Ed3Weekly: Issue #3 of Web3🤝Education
Aloha and welcome to issue #3. Glad I've been able to keep these rolling. I set the goal of one per week so let's see how long I can keep this going, lol. I guess because I consume a lot of things about web3, crypto, and blockchain the idea of just sharing what I am consuming is pretty feasible. This week I focus on some web3 🤝 education events that have been happening as well as a recent research paper I read and a really uninteresting yet interesting podcast I listened to (that you may really hate!).
Again your likes, Tweets, and Retweets really help spread the news about this newsletter. If you have any interesting web3 articles, news, or events feel free to share in my DMs, I am always looking to learn more about what is going out there!
Ed3 Events
There have been some amazing events around web3 and education.
The Teachers College at Columbia University recently hosted a discussion with the CEO and Founder of k20 Educators Vritit Saraf.
Also, a panel discussion with web3 rock stars Scott David Meyer, Mercedes Bent, Vriti Saraf, and Bhaumik Patel at the Arizona State University+Global Silicon Valley Summit took place.
Articles
View of The Metaverse as the Digital Leviathan: A Case Study of Bit.Country
I love seeing an increase in the flow of highly researched and comprehensive academic papers coming out around web3 and the metaverse. This one from a team of researchers led by Justin Goldsten titled The Metaverse as the Digital Leviathan: A Case Study of Bit.Country is a fabulous read.
I'd also recommend you follow him on LinkedIn for his insightful takes and resource sharing.
Podcast
I definitely started my journey in web3 and NFTs as a skeptic. I still question the insanity of how a digital picture of a monkey can be worth tens of thousands of dollars (and more!).
Yet, even though I am willing to drink the blockchain kool-aid I am open-minded enough to listen to dissenting opinions and ideas. I recommend everyone take a listen to this recent podcast interview by Ezra Klein with Dan Olson titled The Most Thorough Case Against Crypto I've Heard. If you are not familiar with Dan Olson he is the creator of a two-hour YouTube video titled "The Line Goes Up" which is a critique of all things crypto.
It is good to hear what "the other side" is thinking. I disagree with a number of his points and think that some of his statements are factually wrong, but he does have some good points within the mess. If you are not willing to hear the other side of any idea that you hold then you should probably do some more research.
I also suggest though that you watch the documentary Feels Good Man about the creator of Pepe the Frog. It's not about web3 necessarily, and I am not sure why I feel they go together. But at the heart of it, I believe there is more to things than may seem, and sometimes our own distortions can get in the way of the true story that exists between the lines.
Again, I feel Dan Olson gets a lot wrong, and in his eager desire to present an argument against something is blinding himself to some evidence for something. But then again maybe he knows more than me.
But wouldn’t it be cool if...
Thanks again for reading, you can read my blog on the decentralized blogging platform Mirror, sign up to receive my Substack, or go old school and read my bloggy blog. They all link to the same content 🤪