Top Short and Medium Reads of 2016

Allan Chochinov
2 min readDec 22, 2016

--

Last year I published a short list of my favorite long reads of 2015, and people seemed to find it useful for the holidays. So I’m back with another list for 2016—this time on the shorter-read side (and I suppose good for mobile reading, natch). Again 10 items in all, and please do share if you’re inspired.

Wishing everyone a great 2017 ahead!

The Problem With Slow Motion

Eugene M. Caruso, Zachary C. Burns, Benjamin A. Converse, The New York Times, August 5, 2016

The Two Minutes It Takes To Read This Will Improve Your Writing Forever

Josh Spector, Medium, July 22, 2016

Using a Dyson hand dryer is like setting off a viral bomb in a bathroom

Beth Mole, Ars Technica, April 15, 2016

The Case Against Reality: A professor of cognitive science argues that the world is nothing like the one we experience through our senses.

Amanda Gefter, The Atlantic, April 25, 2016

Flowstate is a writing app that will delete everything if you stop typing

Nick Statt, The Verge, January 28, 2016

We Were Very Wrong About the Number of Galaxies in the Universe

George Dvorsky, Gizmodo, October 13, 2016

AUDIO: On Average

Avery Trufelman (producer), 99% Invisible Podcast, August 23, 2016

The Best News You Don’t Know

Nicholas Kristof, The New York Times, September 22, 2016

Are We Smart Enough To Control AI?

John Battelle, NewCo Shift, June 28, 2016

A Flowchart to Determine What Religion You Should Follow

(Timeless) via HolyTaco

VIDEO: ‘Thought Leader’ gives talk that will inspire your thoughts

This is That, CBC , June 8, 2006

AND SINCE THESE ARE SO SHORT, 5 BONUS TRACKS from NOT 2016!

The Doomsday Invention: Will artificial intelligence bring us utopia or destruction?

Raffi Khatchadourian, The New Yorker, November 23, 2015

Famous quotes, the way a woman would have to say them during a meeting.

Alexandra Petri, The Washington Post, October 13, 2015

Song Exploder Episode 38: Tune-Yards “Water Fountain”

Hrishikesh Hirway (host), May 18, 2015 (oops!)“WATER FOUNTAIN”

An Open Letter To Speaker

Scott Berkun, scottberkun.com, June 27, 2011 (okay, so that’s a half dozen years ago, but still a classic.)

Velocipedia

Gianluca Gimini, unknown

--

--