{"id":652,"date":"2018-09-07T22:07:20","date_gmt":"2018-09-08T05:07:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.aligncenter.org\/?p=652"},"modified":"2018-09-21T17:07:54","modified_gmt":"2018-09-22T00:07:54","slug":"newsletter-35","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.aligncenter.org\/newsletter-35\/","title":{"rendered":"Align Center Newsletter #35"},"content":{"rendered":"

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\"\"Athleticism as the new midlife crisis, the problem with digital nomads, kickoff of a huge ocean cleanup, and food studies in journalism are some of the best reads from around the web. Our long read scans the brain of the world’s greatest free climber, listen to a thought-provoking interview with Elon Musk on JRE, and then check out five things I’m digging lately in issue #35 of Align Center.<\/p>\n

\u25e6 selected words<\/h1>\n

Extreme Athleticism is the New Midlife Crisis<\/a><\/h2>\n

Noticing your middle-aged friends getting really, really into endurance-demanding sports? It turns out it’s a huge trend \u2014 the largest group of competitors at last year’s New York Marathon was the 40-44 age group, and the average age of 100-mile (160km) ultra-marathon runners was 44. It’s hard to avoid the Ironman brand, with cars proudly sporting that recognizable red M in bumper sticker form. How big is Ironman? The company was purchased for $650M three years ago by a Chinese company, and is now worth $900M. A great read looking into what is driving people to extreme fitness.
\nThe Atlantic (11min read)<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Digital Nomads are (Not) the Future<\/a><\/h2>\n

With the rise of discount travel, improved broadband, increased worker mobility, and a growing apathy towards traditional work arrangements, remote work is becoming a reality for many. Coworking spaces are popping up like cold-pressed juice bars, which giants like WeWork taking over entire office buildings in major cities around the world. But how are these nomads contributing to the places they settle in temporarily? A much needed discussion on individualism, tourism and technology in the growing segment of mobile work.
\nParis Marx (The Radical Urbanist) on Medium (7min read)<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Cleanup of the Pacific Garbage Patch Begins<\/a><\/h2>\n

The World Economic Forum estimates that by 2050, the oceans will contain more plastics than fish. Extremely depressing, but people are hard at work to so this dire prediction does not come true. You can be critical and think it won’t make a dent, but The Ocean Cleanup, a group out of California, has made a target to clean up 90% of the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, a floating mass with a land area estimated to be greater than the size of Texas. The launch data is tomorrow, September 8.
\nForbes (4min read)<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

After Sharkwater Filmmaker’s Death, Family Carries on Vision<\/a><\/h2>\n

More than a year after the death of conservationist, diver, and filmmaker Rob Stewart, his parents were determined to have his third documentary see the light of day. However, the footage for Sharkwater Extinction was locked on his computer, but they’d eventually guessed his password. It was “gratitude”. The film debuts October 5, but festival goers can see it this month at the Toronto and Vancouver International Film Festivals.
\nThe Star (3min read)<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

Why Journalists Should Avoid Food Studies<\/a><\/h2>\n

You may recall a recent headline citing a new study in a medical journal warning that no amount of alcohol is safe to consume. The backlash was swift, as several other journalists denounced the study, labeling it as “essentially meaningless”. Next week it will be wine, then coffee, or another nutritional staple. An op-ed on the harm of misleading reporting and questionable research.
\nCBC News (5min read)<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

\u25e6 listen in<\/h1>\n

Elon Musk on the Joe Rogan Experience<\/a><\/h2>\n

Just 20 hours after an interview with Elon Musk, the real life Tony Stark and possibly the greatest living inventor of our time, the Internet is aflame not for what he said, but for what he consumed. The knee-jerk reaction and over-analysis from his weed smoking on the show (legal in California, by the way) detracts from a rare long-form interview where Musk’s personality is on full display. Covering topics from A.I., electric airplanes and the Boring Company (digging a tunnel under LA), to those ridiculous not-a-real-flamethrower flamethrowers, Musk couldn’t help but tease us in his usual style, promising a big Neuralink update “in a few months”. How does he find the time? He even addresses that question on this superb episode of JRE.
\nThe Joe Rogan Experience (2hr 44min podcast)<\/a> \/ YouTube<\/a> \/ iTunes<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

\u25e6 eat well<\/h1>\n

Spinach Blackberry Salad with Toasted Pecans<\/a><\/h2>\n

I never make salads. I grew up on saut\u00e9ed lettuce and Chinese vegetables like choy sum and gai lan, so eating raw greens was not a thing. But after a trip to Costco I had copious amounts of spinach, blackberries at peak season, and a kilo of pecans, so I found this uncomplicated recipe that didn’t scare me. The low sugar content of the berries combined with toasted pecans and crumbled feta make this perfect for summer.
\nGimme Some Oven<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

\u25e6 read slow<\/h1>\n

The Strange Brain of Alex Honnald, The Greatest Solo Climber<\/a><\/h2>\n

The quiet, charismatic, death-defying climber who became the first to free solo Yosemite’s 900m \/ 3,000 feet, 30-pitch Half Dome (climbing without a rope) has long been an enigma to scientists and the public alike. How does the most famous climber in the world suppress his fear instincts? A team of scientists at the Medical University of South Carolina were curious (as we all are), and led by a cognitive neuroscientist specializing in research on high sensation seekers, convinced Honnald to have his brain scanned by an fMRI machine to find out how his fear center works compared to an average human.
\nNautilus (26min read)<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

The 100 Best of Non-Fiction Reads of 2017<\/a><\/h2>\n

I hesitate to give you more to read, but staff writer for The Atlantic, Conor Friedersdorf, generously shared a list of 100 of the most worth non-fiction articles published last year (excluding paywalled and The Atlantic articles). Normally these recommendations are part of his subscription newsletter, so it’s a very generous offering. If one of these really shines for you, send me a note!
\nConor Friedersdorf’s List of 100 Articles<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

\u25e6 current read<\/h1>\n

Long Beach Wild<\/a><\/h2>\n

The first book I’ve picked up randomly off a shelf in recent memory, this beauty caught my eye, featured at the end of an aisle at my local public library. One of my best friends lives by Tofino, so I visit often, but I knew little of the history of the area, brought to life by long-time resident Adrienne Mason in this enjoyable read filled with history, archival photos and colorful characters of the area known for having the best surf in this corner of the world.
\nLong Beach Wild: A Celebration of People and Place on Canada\u2019s Rugged Western Shore by Adrienne Mason (224p book)<\/a><\/em><\/p>\n

\u25e6 dig this<\/h1>\n

What I’m digging lately:<\/p>\n