Weekend Reads April 9th 2021

Welcome to Lowercase Weekend Reads. Our weekend reads highlight the most important articles of the week.

Why Time Slows Down When We’re Afraid, Speeds Up as We Age, and Gets Warped on Vacation

Incredible how something objective can be so subjective. 

NFTs Show the Value of Owning the Unownable

“The NFT craze, and the blockchains underlying it, lay bare the philosophical questions around why we treasure things beyond any tangible worth to us—and the leap of faith we indulge, wisely or otherwise, when we buy something not because of any innate worth to us but because we expect others to value it later. That its worth can arise through collective action is a testament to the unpredictability of human events—and a reminder that not everything in life gains value from top-down fiat.”

Cracking the Case of London’s Elusive, Acrobatic Rare-Book Thieves

My pick of the week. Absolutely fascinating. Stuff for a movie. 

Inside Israel's lucrative — and secretive — cybersurveillance industry

This dystopia is becoming more real every day and it won’t get better. 

Our Strange Addiction | Lapham's Quarterly

Masterful piece. On the long side but well worth the time.