The100: Evel trains and the importance of zero

You are entitled to your own opinion, but you are not entitled to your own facts.

A little amuse-brain there from Daniel Patrick Moynihan via Shane Parrish. Love it.

1) It’s 2) Time 3) For 4) Lists

It’s that time of the year when best-of’s and year-in-reflection’s start appearing, and we’ve got 2 that we particularly enjoyed.

1. Tim Whitwell at Flux lists the 52 things he learnt in 2017, which includes the absolute belter:
   

   In the early 1980s AT&T asked McKinsey to estimate how many cell phones would be in use in the world at the turn of the century. They concluded that the total market would be about 900,000 units. This persuaded AT&T to pull out of the market. By 2000, there were 738 million people with cellphone subscriptions

2. Heavily related to this,  #2 in Bob Hoffman’s best-of-2017 listings is what he thinks about future predictions vs the present.
   

   The great thing about talking about the future is that you don’t have to know anything. You just make shit up and nobody can refute it.

C60s, CDs or Downloads?

The past is something we selectively remember, so this customisable article on the technology world you grew up in is both fascinating AND a good example of how data can be used to greater effect when it’s personalised. Also ace for settling arguments about what happened when.

Start with 0, or start wrong

Back to data and a presentation from BBH Labs about which numbers really matter in marketing. It’s a must read for anyone involved in this space.

Who said science was boring?

Google maps has not got lost in space. It’s pretty creative – especially the glimpse into what life is like inside the ISS – all handles and suction?

However, if you have 96 mins – I know you don’t, but just in case – Scientific American, together with Story Collider (great name) released a video of scientists speaking on the nature of imagination, intuition and inventiveness: The Mad Science of Creativity.

Extreme Thomasing

Finally, who doesn’t want to see Thomas the Tank Engine do stunts? Just needs Ringo Starr to do the voice over and we’re all set.