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A 5-Minute Mini-Explorable: “Attractors” (Patreon)

Published:
2018-05-29 16:42:55
Imported:
2026-06
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Content

Why do systems – cultures, environments, economies – seem to get stuck, then change all at once?  Here's a mini-interactive about one of my favorite ideas, attractor landscapes!

🗻 An Interactive Introduction to Attractor Landscapes 🗻
(playing time: 5 min)

I actually started making this a few months ago, but put it aside to finish Wisdom/Madness of Crowds.  It wasn't until a few days ago I could finally polish and publish this little puppy.  Hope you enjoy!

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I've been thinking a lot recently.  Is there a better way for me to help others than making a bunch of small, standalone projects?  How do I balance using my current skills with learning new skills?  What should I do with my life?  Are these the wrong questions?  Why's anything anything, blah blah blah, etc.

I'm still not sure, but I do think it'd be better for me to stop thinking alone, and start thinking out loud with you peeps!  So, apologies for the lack of Patreon updates since publishing Crowds last month – I'll try to share more of my process and progress.

Anyway, up next:

  • Sometime next week I'll send the Polygon rewards & survey for Custom Drawn Character rewards!  I'll also upload one more dumb mini-project that I made last month for the Stupid Sh*t Nobody Needs & Terrible Ideas 2018 Hackathon.
  • In June, I may try actually scientifically testing interactivity in learning?  Like, readers go to a website, they're randomly assigned to either a words-and-pictures version or an interactive version, then they both take a test afterwards, see if there's a difference?  Something like that.
  • In July, I and a few others are going to run an online Explorable Explanations Jam!  More details to come soon-ish.

Thank you again all so, so much for granting me the creative autonomy to make cool, weird things :)

<3,
~ Nicky Case

Files

Previews only

Comments

Paul d'Aoust

Thanks for inviting us to hear what you're thinking about re: your life trajectory. (Part of me, though, thinks, "is this a wise idea? open yourself up to the critiques of the peanut gallery?" :D ) Do you feel like you're not 'doing enough' in your current work? (FWIW I think your work is superb and sorely needed, hence why I'm sponsoring you... I think all it's lacking is TONS MORE EXPOSURE because it carries such important messages.) I've got some thoughts about possible synergies with other people who are working on similarly exciting 'systems thinking meets technology' projects, but I'll DM you about that. Thanks for these cool little things you make!

Tim S (Banana Juice Tech)

I'd be happy to be a guinea pig in a learning test if you proceed with that project.

Tim S (Banana Juice Tech)
>>12689048

I think one thing interactivity might help with more is the stickiness of the information, so maybe a follow-up test a week or two later might be useful.

CrabWithKnife

I like the idea of doing some scientific experiments like you mentioned. Maybe you could try to take one of these mini projects and apply it to a real life problem? Like how you did with the ballot one! That one was fantastic, and I often just send it to people when I am trying to talk about those concepts. Anyway, everyone needs time to work on themselves sometimes, but I think what you are doing here is a public good, and so I thank you!

Conrad Wong

The look on the fisher's face when you've depopulated the pool is hilarious. ^.^

quarridors

I found the very narrow light coloured text really difficult to read, would you consider adding options to choose a font face or colour with better contrast?

ncase
>>12678378

> Do you feel like you're not 'doing enough' in your current work? I've realized recently, after too many years of overthinking and stress, that "am I doing enough" is the wrong question -- because that implies it's yes/no, binary, as if I can hit some level of "good" and just coast for the rest of my life. Instead, I want to ask, "how can I improve"? Because I think -- I hope -- that I *can* always improve! If I couldn't, I mean, that would mean my journey is at an end and I would be a very sad potato

Paul d'Aoust
>>12678378

Sounds like a wise approach. In addition to what you pointed out, the binary 'am I there yet' question can lead to a lot of exhaustion, because you can never say you've arrived -- there's always a reason you're imperfect. By contrast, asking how you can improve says "I'm doing pretty well already; how can I up my game?" Same question, but posed with more charity, which affects the outcome immensely -- you're less likely to break under the strain of your own expectations. Also, 'sad potato' is an awesome phrase and I think I'll start using it :)

LKMJ

I read an article that could be (badly) translated as "a 25% minority is enough to change the opinion" and it was SO about attractor landscapes! Not sure how accurate the figures were but I was like " Yes I know how this works balls and hills and stuff" and I felt so intelligent thanks to you! :D