202602211224 Two great articles
I do a lot of reading, mostly in blog form or books at home. Just the other day though, I saw people talking about two really well written, longer form articles published in magazines and decided to read them.
First, Behind F1’s Velvet Curtain by Kate Wagner. Originally published for Road and Track on March 1st, 2024. It was apparently unpublished by the magazine for some reason (that seem obvious if a bit conspiratorial), but is still available on the web archive link. It’s a great look into the wealth of F1, the spectacle of it, and how spectacle and public relations shapes the perceptions of inequality in America. A beautiful, profound read.
Second, Child’s Play by Sam Kriss for the 2026 March edition of Harper’s Magazine. Subtitled “Tech’s new generation and the end of thinking” this article is a scathing look at the faux substance of Silicon Valley venture capitalism. Through a relaying of facts that needs no embellishment, Kriss decimates the tech bro culture that’s more about social influence than building anything positive. It also shows the shallowness and unconsidered nature of AI and what it’s doing to young people and minds. A great read for anyone in our times, but must read for anyone in tech.
I have known that journalists and writers are valuable to humanity and it’s a disaster what’s been happening to their profession in the Information Age. Reading these two articles put this in immediate relief though. I should