Vīta Brevis, Wit Artefāctōrum Ætērna
Life’s complex. Our siloed systems fail us. Let’s face the future better with a first-principles, multi-disciplinary approach to all-round intellectual development. Blending extensive research, light humor, rigorous subject-matter treatment, deep insights
The Problem
We live in a fast-paced world, things are moving rapidly, the times they are a-changing! These are of course clichés (and Bob Dylan lyrics if you will!), but we cannot ignore the grain of truth in them. Life is complex -- always was, but getting even more so in our own times. Which leads us to another cliché: we’re facing an information overload!
The more fundamental problem, however, is that our systems are not sufficiently capable of handling these new realities, they have failed to equip us with the tools and techniques -- intellectual, operational, practical, that are needed for us to navigate the newer, ever-changing environment, to tackle the unprecedented challenges it throws up.
In essence, the systems that are formative and influence our lives are largely siloed, a hangover from a bygone industrial era, obsolescent. They do not equip us with sufficient context, such as historical background and do not encourage robust first-principles thinking.
Towards a Solution
My core proposition is to start from first principles. And from there that we discard the siloed / blinkered approach our grounding imposes on us, and switch instead to a multi-disciplinary approach.
Why? Because, I offer, this makes for an intellectually (or more specifically epistemologically) more effective outcomes. I have made my case here [link].
Given the dizzying pace of change, the near future is going to be vastly different from anything we have seen or can possibly fully conceive. But going by foreseeable trends, we’ll be able to offload a lot of the mundane and low-level tasks to machine intelligence, and be able to take on higher-end tasks, and across disciplines.
Thus I contend that the future belongs to generalist experts and not narrow specialists. With advanced machine intelligence, those who can be generalists will have a significant edge over the narrow specialists. And this is the crux of my thesis I demonstrate through my work here.
Commitment to Subscriber
It is my commitment that my writing is
Accessible to the complete non-specialist, non-expert, and “non-technical” reader
People proficient in one field will get cross-domain insights that should both enrich and expand horizons
If you’re already a polymath, if a multi-disciplinary intellectual pursuit is your thing, you will find here a rich source of engagement and mutually valuable discourse.
The Publication
This publication is set up to have different streams and series of articles.
The current main series (TecC) represents my exploration of understanding reality through a distinct intellectual framework. Through careful first-principles analysis, I examine how human innovation and action shape our world and drive progress.
What to Expect
This publication offers readers:
Frameworks for understanding complex technological and societal developments
Accessible explanations of sophisticated concepts without requiring prior technical knowledge
My characteristic voice blending rigorous subject-matter treatment, unique perspectives, deep insights, and some fun asides
Articles intentionally withhold their topic in titles and subtitles, revealing subjects through narrative discovery - with a “Spoiler TLDRs” option for those who prefer to know upfront
New content typically released once a week, with each piece building upon previous explorations to create an integrated understanding of our world.
Authorial Integrity
Articles written by myself, Ash, and not AI-generated
AI used in extensive deep research and other auxiliary functions, but no AI-generated content in the main text
About the Author
Ash Stuart is a seasoned technologist with over three decades of experience in programming and technological innovation across diverse business domains. His professional journey spans engineering, business strategy, entrepreneurship, and consulting -- all within the technology sector.
Beyond his professional expertise, Ash has cultivated deep personal interests in a wide range of disciplines both in the sciences and the humanities, including history, economics, comparative linguistics and etymology, geopolitics, anthropology, epistemology, philosophy and more. These explorations have given him uncommon breadth and depth of knowledge that informs his unique perspective on our rapidly changing world.
For further information including the inspiration behind this project and Ash’s personal journey, read Introduction and Wherefore Curiosity.
You can show your appreciation of the work done here, you can buy me a coffee ☕️
Every little helps. Thank you in advance.
Subscribe to get full access to the newsletter and publication archives.
