Fast Company March/April 2021

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It’s not enough, in 2021, for businesses to be resilient. As many search for ways to manage the ongoing disruptions caused by COVID-19, a growing number believe that disorder is the new normal. They are embracing it and making it part of their processes. Essayist Nassim Nicholas Taleb explores this phenomenon in his 2012 book, Antifragile: Things That Gain From Disorder. “Some things benefit from shocks; they thrive and grow when exposed to volatility, randomness, disorder,” he writes. “Antifragility,” as he terms this way of being, “is beyond resilience... The resilient resists shocks and stays the same; the antifragile gets better.” President Joe Biden campaigned on an economic recovery plan echoing this sentiment, called “Build Back Better,” a phrase often used in natural disaster recovery. There are few corporate playbooks for antifragility,…

Timnit Gebru-a giant in the world of AI and then co-lead of Google’s AI ethics team-was pushed out of her job in December. Gebru had been fighting with Google over a research paper that she’d coauthored, which explored the risks of the AI models that the search giant uses to power its core products, including almost every English query on Google. The paper called out the potential biases (racial, gender, and more) of these language models, as well as the outsize carbon emissions required to compute them. Google wanted the paper retracted; Gebru refused. After the company abruptly announced her departure, Google AI chief Jeff Dean insinuated that her work was not up to snuff-despite Gebru’s credentials. The backlash was immediate. Thousands of Googlers and outside researchers signed a protest letter and…

01 “FOR ELENA,” EAST FOREST As Jon Batiste says, “Listen for the intervals.” This song, with its long, drawn-out notes, cues my mind and heart that it is time to settle into a soft space. 02 “I HEARD YOU FROM AFAR,” BENJAMIN GUSTAFSSON This brings me into a peaceful, dreamlike state. The gentle stroking of the chords feels like a velveteen whisper to my heart. 03 “PETRICHOR,” KEATON HENSON This song reminds me of a time I felt a deep love. It reminds me that there are always cycles: that beginnings are endings and endings are beginnings. Rest in that knowing. 04 “SILENCE OF SIBERIA,” LOWERCASE NOISES The space in between each stroke of the piano keys allows me time to settle my mind into my body, and embody peace. All’s Well That Ends Welle (FROM $37, WELLECO.COM) The Sleep…

Instagram @EXTINCTION-REBELLION I have a 14-year-old daughter who is really involved in climate activism, and this is her favorite account. Newsletter STRICTLYVC It helps me keep up with politics and the VC community. [I also read] Term Sheet, Axios, and substacks by Ben Thompson, Polina Marinova, and Eric Newcomer. Podcast BILL SIMMONS ... except when he’s focused on celebrities I’ve never heard of. Honorable mentions: Sway and Whatever Happened to Pizza at McDonald’s? Website METSBLOG.COM I’ve been reading this ever since the Mets started trying again. Also, while it sometimes makes me mad, it’s hard not to be on nytimes.com pretty often. Click Your Heels Three Times (FROM $170, SABAH.AM) These handmade Turkish leather slippers are cozy enough for a night in, but sturdy enough for walking outside to pick up the morning paper. The backless slides come in a variety of colors and…

Nyle DiMarco, actor, model, Deaf activist, and producer of the reality series Deaf U, takes our productivity questionnaire. What’s your best habit, and what’s your worst? Smiling and overanalyzing. What do you do when you’re creatively stuck? Go out for a walk to buy myself espresso. What’s the best mistake you ever made? Not finishing my master’s degree in Deaf Education. I’m thankful to be on the journey I am, and never would have thought my career would take me toward acting and producing. Maybe one day I’ll go back and finish. Is there a book you recommend to everyone? Shoe Dog, by Phil Knight. You learn that great things require time, effort, and patience. What’s the advice you’re glad you ignored? “Be careful.” From my perspective, people only tell me to be careful when I’m doing things differently. Is there…