#110 - Notes on LINUX, Music and Chemistry
Education Coffee is a 2xNewsletter on People, Ideas and Culture.
In each edition of this newsletter, I will share inspiring web resources that I have curated after hours of research to ensure that you have the best education coffee in your inbox. In upcoming editions, I will focus on sharing insights, notes and realizations that I gather from people, ideas, books, films and podcasts.
1. Learning from People
Linus Benedict Torvalds (1969 to present) is a Finnish software engineer who is the creator and lead developer of LINUX (inspired by his name). This is a free, open-source operating system (OS) that manages a computer’s memory and processes. He also created the distributed version control system Git, which he uses to manage the source code changes made to LINUX by thousands of open source developers. He talks about his journey in the TED talk linked below. This is his #LearningStory.
#Curiosity - In 1981, Torvalds (at the age of 12) got access to an 8 bit home computer called Commodore VIC-20. This sparked his interest in computers. He started programming for it in BASIC.
#Competence - Torvalds studied computer science at the University of Helsinki from 1988 to 1996. He graduated with a master’s degree in computer science. His master’s thesis was titled Linux: A Portable Operating System.
#Creation - In October 1991, he released the first official version of the LINUX Operating System. This was a new operating system from scratch that was based on both MINIX and UNIX. In 2000, LINUX was installed and used as an operating system in seven million computers. He continues to work on the LINUX code actively as a member of the LINUX foundation.
2. Learning from Ideas and Questions
List
I love lists. Whenever I find a writer on Substack I often wonder what their favourite posts on Substack are. I want to make a list of my favourite posts from Substack with a brief description of each post. This is my attempt at curation on Substack. On Substack, I read about topics like Sports, Economics, Creator Economy, Entrepreneurship, Culture, History, Films, Books, Podcasts and Personal Finance. To support other Substack writers, please explore the full post and the writer’s articles by clicking on the links below. I wish we had a similar service for books, films, music, art and podcasts.
3. Learning from Books, Websites and Blogs
Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus throws light on discrimination against women in the field of Science and Academia in the 1960's. Also has some interesting perspectives on parenting, introverts, cooking shows, adult friendships and second careers. Gives you a glimpse of societal thinking in America in the 1960's through the characters experiences in the world of academia and television. Bonnie Garmus creates powerful characters. I fell in love with Zott and Evans and their quirkiness.
4. Learning from Films, Videos and Shows
Before Avicii, there was Tim. Through his own words, witness how a prodigious musical talent became one of the defining artists of his generation in this documentary about the life of one of the most renowned DJ’s in the world. Even celebrities are human beings. They need consistent sleep, food and exercise. They need their loved ones close to them. Fans need to respect that space. This documentary shows you how there is a lot of pressure to keep up with the joneses as a global DJ. Avicii had to manage a lot of back to back concerts and tours in an unsustainable way. That pressure got to this young artist. He just wanted to produce music for a wide audience. However, he didn’t like the music business. An important documentary about the life of an artist.
5. Learning from Podcasts and Music
In this clip from Surel Ingale we get some good ideas on how to discover and find new music on the Internet and the real world. We live in a world inundated with choice and access. We now have songs available for free on most streaming platforms. How has this changed our listening habits? I sometimes wonder how this would have been a dream scenario for anyone living in the 1900s.
Thank you for reading this edition of #EducationCoffee. I hope to continue to share resources that will add value to your life. You can review the archive of Education Coffee for free at this link (109 past newsletters). You can send me your thoughts on any edition of this newsletter through email at abhishekashokshetty@gmail.com.
Abhishek Shetty