The Evidence Files Evolution

New growth, new opportunities

Credit: Unseen Studio - Unsplash

There is only one certainty in life—that nothing is certain. All things change, these days often quite rapidly it seems. While change can be frightening, it is also a sign of growth and progress. Rather than resist it, we are better off embracing it. Like you, I am not immune to change. As such, here are some changes coming our way.

The Evidence Files Substack Reorganization

I read some time ago that the best time to start evaluating one’s success as a writer is at the eighteen month mark. The Evidence Files on Substack, my first attempt at writing publicly, is about to reach nineteen months old.

I originally established this blog space to provide an outlet to ponder the various things that interest me, and share my thoughts and analyses with others. That has not changed.

What has occurred to me over this past year and a half, however, is that not everyone’s brain meanders quite like mine. People tend to focus their interests or hobbies in a more confined way, meaning the things that interest them often fall into specific categories.

To make the Evidence Files more amenable to people who wish only to follow certain topics, I am undertaking a significant reorganization. Starting October 5th, the Evidence Files Substack will publish on a consistent schedule mostly on science or technology.

This will of course still feature breakdowns of conspiracy theories, explainers, futurism, and other informative themes. Essays will also dissect the public application and implementation of tech, which will pontificate on legal and social implications, among other related issues.

On Wednesdays, beginning October 9, I will also post shorter pieces—the Wednesday Briefs. These will comprise either concise comments on several separate matters, notifications of interesting news, or happenings in the science or tech world, among other updates. In those spaces, I will also advise readers about works I have published elsewhere that may be of interest but do not fit into the Substack theme.

Approximately once a month, typically near the end, I will post a Feature piece. These will consist of seriously deep dives into specific topics or derive from some of the other activities in which I am involved. The topics will still trend toward science and tech, but may vary occasionally depending upon what I am up to (more on this below).

You will already see new categories on the home page. Previous articles will remain available, but in an Archive section if they don’t fit into the new categories, which will be as follows:

Tech - Computing

Tech - Aviation

Tech - Assorted

Science - Environment / Health

Science - Space / Physics

Science - Other

Features

Wednesday Briefs

My Other Platforms

Medium - As many subscribers here have likely noticed, I hold considerable passion for politics, law, history, and social issues. These topics will now be covered at my Medium page. Because my writing is starting to generate income for me, pieces on Medium are behind a paywall. But not for my Substack Subscribers (see below).

To see paywalled articles, one has to create a Medium account. The cost is around $50 per year. A Medium account gives you access to almost all paid content on the site, not just mine, so for many of you it will be quite the bargain! If you are already on Medium as a member, you can find me here.

For my Substack subscribers, I will make all Medium articles available for free. Simply send an email to me from the email address you used to subscribe to Substack, name which story you want, and I will send you a gift link. (You can also reply to any Evidence Files Substack article you received by email to do this).

The mission was always to keep Substack free for everyone, and it will remain that way. If, however, you wish to support me financially (even the smallest amounts will make you my hero!), the ways to do so are provided below. I hate even suggesting it, but we all gotta pay bills!

Between Substack and Medium, you will see a little bit of overlap, particularly related to the science and technology of environmental efforts, but much of the content there will differ from what will be here moving forward. As an example, two of my very popular pieces published there include a discussion of How Tibet Became Synonymous with the Dalai Lama and a legal analysis, titled The Illegality of Interstate Abortion Bans.

LinkedIn - My following on LinkedIn has reached well over 1,100 people. It comprises a rather eclectic mix of backgrounds and interests. Nonetheless, as people tend to use LinkedIn to make professional connections, I will be launching a newsletter with that principle in mind. I am not certain yet, but I expect the Newsletter will post once per month on a specific date or day of the month (such as the last Tuesday of each month, or something like that). The goal will be to connect like-minded people working in shared fields or disciplines.

In addition, I will be offering certain services there such as editorial reviews of writing submissions (resumes, cover letters, academic writing, technical writing, and so forth), English language instruction (spoken or written), and tutoring in various subjects. It will also serve as a space to discuss potential collaboration on various projects. You can find me on LinkedIn here.

Other Activities

EALS Global Foundation - Back in 2022, I started developing a mobile application with the help of some students at Softwarica College in Nepal. The idea was to apply technology toward mitigating the harms from natural disasters in the Himalayas. While we did develop the application, the idea behind the nonprofit, EALS Global Foundation, has expanded considerably.

In the coming weeks, the EALS Global website will be undergoing its own transformation. The new design will articulate the many great works EALS is and will be doing. As a largely solo outfit to this point, I have been remiss in explaining what is going on or keeping the website up to date. That is soon to change. When the website’s revamp is completed, I will be posting a Wednesday brief on it here so you can check it out.

Collaboration - I am working with several individuals and groups on a number of projects. Some of these will be relayed here as essays, as they cover science and tech matters. For others, I will mention them in Wednesday briefs where applicable. There may be some video content forthcoming also.

Co-Writers - Some of my most popular articles here on Substack were written with other people. For example, Suraj Raj Yadev and I discussed The Evolution of Human-Computer Interaction. It led to new subscribers and was read by nearly a thousand people. Another example was QR Codes - Are They Dangerous? written with Ganesh Bhusal. It also brought in new subscribers and performed equally well.

Other pieces also reached extraordinary audiences, such as The Street Dogs of Kathmandu with Tammy Conti and How Engineers Design Buildings to Resist Earthquakes with Corin J. Lutz. A later version of the article with Ms. Lutz was republished in Southern Winds to great fanfare.

People love to hear about the experience and knowledge of others in conjunction with my own. Over the last few months, I have not had the opportunity to publish with someone else in this way (though there are a few forthcoming at some point). If you wish to get your name in front of my audience(s), please reach out to me. I make the process pretty seamless—you provide your content, I add mine and handle the editing, then once we agree on the final product, up it goes. Simple!

Frankly, I love doing joint essays. I learn as much as—or more than—anyone. Also note, the topic for co-written pieces is not limited to tech and science; these will be offered as Features. In many cases, I will cross-post the article on Medium, which will bring an even larger audience. For students and people new to their field, this is an especially excellent avenue to get some exposure.

Community

This community I have started—and you all have built—is exactly what I had envisioned: a place for exchanging useful ideas, information, and efforts. While we all understand the need to buy, sell, and support various services to survive, the capital transaction should not be the chief priority. We do not need to spend the bulk of our energy chasing profits to enjoy life.

Moreover, with collective effort, we all benefit. So let’s keep at it. I thank you all who have supported me in whatever way is available to you. It is very much appreciated and cherished.

—Rob

Ways to follow or support my work

To keep up with my work on other platforms, follow the Evidence Files on Facebook. A link to nearly every article is posted there (with a few exceptions because of that platform’s bizarre moderation process).

If you wish to financially support my work, subscribing here (either paid or free) or on Medium is one option, or you can just Buy Me A Coffee.