The Lindahl Letter

• Designed to Distract: How Technology Gets Your Attention

  Thank you for being a part of the journey. This is week 179 of The Lindahl Letter publication. A new edition arrives every Friday. This week the topic under consideration for The Lindahl Letter is, “Designed to Distract: How Technology Gets Your Attention.”Your attention is a battlefield, and modern technology is armed with automated and now AI powered weapons of mass distraction. Every ping, notification, and infinite scroll is designed to keep you engaged, often longer than you intend. This isn’t a coincidence—it’s a calculated business model. The longer you stay on a platform, the more data it collects and the more revenue it generates through ads. This system thrives on capturing and exploiting your focus, turning your attention into a commodity. My bookshelf includes a physical copy of Tim Wu’s 2016 book, “The Attention Merchants” [1]. A lot of things have been published that dial into things related to how attention is changing.The tactics used to divert attention are subtle yet powerful. One of the most pervasive is infinite scroll, a feature introduced to eliminate natural stopping points. Instead of deciding when to stop, you’re continuously pulled into the next post or article. Similarly, autoplay videos take advantage of your inertia, playing the next episode or clip before you even have a chance to close the app. Then there are push notifications, which interrupt your focus with alerts that feel urgent but rarely are. These tools aren’t neutral—they’re designed to create a sense of compulsion.At the heart of these tactics is personalized algorithms, powered by artificial intelligence. These algorithms study your behavior, preferences, and even vulnerabilities to predict and serve content that will keep you engaged the longest. While they often provide convenience, they also create feedback loops, reinforcing behaviors that keep you tethered to a platform. For example, social media thrives on social validation loops, where likes, shares, and comments trigger dopamine hits that make you crave more engagement.This constant assault on your focus has real consequences. On a personal level, it leads to fragmented attention—the inability to concentrate deeply on tasks. Every time a notification interrupts your work, it takes an average of 23 minutes to fully refocus [2]. Multiply that by the dozens of interruptions you experience daily, and the productivity cost becomes staggering. Emotionally, the effects are just as damaging. Platforms often prioritize sensational or negative content because it generates more engagement, leading to heightened anxiety, outrage, and even depression. Relationships suffer as well; when your attention is split between your phone and the people around you, trust and connection erode.But perhaps the most insidious effect is the erosion of your ability to think deeply. Focused, uninterrupted time is essential for problem-solving, creativity, and self-reflection. Yet, in a world of constant distractions, these opportunities become increasingly rare. Instead of engaging in deep work, many of us find ourselves trapped in cycles of shallow tasks, like checking email or scrolling social media.The good news is that you can take back control. Start by turning off non-essential notifications to reduce interruptions. Most apps don’t need to buzz or flash for your attention—set boundaries so you decide when to engage. Limit your screen time with tools like app blockers or by scheduling specific periods for digital use. Another effective strategy is to introduce stopping cues to counteract infinite scroll and autoplay. For example, commit to watching one episode or reading for a set amount of time, then stop deliberately.Curating your digital environment can also help. Unfollow accounts or unsubscribe from feeds that don’t add value to your life. Replace them with content that inspires or educates you. When you use technology, do so intentionally. Ask yourself, “Why am I opening this app? What do I hope to achieve?” This small pause can prevent mindless scrolling and keep your focus aligned with your goals.The battle for your attention is ongoing, but it’s one you can win. By understanding how your focus is being diverted and taking deliberate steps to protect it, you regain the power to direct your attention where it truly matters. The next chapter will show you how to shift from reacting to distractions to prioritizing what’s most important, laying the foundation for a more intentional and focused life.Footnotes:[1] https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/234876/the-attention-merchants-by-tim-wu/[2] https://ics.uci.edu/~gmark/chi08-mark.pdfWhat’s next for The Lindahl Letter?* Week 180: The Focus Formula: Prioritize What Truly Matters* Week 181: Your Attention Fortress: Building a Distraction-Free Life* Week 182: Deep Work, Rare Results: The Art of Uninterrupted Focus* Week 183: Connection in the Chaos: Restoring Presence in Relationships* Week 184: Recharge to Refocus: The Power of Rest and RenewalIf you enjoyed this content, then please take a moment and share it with a friend. If you are new to The Lindahl Letter, then please consider subscribing. Make sure to stay curious, stay informed, and enjoy the week ahead! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.nelsx.com

