81 Cells, Alfi's Knives, Napkin Math & Kombucha Visuals
#63 of 10+1 Things | Abu Dhabi
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So, I had a dream. Before that, let me set some context.
It has reached a point where if a day passes without hearing something new about AI, that feels weird. I'm not anti-AI or something and I'm in fact feeling grateful that I'm alive at a time when things are going to be pivotal, be it good or not. I think the latest buzzword in the AI world is now "vibe coding"! People are coding and building stuff using AI, and some have created really interesting projects without much knowledge. I'm not an expert yet to say whether this is good or bad, but I don't think the trend of people building stuff will die down anytime soon. I don't use the so-called agents, but I spend a lot of time copy-pasting code from my editor to the chat. I was talking to a few Gen Z folks and most of them don't even Google these days, preferring to use Perplexity. So clearly times are shifting.
Yeah, coming to the dream. In the dream, I was typing and chatting with ChatGPT(weirdly not Claude!), asking about something, and I could see (or dream) it really well. So weird and dystopian right? It got me thinking: just like people do screen-free time blocks, I think we might soon see a trend where people have AI-free work hours. I can already imagine YouTube videos titled "I Lived Without ChatGPT for a Week." AI is slowly becoming part of our everyday lives, and it’s clear that times are changing.
Without further ado, here are 10+1 things I thought were worth sharing this week:
💡 How to Know
In an inspiring article, Aishwarya Khanduja talks about how slowing down and listening to your intuition can help with feeling stuck or overwhelmed. She shares how she used to chase external goals and overthink her decisions but started an experiment where she let herself pause and notice what naturally made her happy. For example, turning off her phone and sitting in stillness helped her realize what she actually wanted to do, like joining a dance class just because it felt right. She explains that trusting your feelings, mixed with a bit of logic, helps you figure out what to do and builds self-trust over time. By leaning into what feels good instead of what you “should” do, she found more clarity and joy in her life. It’s a great reminder to slow down, notice what pulls you, and trust yourself.
🕴 81 Cells
So I came across this interesting take on Sudoku by Daniel . He calls it "Cracked Sudoku." Unlike traditional Sudoku, which has a standard 9x9 grid, this one is a bit different. In Cracked Sudoku, the numbers are arranged in these funky, weird-shaped cells that kind of look like cracks in the ground. The rules are pretty much the same as regular Sudoku - you fill in numbers 1-9 without repeating any in the same "run", which is basically a squiggly line of cells. It's a bit hard to explain with just words, but trust me, once you see it and give it a try, you'll quickly get the hang of it. Daniel posts a new challenge every day, just like Wordle, so give it a go!
🧾 Napkin Math
I had so much fun reading and thinking about the "Napkin Math Tool" by Taylor, which uses logarithmic scales to explore and compare concepts like time, energy, probability, and quantities. Think of it as a mental tool for making quick, order-of-magnitude estimations in an intuitive way. My favorite would be the "kilograms per dollar" scale, which ranges from bulk sand and tap water to rare precious gems and exotic isotopes, offering a fascinating perspective on the value and scarcity of materials. It's a fun and thought-provoking way to reframe how we think about the scales of the world around us.
💬 $100, $10000 and $100000
I found this interesting discussion few weeks back on Reddit about the difference between $100, $10,000, and $100,000 speakers. I'm no audiophile by any means and don’t even own a speaker, but this was truly eye-opening. As one commenter put it, $100 speakers sound good, $1000 speakers sound great, but after that, you're mostly paying for minimal improvements most people can't even hear. What really surprised me was learning that room acoustics actually matter more than super expensive speakers - a $1000 speaker in a well-treated room will sound better than a $10,000 speaker in a poor acoustic environment. Apparently, many audiophiles can't even tell the difference in blind tests when cheaper speakers are put in more expensive packaging!
$100 speakers are bought by amateurs.
$10,000 speakers are bought by discerning professionals.
$100,000 speakers are bought by amateurs.
🏏 Criclite
A few weeks back, I shared about plaintextsports.com, a popular site that presents sports scores in a clean plain-text format. While I loved the design, I was disappointed that it didn’t include cricket scores and wasn’t open-source. Considering there are approximately 2.5 billion cricket fans out there, I wanted something similar but tailored for cricket. So, I decided to build it myself! After a few days of trial and error, I now have a simple and functional site ready. The site is incredibly lightweight—just about 15kb—and loads extremely fast on almost any browser. I challenged myself to stick to plain text only (no Unicode or emojis) and keep it as minimal as possible. If you're a cricket fan or appreciate plain-text websites, please check it out and let me know your feedback.
