spiraling
don’t expect any growth
I started seeing spirals everywhere last summer (more on this later). They felt like a miracle. A cosmic nod. A kind of reckoning. A sign of life.
But I am learning that there are other kinds. more sinister, co-opted ones. Signs of grind and disconnect. Of metal on concrete.
spiraling
We had our annual all team meeting last month. I kept leaving work exasperated. Is anyone else seeing this?? Really, are we still choosing exponential growth? After all this?? Don’t you feel how crazy this is?? how inappropriate?
it doesn’t gnaw at you?
spiraling
NOOOOOOOOOOO // spiral sketch no. 1
I’ve been learning about fiber-optic cables that line the ocean floor. Nearly one point four million kilometers and counting.
I had no idea.
that 99% of our data travels by sea.
(much like our cargo)
The world is strung together by thread.
Spiraling
Turns out that there are ships built for the sole purpose of laying more cables.
Their bellies house enormous spool-like drums. Human hands help direct and tighten the thousands of miles coiled inside.
One of these vessels is currently anchored off the coast of Lagos, Nigeria. It is laying the world's longest undersea cable. Meta is a key investor.
Once complete, it will fully encircle the continent of Africa.
Spiraling
don’t expect any growth // spiral sketch no. 2
I thought this sketch was about industry and capital accumulation imitating life.. but I think this is just a note to self. a message on a cellular level.
“don’t expect any growth” - excerpt from a Glassdoor review about my job.
References:
Sinews of War and Trade by Laleh Khalili
How the Internet Travels Across Oceans, New York Times
2Africa cable map
Submarine cable FAQ