profiles of people
Vaclav Smil and the value of doubt.
“A ruthless dissector of unwarranted assumptions takes on environmental catastrophists and techno-optimists.” ~ learn more
teaching the kids
Why adults’ fear puts children at risk.
“Adults in many Western nations, particularly those born before the 1990s, recall playing with friends in their neighborhoods, local parks, and abandoned places, making up the rules as they went along, without adult supervision. … They felt independent, taking risks […]
thoughts of food
Inflammation nation.
Another stellar report from Bluestein Ventures, this time about the innovation in the food industry aimed at reducing inflammatory ingredients. It’s not just starry-eyed optimism: “reductions in sugar, salt, and fat have proven difficult, as current alternatives struggle to match […]
under the microscope
Epigenetic editing.
So much potential! “An alternative to genome editing can reduce the activity of a gene that affects cholesterol levels without changing the DNA sequence — and does so for an extended period, according to a study in mice.” ~ learn more
under the microscope
NIH nutrition for precision health study.
“The NIH study will involve 10,000 participants in total, some of whom are signing up for intense measures, like monitors that follow them and make sure they don’t eat smuggled food, or special eyeglass attachments to record what they eat.” ~ learn […]
under the microscope
Peter Attia doesn’t like the vegan twin study.
The study, which is also available as a Netflix docuseries, compares results of identical twins assigned either vegan or omnivore diets at random. Attia writes: “While the attempt at controlling for genetics may be admirable, it is at odds with the rest […]
retail therapy
Ads don’t work that way.
There’s a common view that ads work by associating positive memories and feelings with products. This author disagrees and makes a compelling case for an alternate theory. “…[R]ather than trying to change our minds individually, [an ad] instead changes the […]
to your health
The synergy of health and wealth.
It’s my pleasure to promote this interview between two people who I really like: Ilya Zlotnik, wealth advisor and partner at Vivaldi Capital Management, and Daniel Chille, founder and owner of TBD Fitness. ~ learn more
better doing
Entropy: the hidden force that complicates life.
I’m a sucker for discussions of entropy, which is the tendency (sometimes law) for all systems to trend toward disorder. ~ learn more
better doing
Why do you like what you like?
“Basically, your brain does game theory: Do the cool people around you like potatoes? Would you benefit from liking potatoes? Do you understand potato consumption rituals well-enough to blend in at the hot potato salons? Then: Start liking potatoes.” ~ learn more