"By now you may have read about how Isaac Newton while sheltering in place during the 1665 closure of the University of Cambridge for the bubonic plague, used his free time to discover gravity and invent calculus. And how during the closing of London theaters due to plague in 1606, William Shakespeare had nothing better to do and wrote "King Lear" and "Macbeth. Those guys didn't even have Wi-Fi. You do, plus extra time. Be productive."
"...Many jobs have long been ripe for disruption and now they're being upended in real time. Productivity---doing the right things the right way---is progress, is wealth creation, is what pays for government stimulus."
"Most exciting are new waves of productivity not yet imaginable. Like it or not, we have this forced lull. I know your mind is wandering, solving critical real-world puzzles. Email me your coronavirus lockdown productivity story, big or small. First prize: a box of Cracker Jack. Write to kessler@wsj.com "