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    Gavin Mai

    Writing

    8 posts

    • Work is Love Made Visible

      Work takes up so much of a life. Kahlil Gibran’s words in The Prophet offer a way to think about it through love, care, and purpose.

    • Soulless Technology

      Our tools keep improving. Are we becoming wiser? I explore what gets lost when technological progress outpaces our capacity for care.

    • How to Build a Solar Backup System for Under $5,000

      Power outages in Puerto Rico led me to build a solar and battery backup system. Here are the parts, costs, and lessons from doing it myself.

    • The Fisherman and the Businessman

      A story I return to when ambition crowds out contentment: a fisherman already has the life a businessman is working toward.

    • Periodic Melodies

      Inspired by Stanley Jordan, I built a periodic table you can play. Here’s how ionization energies become musical notes.

    • advice for young adults

      As a teenager, I worried about what to do with my life. An email from artist Andres Amador offered a way to move forward without having it all figured out.

    • Money: The Hidden Backbone of Civilization

      Money lets strangers cooperate. I trace how it became a shared language, where fiat falls short, and why I’m interested in alternatives.

    • Hello world

      Hello World. 你好世界. Hola Mundo. The first entry in this notebook.