The Contingency Contingent & A Career In Whistleblowing

Featured Articles

The Contingency Contingent

n+1 • 22 Aug 2024 • ~6900 words

This essay reflects on the author's near-surreal experience as a new hire at Arthur Andersen during the Y2K frenzy. It captures the absurdity of corporate life and the strange mix of urgency and uncertainty surrounding a problem most thought was overblown. It's a fascinating glimpse into a pivotal moment in tech history, layered with personal anecdotes and a lot of humor. Consider yourself lucky if you have never experienced firsthand the corporate absurdity you’ll find in this piece.

To the alarming claim of the Y2K town criers—modern life after 12/31/1999 cannot be guaranteed—the quality assurance team responded retrospectively: whatever happened yesterday would be consigned to a database. At a certain point all that had happened yesterday was our documenting, so then we documented that. Then, exponentially, we had to document ourselves documenting our own documentation.

How To Make Millions As a Professional Whistleblower

GQ • 21 Aug 2024 • ~4750 words • Archive Link

Meet Richard Overum, a professional whistleblower who uses undercover tactics to expose fraud. In this entertaining piece from GQ, he reveals how he navigates the world of business fraud, all while considering the potential payout for his efforts. Overum's journey, however, is not just about making money; it's about a personal mission to bring fraudsters to justice.

He’s been working as a professional whistleblower for over a decade now, zigzagging the country to cozy up to suspects that he charms and cajoles with cunning, lies, and manipulation in order to coax from them the blueprints for any number of white--collar scams, from Ponzi schemes to prime bank frauds. As a motivator, the cash that he might collect is never far from Overum’s mind.

Recommended Articles

The World’s Stockyard

Phenomenal World • 21 Aug 2024 • ~4100 words

The article explores Brazil's transformation into a global leader in beef and soy exports, examining the environmental and economic implications of this shift. It raises critical questions about the sustainability of agribusiness practices, the impact of deforestation, and the challenges facing Brazil's green transition under the influence of powerful agricultural interests. It's a crucial read for anyone interested in the intersection of agriculture, climate change, and economic policy.

Brazil is the seventh largest emitter of greenhouse gases. But the composition of its emissions differs starkly from the world’s norm: whereas agriculture, forestry, and land-use change combined account for about 18 percent of global emissions, they represented more than three-quarters of Brazil’s between 2000 and 2020. When it comes to the country’s emissions, fossil fuels take the backseat, overshadowed by beef and soya.

The Trials of a Paralympian Whose Disability Doesn’t Always Show

New York Times • 22 Aug 2024 • ~2850 words • Archive Link

Christie Raleigh Crossley is on a remarkable journey to the Paris Paralympics, but her path has been anything but straightforward. After surviving serious injuries and a brain tumor, she faces not only physical challenges but also skepticism about her disability. This article explores her fight for recognition and the personal battles she has had to overcome to chase her Olympic dreams, while asking questions about the visibility of disabilities.

The better she swims, the more suspicion and accusations come her way. How do you prove a disability to people who cannot see it?

Why the Media Moves in Unison

persuasion.community • 22 Aug 2024 • ~3900 words

This piece explores the phenomenon of media groupthink, particularly how mainstream outlets shift their narratives on controversial topics. It examines the social dynamics and pressures that lead journalists to conform to prevailing taboos, raising questions about the implications for public trust in the media and the nature of truth in journalism.

If you violate a taboo before other reputable journalists have done so, you earn a reputation as a crank—and that reputation tends to linger even after all of your peers have finally come around to your point of view.

Was Linguistic A.I. Created by Accident?

The New Yorker • 23 Aug 2024 • ~2700 words • Archive Link

What if the creation of linguistic A.I. was more accidental than intentional? In this piece from The New Yorker, we dive into the story of the researchers behind the transformer (the T in ChatGPT) model, exploring how their quest for better machine translation unexpectedly opened the door to machines that can generate human-like language.

The true power of the transformer became clearer in the next few years, as transformer-based networks were trained on huge quantities of data from the Internet . . . At OpenAI, the ultimate result of scaling up was ChatGPT.

When A House Builds You

3 Quarks Daily • 23 Aug 2024 • ~4450 words

In this reflective piece, Eric Schenck takes us on a journey through the memories tied to his childhood home as his family prepares to say goodbye. With rich imagery and heartfelt moments, he explores how a house can hold the essence of family, change, and the passage of time. It's a touching reminder of how our roots shape who we become.

Remembering a house, this house, is really about remembering a family. Who we were. Where we came from. What we have seen, been through, endured, and what it can tell us about where we are going.

The Man Who Saved France From Marine Le Pen

The New Republic • 21 Aug 2024 • ~2000 words • Archive Link

In a time when right-wing populism looms large in Europe, Raphael Glucksmann emerged as a key figure in France by uniting left-wing parties to counter the threat of Marine Le Pen. This article delves into Glucksmann's vision for a new social democracy in France, his strategic alliances, and his challenges in a polarized political landscape. Can one man's efforts reshape the future of French politics?

There are three prongs to Glucksmann’s vision: a vibrant social economic plan that impacts people where they live, an approach to a future that supports a positive approach to the climate, and a defense philosophy that sustains a free Europe.

Divided we stand: The rise of political animosity

Knowable Magazine • 19 Aug 2024 • ~3300 words

Political polarization has become a growing concern in recent years. This article explores the latest research on what is driving this troubling trend. It's a timely read that sheds light on the complexities of our divided political landscape and offers insights into the dynamics fueling this ongoing polarization. While the primary focus is on the U.S., it also covers European research.

. . . rather than carefully weighing the policies of a given party, supporters are becoming just that — supporters. In essence, we’re acting more like fans of a football team going to a game than a banker carefully choosing investments

When Foreign Countries Push the Button

MIT Press • 1 Apr 2024 • ~17500 words

This academic article explores how public attitudes toward nuclear weapon use vary based on who wields the power to strike. The findings challenge the notion of a strong taboo against nuclear attacks, revealing that support remains surprisingly high regardless of whether it's one's own country or an ally pulling the trigger. Should this be a sign to revisit policies?

. . . my theory and evidence demonstrate that many individuals view the use of nuclear weapons as a virtuous and moral use of violence. From a policy perspective, this finding means that the risks of nuclear use are higher than the conventional wisdom suggests. Leaders must therefore be more active in their efforts to prevent nuclear use than if a stronger norm existed.

Does being a gifted kid make for a burned-out adulthood?

Vox • 5 Aug 2024 • ~3500 words • Archive Link

Being labeled as a "gifted kid" in school can come with a heavy burden. This article explores how the high expectations and pressure associated with the "gifted" label can lead to burnout and struggles in adulthood for many former "gifted kids". Discover the surprising challenges that often accompany a childhood designation of being gifted.

Lots of schools have gifted programs that identify smart kids with potential. How many adults do you know who could be considered gifted?