Bright Nights #1 — The Art of Paying Attention
Welcome to the first edition of Bright Nights.
The idea behind this newsletter is simple: there are more interesting things happening in the world than any of us have time to find. Lectures that reshape how you think about cities. Panels where the smartest people in a field argue productively. Recorded talks that you’ll find yourself quoting at dinner for weeks.
We sift through it all so you don’t have to. Here’s what caught our attention this week.
Events Worth Your Evening
The Future of Urban Design — New York Public Library, Mar 15. A rare panel bringing together architects, city planners, and community organizers to debate how cities should evolve. Free admission makes this a no-brainer.
Consciousness and the Brain — The Interval at Long Now, San Francisco, Mar 22. Neuroscientist Anil Seth explores the science of subjective experience. If you’ve ever wondered why you experience anything at all, this is your evening.
The Ethics of Artificial Intelligence — RSA House, London, Apr 2. A transatlantic panel examining who gets to decide how AI shapes society. Timely, urgent, and guaranteed to leave you with more questions than answers (the good kind).
Talks Worth Watching
The Paradox of Choice by Barry Schwartz — Why having more options makes us less happy. A foundational 20-minute talk that will change how you think about every decision you make.
Do Schools Kill Creativity? by Ken Robinson — The most-watched TED talk of all time, and it still hits different every time you revisit it.
The Danger of a Single Story by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie — A masterclass in empathy and the power of narrative. Under 20 minutes but stays with you for years.
Inside the Mind of a Master Procrastinator by Tim Urban — Funny, honest, and uncomfortably relatable. The perfect talk to watch instead of doing whatever you’re procrastinating on.
The Puzzle of Motivation by Daniel Pink — Everything you thought you knew about what drives people is probably wrong. Pink makes the case in under 20 riveting minutes.
That’s it for this week. If you enjoyed this, forward it to someone who’d rather spend their evening learning something than scrolling.
See you next Friday.