19 Comments

Best NonZero crossover with another Substack: NonZero and Small Potatoes

Best new NonZero feature: NonZero World (honorable mention: Bob’s sermonettes)

Most underrated NonZero Feature: either the lives (we need more!) or having some of the essays recorded as audio (helps during long drives)

Most trippy interview: possibly one of the interviews about AI but they were at times beyond me, so I nominate the interview with Scott Horton because he sounded like he stepped out of a movie from the late 1960s / early 1970s.

Thanks, NonZero Team, for a memorable 2024!! You kept me sane with your humor and insight. I look forward to what awaits in 2025.

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By 'lives' you mean the Zoom chats? Like the one right after the election?

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Yes, though I imagine they take a lot of planning and energy to do so I understand they don't happen often.

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We'll make a point of setting one up within the first couple of months of the year. If you haven't heard anything about this by mid-February, feel free to harass us.

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Thank you!

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Thanks for a year of great content, Bob et al. Looking forward to 2025.

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Best new fashion accessory: Bob’s glasses

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So far ahead of the fashion curve that we're saving that award for next year. My acceptance speech is already drafted.

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really sets a high bar for the annual NonZero Awards! Good idea and a great implementation.

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well done!

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Just wanted to say: these are all really great awards. I love coming up with these interesting categories. Well done

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Worst tweet: "Joe Biden sent the orders" -Rep Mike Collins from Georgia, after Trump was shot at. A rare event where both sides were largely in unison in condemning political violence, he perfectly and succinctly characterizes the moral and logical rot in the GOP's MAGA wing, as well as the role Twitter continues to play in the complete obilteration of good faith discourse.

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I'd missed that one. That deserves its own special 'worst tweet' category.

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The Blinken one was harsh, but well deserved. Paul Bloom was robbed and deserves one for best recurring guest. He had big shoes to fill with Mickey’s departure but he’s been a great addition and might be the nicest guest I’ve ever heard on any podcast.

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Thanks for arguing with me about Stephen J Gould– for some reason my friends, family, and colleagues are uninterested. Truly baffling. Anyway, you're incorrect about Progressivism (see my comment about Ctenophores and bryophytes to be humbled/shocked/humiliated).

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Are those hats for sale?

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Hats is just the tip of the iceberg: https://www.cafepress.com/+nonzero+gifts

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Thanks for all your hard work in keeping me informed of things I don't always want to be informed about (but need to be). End of year lists are always going to leave something out, but I'm sort of surprised you've never mentioned the real reason Musk most likely got into politics:

the Kessler Syndome, resulting in growing calls for regulation of the space industry. But since the Republicans don't believe in climate change, they probably don't care about one more thing that will make the planet unlivable.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-14230705/What-Kessler-Syndrome-Experts-warn-imminent-danger-space-collisions-knock-Wi-Fi-cellphones.html

https://abcnews.go.com/US/musks-starlink-polluting-space-researchers-call-fcc-pause/story?id=115276437

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But has the Kessler Syndrome prospect really generated much support for regulation of space? I thought NZN had been among the very few outlets writing about it.

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