P.S. Any good resources for plain-text visualizations? I’m trying to create Manhattan charts, worm graphs, and wagon wheels in plain text, and it’s a tough challenge. Any tips or inspiration would be greatly appreciated!
🔪 Alfi’s Knives
In The Magnet's 100th edition, the author shares a touching story about his friendship with Alfi, his quirky 97-year-old neighbor who recently passed away. Despite a rocky start involving a dispute over a fig tree, the two became close friends over the years. Alfi, an Iranian immigrant, was an incredible gardener and always eager to share his knowledge, plants, and unique produce with the author. He also promised to teach the author some mind-blowing recipes. The story paints a vivid picture of Alfi's larger-than-life personality and the beautiful garden he created on the site of his home that was destroyed in an earthquake. It's a heartwarming read that celebrates the impact one remarkable person can have on our lives.
📏 Tiruler
Looks like a lot of you are into DIY and when I saw this on Kickstarter, I couldn't resist sharing this product. The Tiruler isn't just another measuring tool, it's a clever titanium ruler that transforms from a pocket-sized form into a full 200mm ruler with impressive functionality. What makes it special is that it's packed with features like a vernier caliper, protractor, bubble level, measuring wheel for curved surfaces, and even an integrated magnetic pencil that never needs sharpening. It's designed with a 30° angled measurement surface to reduce strain, can cut paper without damage, and includes handy extras like a bottle opener and hex bit socket—truly a versatile tool for any maker or craftsperson.
P.S: Remember Juicero, the infamous company that sold juice machines with juice packet subscriptions, which eventually went bankrupt because you could just squeeze juice with your hands? I think I found the next Juicero on Kickstarter! It's called Spicerr, an AI spice dispenser that requires a subscription. Weird, right?
📚 How to Keep House While Drowning
This week I've picked up an interesting book called "How to Keep House While Drowning" by KC Davis. It's an interesting read I first saw on the r/deClutter and it's quite revolutionary in its approach to home organization. The author, a therapist who struggled with maintaining her home after her second child, offers a compassionate framework that removes shame from the equation: messiness isn't a moral failing. Davis introduces practical strategies for those dealing with mental health challenges, fatigue, or lack of support, focusing on how to customize cleaning routines that work for you rather than against you. Though I haven't finished it yet, I'm already finding her perspective refreshing: your home should work for you, not the other way around.
I loved this quote from the book
“You do not have to earn the right to rest, connect, or recreate. Unlearn the idea that care tasks must be totally complete before you can sit down. Care tasks are a never-ending list, and if you wait until everything is done to rest, you will never rest.”
~ As always, resurfaced by Readwise (FREE!).
If you’re interested, read my review of Readwise.
📖 Kombucha Visuals
Not sure if this can be called as a visualization, but this thought process behind and the design behind Swee Kombucha really caught my eye this week. Created for a Georgian kombucha brand from Tbilisi, the design team developed a clever modular infographic system where colors and patterns represent the drink's natural ingredients. What makes it special is how they turned the ingredient list into the core visual identity, with each component having its own color and pattern that combines proportionally based on the recipe percentages. The Swee wordmark itself is fascinating - drawn using hundreds of oscillating shapes that mimic the yeast and bacteria in a kombucha SCOBY. Super cool!
📸 Human After All
This week I had so much fun exploring this photo series titled "Human After All" by Jan Kriwol and Markos Kay. They show people doing everyday activities but only as glowing red circulatory systems against urban backdrops. Kriwol took the photos in cities across the world while Kay created the amazing 3D blood vessel figures using computer graphics. The idea came after Kriwol saw a drawing of a circulatory system smoking a cigarette and thought it would be cool to make it realistic. By showing just our blood vessels, the artists remind us that underneath our differences, we're all pretty much the same.
🎬 Dreaming of Monsoon
If you've been subscribed to me for a while, you would know how often I rant about monsoon and how it is such a strong emotion, close to my heart. This video popped up on my feed from a random creator and coincidentally this place is just 10 minutes from my home(in India)! I'm dreaming about monsoon, cherishing the memories while watching it. Let me know what you think of my little corner of the world! :)
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That’s 10+1 Things for the week!
Which one was your favourite this week?
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With Love,
Rishi
“To be like the rock that the waves keep crashing over. It stands unmoved and the raging of the sea falls still around it.”
~ Marcus Aurelius
thanks for the feature!