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• Inside the Mind: The Science of Focus and Distraction

  Thank you for being a part of the journey. This is week 178 of The Lindahl Letter publication. A new edition arrives every Friday. This week the topic under consideration for The Lindahl Letter is, “Inside the Mind: The Science of Focus and Distraction.”Focus is a skill, but to master it, you need to understand the mechanisms driving it. At its core, focus is the ability to direct attention to a specific task, thought, or sensation while filtering out, blocking, or generally ignoring distractions. It’s not a static state but a dynamic process, constantly influenced by biology, psychology, and the environment. This interplay determines whether you can sustain deep concentration or get pulled into the whirlwind of modern distractions that are a part of the digital age.Adding complexity to this equation is dopamine, the brain’s “reward” forward chemical. Dopamine motivates you by creating a sense of pleasure and satisfaction when you complete tasks or encounter something new. However, modern technology exploits this system. Every notification, like, or email provides a small dopamine hit, training your brain to seek instant gratification. This cycle rewires your focus, making it harder to engage deeply in tasks that don’t offer immediate rewards. Understanding this chemical dynamic is key to reclaiming your ability to concentrate.Focus also operates in cycles, influenced by your body’s natural rhythms. The ultradian rhythm reflecting some fraction of an hour cycles of peak energy followed by dips plays a significant role in your ability to sustain attention [1]. Aligning your work with these cycles can maximize productivity. Equally important is sleep. Quality rest doesn’t just restore your energy; it consolidates memories, clears mental clutter, and primes your brain for focus the next day. Neglecting sleep, on the other hand, leads to brain fog, reduced cognitive function, and an increased susceptibility to distractions. My sleep is tracked every day by my Oura ring and it really does correlate with readiness [2].Many myths about focus further complicate the path to mastering it. For instance, multitasking is often celebrated as a valuable skill, but research shows it splits attention and decreases productivity. Similarly, the belief that some people are naturally better at focusing overlooks the fact that focus is a skill that can be developed. And while eliminating all distractions might seem like the ultimate solution, it’s neither practical nor entirely beneficial. Instead, the goal should be to manage distractions and strengthen your ability to return to your chosen task.Despite these barriers, focus can be cultivated with the right strategies. Start by setting clear priorities for your day. A short list of three key tasks can help reduce decision fatigue and keep your attention directed. I always keep a list of things to stop doing as well. Next, design a distraction-free workspace. Declutter your environment, silence notifications, and use tools like website blockers during periods of deep work. Incorporating brief, intentional breaks is another powerful way to sustain focus. Techniques like the Pomodoro Method—25 minutes of work followed by 5 minutes of rest—can refresh your mind and prevent burnout [3].Focus is also strengthened through consistent training. Practices like mindfulness meditation improve your ability to resist distractions by teaching your brain to sustain attention on a single thought or sensation [4]. Single-tasking, where you commit to completing one task before moving to the next, is another effective exercise. Over time, these practices build your focus muscle, making it easier to engage deeply with challenging work.Understanding how focus works isn’t just an academic exercise—it’s the foundation for living intentionally in a world filled with distractions. By aligning your habits with the science of attention, you can reclaim control over your focus, direct it toward meaningful goals, and unlock your full potential. The next step is to recognize how your attention is being deliberately diverted by external forces—and to learn how to defend it.Footnotes:[1] https://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C6&q=ultradian+rhythm+productivity&oq=ultradian+rhythm[2] https://ouraring.com/blog/how-does-the-oura-ring-track-my-sleep/[3] https://scholar.google.com/scholar?hl=en&as_sdt=0%2C6&q=pomodoro+method+effectiveness&oq=Pomodoro+Method[4] https://mindful.usc.edu/resources/What’s next for The Lindahl Letter?* Week 179: Designed to Distract: How Technology Grabs Your Attention* Week 180: The Focus Formula: Prioritize What Truly Matters* Week 181: Your Attention Fortress: Building a Distraction-Free Life* Week 182: Deep Work, Rare Results: The Art of Uninterrupted Focus* Week 183: Connection in the Chaos: Restoring Presence in RelationshipsIf you enjoyed this content, then please take a moment and share it with a friend. If you are new to The Lindahl Letter, then please consider subscribing. Make sure to stay curious, stay informed, and enjoy the week ahead! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.nelsx.com

