WSC combined

Ralph Waldo Emerson

A 19th-century American transcendentalist thinker who promoted self-reliance, individual intuition, and the belief that truth is found within oneself and nature rather than institutions. His ideas shaped American intellectual culture and are often simplified into sayings about valuing the journey over the destination.

And now, the end is near

first words of My Way by Frank Sinatra

nuclear powered cars

A mid-20th century concept of automobiles powered by compact nuclear reactors instead of fuel engines; proposed during the optimism of the atomic age but abandoned due to extreme safety risks, radiation concerns, cost, and impractical engineering challenges.

food pills

Futuristic idea of replacing meals with compact pills containing all necessary nutrients; reflects technological optimism but fails to account for digestion complexity, psychological satisfaction of eating, and nutritional diversity.

progress bar

A graphical user interface element that visually indicates how much of a process has been completed, typically expressed as a percentage; important for reducing user uncertainty and improving perceived waiting time.

indetermediate progress bar

A progress indicator that shows partial advancement toward completion, giving users measurable feedback rather than vague activity.

splash screen

An introductory visual display shown when software launches, often used for branding or to occupy users while the program loads in the background.

console output

Text-based system feedback typically used in programming environments to display logs, errors, or step-by-step execution details.

skeleton screen

A loading interface technique that displays a simplified layout of content before actual data loads, improving perceived speed by showing structure immediately.

throbber

A looping animated icon (such as a spinning circle) indicating that a process is ongoing without specifying how long it will take.

placebo buttons

Interface elements that appear to give users control but have no actual function (e.g., elevator "close door" buttons), designed to reduce anxiety and create a sense of agency.

The New York Times Why Waiting Is Torture

An article explaining that waiting feels painful primarily due to uncertainty, lack of control, and absence of feedback rather than the duration itself; highlights psychological factors behind impatience.

Ridge Racer

A 1993 arcade racing game developed by Namco; notable for including a hidden playable mini-game (Galaxian) during loading screens, reducing perceived waiting time.

Gross Domestic Product

The total monetary value of all finished goods and services produced within a country over a specific period; widely used as a measure of economic size but criticized for ignoring inequality and well-being.

Gross National Income

The total income earned by a nation's residents and businesses, including income from abroad; differs from GDP by focusing on ownership rather than location of production.

Gini Coefficient

A statistical measure of income inequality ranging from 0 (perfect equality) to 1 (extreme inequality), used to assess wealth distribution within a society.

Human Development Index

A composite indicator measuring average achievement in key human development areas: life expectancy, education level, and income per capita.

Multidimensional Poverty Index

A measure that evaluates poverty beyond income by including health, education, and living standards to reflect real-life deprivation.

Labor Productivity

The amount of goods and services produced per worker or per hour worked; a key indicator of economic efficiency.

Happiness Index

A ranking based on surveys of subjective well-being, life satisfaction, and factors like social support and freedom.

Passport Index

A ranking system evaluating the strength of passports based on the number of countries citizens can enter visa-free or with visa-on-arrival.

Big Mac Index

An informal economic tool comparing purchasing power parity by examining the price of a Big Mac across countries.

The Second Law of Thermodynamics

A fundamental physical law stating that entropy (disorder) in a closed system tends to increase over time, implying natural processes move toward randomness rather than order.

Progress isn't natural (The Atlantic, by Joel Mokyr)

An article arguing that societal and technological progress is not inevitable but requires deliberate effort, institutions, and maintenance.

Surely the World is Growing Better (1909)

A satirical illustration by Will Crawford that critiques blind optimism about progress by contrasting belief in improvement with evidence of societal problems.

A Brief History of the To Do List (The Atlantic)

Article tracing the origins of task lists and explaining their effectiveness through psychological mechanisms like memory reinforcement and goal structuring.

Eisenhower Method

A productivity framework categorizing tasks by urgency and importance to prioritize effectively. Sort by two sections, into four squares

1-2-3 Method

A simplified system focusing daily effort on 1 major, 2 medium, and 3 small tasks.

Ivy Lee Method

A method where six tasks are listed in order of importance and completed sequentially each day.

4-D Method

A decision-making system: Do immediately, Defer to later, Delegate to others, or Delete entirely.

Eat That Frog

A principle suggesting tackling the most difficult or important task first to reduce procrastination.

Must Do

A prioritization approach focusing only on essential, high-impact tasks.

Bullet Journal

A customizable analog productivity system combining planning, journaling, and tracking into one notebook.

Zeigarnik Effect

A psychological phenomenon where unfinished or interrupted tasks are remembered more vividly than completed ones due to cognitive tension.

