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Long but so worth the read. The story of how a band of volunteers who became the go to data source for vaccine availability in the US, even being relied upon by Google Maps as their go-to data source, saving lives in the process.

Some things I thought and felt while reading it:

• A deep sense of admiration and inspiration. This is American ingenuity at its finest. Solving the problem in front of you however you can, never being satisfied. A lot of the best aspects of the Stripe culture are also on display.

• Sadness or a sense of missing out. Why didn’t I know this existed? Why didn’t I help out? I told my wife, in what was perhaps an over reaction, that I felt like I had missed my chance to do something that matters by not participating in this.

• I think this does a good job of making the case that in practice simplicity and equity go hand-in-hand even if the additional complexity is meant to increase equity. Another way to say this is that if your goal is equity, you need to have a high bar for additional complexity.

• Such a startlingly good example of “do the simple thing first.” Before you build a real time system for national vaccine tracking, call pharmacies and make a list.

• I have some skepticism towards the claim that pharmacy websites were “broken by design.” I would’ve liked to have seen more there.

• I agree with this wholeheartedly: “We as a society accepted so much mediocrity during the pandemic, and we do to this day.”

Sesame will soon be required to be labeled as an allergen on food, which is leading to more sesame being used in food.

Food industry experts said the requirements are so stringent that many manufacturers, especially bakers, find it simpler and less expensive to add sesame to a product — and to label it — than to try to keep it away from other foods or equipment with sesame.

As a result, several companies — including national restaurant chains like Olive Garden, Wendy’s and Chick-fil-A and bread makers that stock grocery shelves and serve schools — are adding sesame to products that didn’t have it before. While the practice is legal, consumers and advocates say it violates the spirit of the law aimed at making foods safer for people with allergies.

“It was really exciting as a policy advocate and a mom to get these labels,” said Naomi Seiler, a consultant with the Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America whose 9-year-old daughter, Zoe, is allergic to sesame. “Instead, companies are intentionally adding the allergen to food.”

Via Alec Stapp

is “time” according to Dr. Dean Buonomano on the Ezra Klein podcast.

Relatedly, Wikipedia’s list of sundial mottos will leave you with something to think about.

A wonderful Zürich tradition that I just learned about this year: the Lichterschwimmen where students float lanterns down the Limmat through the center of the city. Some how we missed this while we lived there! I’ll have to go back and see it.