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• Your valuable attention: Why Your Focus Is Under Siege

  Thank you for being a part of the journey. This is week 177 of The Lindahl Letter publication. A new edition arrives every Friday. This week the topic under consideration for The Lindahl Letter is, “Your valuable attention: Why Your Focus Is Under Siege.”In a world where your attention is more valuable than ever, every scroll, click, and swipe is part of an invisible economy. This “attention economy” drives social media platforms, streaming services, and even productivity tools. It’s not your time they want—it’s your focus. The cost of lost attention is both personal and societal. On an individual level, fragmented focus lowers productivity, weakens relationships, and diminishes a sense of purpose. On a societal scale, the effects ripple outward, creating polarization, misinformation, and a culture that values busyness over depth. Occupied time is not always productive. We have to move to strengthen the fabric of civil society. It’s our general civility that has become unsettled.The statistics are startling. The average person now spends over seven hours daily consuming digital media. We are focused on digital driving through a forever updating sea of digital content. Notifications, pop-ups, and infinite scrolls have rewired our brains and expectations to crave constant stimulation, sadly leaving little room for deep thought or creativity. The attention span of the modern human is estimated at just 8.25 seconds—shorter than that of a goldfish [1]. This isn’t an accident; it’s by design. Technology companies have mastered the art of capturing your focus. Every feature on your favorite app, from autoplay videos to personalized algorithms, is crafted to keep you engaged for as long as possible. The longer you stay, the more data they collect and the more ads they show. Attention has become the currency of the 21st century, and you’re the commodity. People have been saying that attention is the new oil for about 7 years [2][3].Your attention is the gateway to everything you value—learning, relationships, civility, and achieving your goals. Without the ability to focus, time slips away unnoticed. Productivity declines, creativity dwindles, and even happiness suffers. The constant pull of distractions chips away at your ability to live intentionally. Yet, understanding the problem is the first step to regaining control. When you recognize that your attention is being diverted, you can begin to take deliberate steps to reclaim it.The attention economy thrives on a simple premise: the longer you stay engaged, the more valuable you are. Algorithms study your habits, preferences, and vulnerabilities, ensuring that the content you see is optimized to keep you scrolling. But the effects go beyond wasted time. In the workplace, frequent interruptions reduce productivity and lead to decision fatigue, costing billions in lost output annually. In personal relationships, divided attention weakens connections, leaving friends, partners, and colleagues feeling undervalued. On a mental health level, the endless cycle of notifications and comparisons fosters anxiety, burnout, and a distorted sense of self-worth. It feels good to feel busy, but that does not translate to actual outcomes.The good news is that you can fight back. Reclaiming your attention starts with awareness. Recognize when and where your focus is being pulled, then take actionable steps to protect it. Turn off non-essential notifications; your phone doesn’t need to buzz for every like, comment, or update. Set digital boundaries using tools like screen time trackers or app blockers to create intentional limits. Schedule time for focused, uninterrupted work on meaningful tasks. Most importantly, reconnect with presence during conversations and relationships. Put away your devices and engage fully.Your attention isn’t infinite, but it is powerful. By reclaiming control, you can transform your relationship with technology, your work, and the people in your life. The battle for your attention isn’t just a personal challenge—it’s a societal one. As individuals, we must learn to resist the pull of distractions. As a society, we must demand ethical technology that respects our focus rather than exploits it. Your focus is your greatest asset. Don’t let it be stolen. One of the big changes that I made was shifting to a fitness ring instead of allowing alerts on my wrist from a watch. For me those wrist alerts shattered my efforts to achieve deep work and sustain focus. Sometimes you just need to focus and those alerts, notifications, or messages just need to wait a little bit in the attention priority queue.Footnotes:[1] I’m not entirely sure this citation is the best source for this metric, but it does seem to be commonly cited and is from 2015 Time magazine https://time.com/3858309/attention-spans-goldfish/[2] https://www.google.com/search?q=%22attention+is+the+new+oil%22[3] https://medium.com/@setsutao/attention-is-the-new-oil-not-data-bf54c64d3279What’s next for The Lindahl Letter?* Week 178: Inside the Mind: The Science of Focus and Distraction* Week 179: Designed to Distract: How Technology Grabs Your Attention* Week 180: The Focus Formula: Prioritize What Truly Matters* Week 181: Your Attention Fortress: Building a Distraction-Free Life* Week 182: Deep Work, Rare Results: The Art of Uninterrupted FocusIf you enjoyed this content, then please take a moment and share it with a friend. If you are new to The Lindahl Letter, then please consider subscribing. Make sure to stay curious, stay informed, and enjoy the week ahead! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.nelsx.com