Umberto Eco

A scholar who analyzed lists as cultural artifacts, distinguishing between practical lists (functional) and poetic lists (expressive, infinite in nature).

Said that “The list is the origin of culture”, held an exhibit at the Louvre

caretaker government

A temporary administration that governs during election periods, maintaining basic operations while avoiding major policy decisions.

Doomsday Clock

A symbolic clock created by the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists representing how close humanity is to global catastrophe, especially nuclear war or climate crisis.

london 1666

Reference to the Great Fire of London which destroyed much of the city and fueled apocalyptic fears.

Doomsday predictions

Repeated historical claims forecasting the end of the world, often driven by religious beliefs, scientific misunderstandings, or social anxiety.

The Millerites (1844)

A religious movement predicting Christ's return in 1844; failure led to the "Great Disappointment."

taught by william millar

Wodziwob's visions (1869)

Prophecies by a Native American spiritual leader predicting renewal and transformation of the world.

Halley's Comet Panic (1910)

Public fear that Earth passing through a comet's tail would release toxic gases.

The Jupiter Effect (1974)

A theory from a novel claiming planetary alignment would cause disasters; later debunked. Stated by John Gribbin

Hong Ming Chen’s prediction (1988)

Hon-Ming Chen was the leader of a Texas-based religious group sometimes called the Chen Tao.

He predicted that God would appear on U.S. television on March 25, 1998, and shortly afterward, a global catastrophe would destroy Earth.

The Y2K bug (2000)

Fear that computer systems would fail due to date formatting issues at the year 2000.

Large Hadron Collider (2008)

Scientific experiment feared by some to create black holes; concerns were unfounded.

Mayan Apocalypse(2012)

Misinterpretation of the Mayan calendar predicting world destruction.

Book of Revelation

A Christian text describing symbolic visions of the end times, including judgment, destruction, and eventual renewal.

Albrecht Dürer | The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (1498)

Painting from the Renaissance, The four horses imply conquest, war, famine, death= destruction

Sandro Botticelli | The Mystical Nativity(1500)

Contrasts divine salvation with demonic defeat; tone blends anxiety with hope and spiritual acceptance.

Michelangelo | The Last Judgment (1536-1541)

Clearly separates ascending saved and falling damned through dynamic human forms; tone is powerful, dramatic, and morally intense.

Pieter Bruegel the Elder | The Triumph of Death (c.1562)

Depicts universal death affecting all classes equally; tone is bleak and fatalistic with no clear salvation.
Feature famine of the four hosemen

Thomas Cole | The Course of Empire: Destruction (1836)

Reflects fear of civilizational collapse through violent ruin imagery, emphasizing cycles of rise and fall.

at ROME, British Artist

Feature the borghese warrior

John Martin | The Great Day of His Wrath (1851-1853)

Dramatic apocalyptic landscape showing divine destruction amplified by industrial-era scale, inspired by the book of revelation

Otto Dix | World War I prints (1924)

Stark depictions of mechanized warfare highlighting human suffering and trauma.

part of the Der Krieg

Viktor Schreckengost | Apocalypse '42 (1942)

Reflects WWII fears of technological destruction and global conflict.
(Hitler and co on a horse)

Kevin Sherwood & James McCawley | "Where Are We Going?" (2013)

Expresses existential uncertainty and anxiety about humanity's direction.

Olivier Messiaen | Quartet for the End of Time (1940)

Composed in a POW camp; uses unconventional rhythms and silence to evoke timelessness and spiritual reflection.

Black Sabbath | "Electric Funeral" (1970)

Reflects Cold War nuclear fears using heavy distortion and slow tempo to create dread.

Criticizes nuclear activities

R.E.M. | "It's the End of the World as We Know It" (1987)

Uses rapid-fire lyrics and chaotic structure to reflect information overload and ironic detachment.

chlorophyll in a lake

A pigment in algae whose fluctuations can indicate ecological instability; sudden increases often signal eutrophication and potential ecosystem collapse.

Demos

Early drafts in songwriting

La Sagrada Familia

A large basilica in Barcelona, Spain, designed by architect Antoni Gaudí, which has faced numerous funding challenges since construction began in 1882.

Still under construction

Nusantara Capital City

A planned city in Indonesia, announced to be the future capital, which has encountered delays and challenges related to funding and development.

Still under construction

Ryugyong Hotel

An unfinished hotel in Pyongyang, North Korea, that has sat incomplete for decades due to financial issues and the country's economic difficulties.

Unfinished/unused

Wonderland Amusement Park

An abandoned amusement park in Beijing, China, that never opened due to funding shortages and regulatory issues.

