufts University, has found a new way to make leather out of silk. No, it technically isn’t considered vegan leather since the silk comes from an animal source (the silkworm). But this method could be a promising way to cut down some of the byproducts that come from traditional leather or pleather products.
The process is described like “cooking pasta” with silk strands being boiled, washed and formed into new fabric structures. The silk is then combined with other materials to achieve the desired consistency and texture. More research still needs to be done here, but anytime we can figure out a way to make a product that’s less taxing on our ecosystem it’s a win.
Quote of the Week
“This being human is a guest house. Every morning a new arrival” - Rumi
Content Recommendation
Limitless
This week my recommendation is the book “Limitless” by Jim Kwik.
If you're looking to improve your life in a number of different areas, this book presents some solid ideas. It’s not the best-written book, and I don’t subscribe to all of Kwik’s tactics, but it’s a really good primer to a number of different areas where you may want to dive deeper.
His chapters on speed reading and ways to improve your memory are particularly useful. As someone who has overcome brain trauma as a child, Kwik speaks from experience and shares helpful tools he’s used to improve his cognitive abilities.
This is worth a quick read if you’ve ever thought about challenging your brain and improving your abilities to build new skills and knowledge.
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