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  5:13
• Quantum Computing and Advances in Time Crystals

  Quantum computing continues to captivate the imagination of scientists, technologists, and futurists alike, offering the promise of solving problems intractable for classical machines. Amidst the steady stream of breakthroughs, one concept has emerged with both scientific intrigue and practical potential: time crystals. These exotic states of matter, once considered the stuff of theoretical musings, are now taking shape in laboratories and, intriguingly, hold promise for quantum computing applications.At their core, time crystals are a new phase of matter, one that breaks time-translation symmetry. In classical physics, symmetry breaking usually refers to spatial phenomena—such as ice forming from water, where the uniformity of liquid water transitions to the structured lattice of solid ice. Time crystals, however, add a temporal twist: they exhibit periodic motion that persists indefinitely without energy input, defying classical expectations. Discovered in 2012 by Nobel laureate Frank Wilczek as a theoretical construct and experimentally realized in 2016, time crystals are not perpetual motion machines but rather quantum systems that oscillate in a stable, repeating pattern under the influence of an external driver.For quantum computing, time crystals offer a tantalizing prospect. They provide a platform where quantum states can be maintained with high coherence—essential for reliable quantum computation. Time crystals are inherently non-equilibrium systems, making them robust against many types of environmental noise. This resilience could address one of the major hurdles in quantum computing: error correction and qubit stability. A significant step forward was the recent use of time crystals in trapped-ion quantum computers, where researchers demonstrated their potential for executing quantum gates. By leveraging the stable periodicity of time crystals, quantum systems can operate in an environment that naturally mitigates decoherence, effectively improving the reliability of computations.Recent advances have seen time crystals moving from theoretical oddities to functional components in experimental setups. For instance, researchers using Google’s Sycamore processor observed time-crystal behavior, showing how these systems can be integrated into existing quantum hardware. Similarly, trapped-ion systems have demonstrated the potential of time crystals to enhance the coherence of qubits, making them candidates for long-term storage and high-fidelity operations. Additionally, their unique oscillatory states could play a role in synchronizing quantum systems across distributed networks, paving the way for scalable quantum communication.Despite these exciting prospects, integrating time crystals into practical quantum computing remains a challenge. Their behavior, while stable, is highly sensitive to precise conditions and external drivers. Scaling these systems to handle complex quantum algorithms will require significant advancements in both hardware and theoretical understanding. Furthermore, the interplay between time crystals and other emerging quantum technologies, such as topological qubits and error-correcting codes, remains an open field of inquiry. Bridging these domains could unlock entirely new architectures for quantum computation.The journey of time crystals from a theoretical prediction to an experimental reality is a testament to the rapid pace of quantum innovation. As we continue to explore their potential, these shimmering oscillations in the fabric of time may serve as a cornerstone for the next generation of quantum computers. In the ever-evolving narrative of quantum technology, time crystals represent both a scientific triumph and a beacon for what lies ahead—a fusion of curiosity, creativity, and the relentless pursuit of the unknown.Thank you for joining me for this week’s edition of The Lindahl Letter. Stay curious, and see you next week as we delve deeper into the quantum frontier.What’s next for The Lindahl Letter?* Week 177: The Attention Economy: Why Your Focus Is Under Siege* Week 178: Inside the Mind: The Science of Focus and Distraction* Week 179: Designed to Distract: How Technology Hijacks Your Attention* Week 180: The Focus Formula: Prioritize What Truly Matters* Week 181: Your Attention Fortress: Building a Distraction-Free LifeIf you enjoyed this content, then please take a moment and share it with a friend. If you are new to The Lindahl Letter, then please consider subscribing. Make sure to stay curious, stay informed, and enjoy the week ahead! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.nelsx.com