Abandoned

Berlin Brandenburg Airport

An airport in Germany that faced significant delays and cost overruns, primarily due to financial mismanagement and funding problems.

Completed

Milan Cathedral

Although completed, this monumental cathedral in Italy experienced various funding challenges throughout its lengthy construction, which spanned several centuries.

Completed

Crazy Horse Memorial

An ongoing project in South Dakota aimed at carving a mountain into a monument of Crazy Horse; it has faced continuous funding challenges since its inception.

Still under construction

Kanban（看板）

A visual workflow management method that helps teams visualize their work process to increase efficiency and productivity by managing work in progress.

Gantt Charts

A type of bar chart that represents a project schedule, outlining tasks along a timeline and showing their start and finish dates visually.

Harmonogram

A project management term referring to a visual representation of the plan or schedule, similar to a Gantt chart, often used in Eastern European project management.

Dependencies

Relationships between tasks in a project, indicating how the start or finish of one task affects another, crucial for scheduling and resource allocation.

Risk Register

A tool used in project management to identify, assess, and prioritize risks, documenting them along with strategies for mitigation. Often in chart form.

Stakhanovite Movement

A Soviet labor movement named after miner Alexey Stakhanov, promoting increased productivity and efficiency among workers as a form of competition. While often being promoted as a movement started by labourers, it was often the product of top-down pressure by higher-ups.

Critical Path Method (CPM)

A project management technique used to identify the longest sequence of dependent tasks in a project to determine the shortest completion time. Often times a bunch of shapes and lines.

Program Evaluation and Review Technique (PERT)

A statistical tool used in project management to analyze the tasks involved in completing a project, helping reduce time. Often unknown.

Waterfall Method

A linear project management approach where each phase must be completed before the next begins, emphasizing thorough documentation and sequential progress.

Command-Control

A traditional management style characterized by a top-down approach, where decisions are made by a central authority and directives are issued to subordinate levels.

Toyota Production System

An integrated approach to product development and production that emphasizes efficiency, waste reduction, and continuous improvement, often referred to as Lean manufacturing.

Chaos Engineering

A discipline within software engineering that focuses on testing and improving system resiliency by intentionally introducing failures and observing system behavior.

Agile Manifesto

A declaration of principles for Agile software development that prioritizes individuals and interactions, working software, customer collaboration, and responsiveness to change.

Six Sigma

A data-driven methodology aimed at improving processes by identifying and eliminating defects, thus enhancing quality and efficiency in operations.

Sashimi Model

A project management approach that involves overlapping phases, allowing some phases to continue while others are still in progress, leading to increased efficiency.

The Three Way “The Phoenix Project” Philosophy

A framework from 'The Phoenix Project' that outlines three key principles: flow, feedback, and continual learning and experimentation to succeed in DevOps transformation.

Taylorism and the Four Principles

A management theory developed by Frederick Taylor that emphasizes efficiency through systematic work processes and includes principles such as: 1) Scientific management of tasks, 2) Scientific selection and training of workers, 3) Standardization of tools and practices, 4) Division of labor.

Consider workers as gears in a machine

Max Weber’s Bureaucracy

A way of organizing large groups so that everything runs in a clear, predictable, and fair= rational matter.

clear hierarchy, division of labor, strict rules, etc

Ford Assembly Line

A production system developed by Henry Ford that revolutionized manufacturing by using conveyor belts to streamline assembly processes, significantly reducing production time and costs through increased worker efficiency.

Total Quality Management (TQM)

A management approach focused on embedding awareness of quality in all organizational processes, aimed at long-term success through customer satisfaction and continuous improvement from all employees.

snout houses

houses that have their garages front and center=ordinary american house

Robbie house

a residential architecture in Chicago designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, has a garage within the house=integrated

Sarah Boone

An African American dressmaker who invented the modern-day ironing board, became the first women to be awarded a patent

Mechanical Turk

a chess bot that looked like AI but actually had a chess master inside it

Sketches

Rough quick drawings used to explore ideas and visualize concepts early in the design process without focusing on detail

Storyboarding

A sequence of drawings or images that outline how a user will interact with a product or experience over time

Paper Prototypes

Hand-drawn or printed interface elements used to simulate a product’s functionality for early testing and feedback

Low vs High Fidelity

A comparison between simple rough designs focused on ideas and detailed polished designs focused on realism and usability

Wireframing

The creation of basic layouts that define structure hierarchy and functionality without visual design elements

Mockup

A detailed visual representation of a product that shows design elements like colors typography and layout but is not interactive

Proof of Concept

A small-scale demonstration used to verify that an idea or feature is sustainable