Links #151

Woodrow Hartzog and Jessica M. Silbey on AI and institutions. “AI systems are built to function in ways that degrade and are likely to destroy our crucial civic institutions. The affordances of AI systems have the effect of eroding expertise, short-circuiting decision-making, and isolating people from each other. These systems are anathema to the kind of evolution, transparency, cooperation, and accountability that give vital institutions their purpose and sustainability. In short, current AI systems are a death sentence for civic institutions, and we should treat them as such.”

Brad East on Wake Up Dead Man. “I have a soft spot for any popular entertainment that doesn’t make a mockery of Christian faith, or reduce it to woo, or project infinite doubt onto all believers, or unmask every pastor as a cynical abuser. Johnson succeeds on all counts.” Same.

Robert Alter, via Alan Jacobs, on Bible translations. “Modern translators, in their zeal to uncover the meanings of the biblical text for the instruction of a modern readership, frequently lose sight of how the text intimates its meanings — the distinctive, artfully deployed features of ancient Hebrew prose and poetry that are the instruments for the articulation of all meaning, message, insight, and vision.” I’ve subconsciously noticed something in this vein lately — while the NIV is clearer and easier to understand, it’s missing the poetry of the KJV. Planning to read Alter’s translation at some point.

Stefan Judis on language-specific quotes in CSS. I didn’t know you could do this!

David Ferry on a newish hypothesis that Parkinson’s might be caused by water laced with TCE. Intriguing.

John Gruber responding to Jason Fried’s post on design regressions as companies try to jam modern technology into everything. Agreed. (I think this pairs well with the Ted Gioia post I recently linked to on secondhand purchases.)

Nikita Prokopov on the rampant inconsistencies in macOS Tahoe’s icons. Maybe Apple isn’t doing design reviews. Regardless, I’m avoiding upgrading to iOS 26 and Tahoe for as long as I can while hoping that Apple comes to its senses soon.

Tash on some contemporary fiction lacking moral gravitas. “In many contemporary novels, I cannot help feeling that I am reading about the actions of characters driven largely by their own whims and passions without any placement in, or reference to, a wider sphere of meaning.” Food for thought. Tash’s post on the negative effects of AI-created art is good, too.

Joel Cunningham’s review of the Xteink X4, a small e-ink reader. The phone form factor (like a smaller Boox Palma) and the price look appealing; the typography, less so. I don’t think I’m going to get one myself, at least not right now, but I’m interested to see where this goes down the road.