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  4:19
• Universal quantum computation

  Welcome back to another edition of The Lindahl Letter. It’s week 175, and we’re diving into the fascinating topic of universal quantum computation. This is an area where the boundaries of theory and practical application intersect, offering both incredible promise and immense challenges. If you’re tuning in to this podcast for the first time, welcome aboard. For regular readers and listeners, you already know this is a space where we examine complex topics with an eye on clarity and relevance.At its core, the concept of a universal quantum computer is as ambitious as it sounds. It’s the quantum computing equivalent of a general-purpose classical computer—think of it as a machine that can perform any quantum operation, given enough time and resources. The analogy to the classical Turing machine is apt, but the quantum realm is a different beast altogether. Where classical systems rely on bits flipping between 0 and 1, quantum systems leverage qubits, which exist in superpositions and can be entangled in ways that fundamentally alter how computations unfold.Achieving universality in quantum computation boils down to the idea that we can simulate any quantum process using a combination of quantum gates. These gates are the building blocks of quantum circuits, manipulating qubits in ways that enable properties like superposition, entanglement, and interference. In practice, a small set of gates—such as the CNOT gate combined with single-qubit operations like the Hadamard and Pauli gates—forms what’s known as a universal set. With these, any quantum operation can theoretically be approximated to arbitrary precision.Of course, theory and practice are rarely perfect companions. The current landscape of quantum computing is dominated by what’s known as Noisy Intermediate-Scale Quantum (NISQ) devices. These systems are powerful but imperfect, constrained by issues like qubit fidelity, error rates, and limited coherence times. The leap to universal quantum computation requires addressing two major challenges: error correction and scalability. Quantum error correction is a monumental task in itself, demanding additional qubits to safeguard against the natural noise and decoherence that plague quantum systems. Scalability, meanwhile, demands not just more qubits but better qubits—ones that can operate with higher fidelity and stronger connectivity.Despite these hurdles, progress is being made. Theoretical frameworks, like the Church-Turing-Deutsch principle, assert that any physical process can be simulated by a universal quantum computer. That idea has fueled decades of research and development. On the practical side, companies like IBM, Google, and IonQ are racing to push the limits of what quantum systems can achieve. IBM’s ambitious roadmap to a million-qubit machine is a bold declaration of intent, and the algorithms already developed for quantum systems—like Shor’s algorithm for factoring large numbers—hint at the transformative potential waiting to be unlocked.It’s easy to see why universal quantum computation captures the imagination. The implications stretch far beyond the confines of academia or industry, touching fields as diverse as cryptography, materials science, and optimization. Yet, the path forward is long and uncertain. It’s not a matter of if we get there but when—and how the journey reshapes the landscape of computing along the way.Thank you for taking the time to explore this frontier with me. If you’ve made it this far, I appreciate your curiosity and engagement. As always, stay curious, stay informed, and I’ll see you next week for another deep dive.What’s next for The Lindahl Letter?* Week 176: Quantum Computing and Advances in Time Crystals* Week 177: The Attention Economy: Why Your Focus Is Under Siege* Week 178: Inside the Mind: The Science of Focus and Distraction* Week 179: Designed to Distract: How Technology Grabs Your Attention* Week 180: The Focus Formula: Prioritize What Truly MattersIf you enjoyed this content, then please take a moment and share it with a friend. If you are new to The Lindahl Letter, then please consider subscribing. Make sure to stay curious, stay informed, and enjoy the week ahead! This is a public episode. If you would like to discuss this with other subscribers or get access to bonus episodes, visit www.nelsx.com

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