tech, startups, internet

Venture capital déjà vu.

Venture capital déjà vu. “AI has given venture capital a new way to repeat an old mistake: kingmaking. The pattern from 2021 is back: a category becomes ‘obvious,’ a top-tier firm anoints its winner, and everyone else acts like the […]

tech, startups, internet

The battle over open banking.

The battle over open banking. Chase wants to charge fintechs for accessing Open Banking data. This move is part of a broader conflict over whether banks can monopolize and charge for all economic activities, despite not operating the payment methods. […]

tech, startups, internet

Self-driving cars are finally here.

Self-driving cars are finally here. “Fully autonomous driving is no longer a question of if, but when. And that ‘when’ is now upon us.” This article explores the dramatic shift towards self-driving technology and its implications for transportation. ~ learn […]

tech, startups, internet

The age of research.

The age of research. AI pioneer Ilya Sutskever says, “We are squarely an age of research company.” In this interview with Dwarkesh, he discusses the shift from scaling to focused AI investigation and the nuances of effectively harnessing pre-trained models. […]

fun facts

After-dinner snuff in 1964.

After-dinner snuff in 1964. I knew nothing of this curiosity before watching this video about snuff. Now I know that there’s a communal snuffbox kept at the door of the House of Commons in the UK Parliament. ~ learn more

fun facts

The spaghetti harvest of 1957.

The spaghetti harvest of 1957. The BBC convinced viewers that spaghetti grew on trees. Richard Dimbleby narrated the faux report, and “an estimated eight million people watched the original program,” many fooled by the whimsical claim. ~ learn more

fun facts

Hillbilly Elegy, with a twist.

Hillbilly Elegy, with a twist. J.D. Vance’s book became an unlikely smuggling vehicle. “Siebert soaked the book’s pages with narcotics and mailed it to Grafton Correctional Institution disguised as an Amazon shipment.” ~ learn more

profiles of people

The intuitive way of investing.

The intuitive way of investing. “My deepest insecurity is that I have these intuitions about things that I cannot explain to anyone,” said Joshua Kushner. Despite the massive success of his venture capital firm, Thrive Capital, Kushner seeks advice from […]

under the microscope

3D printing’s strength revolution.

3D printing’s strength revolution. A new method uses 3D printed resin as a scaffolding to create materials with remarkable strength and complexity. “Our materials could withstand 20 times more pressure compared to those produced with previous methods, while exhibiting only […]

under the microscope

New gel restores dental enamel.

New gel restores dental enamel. “We are very excited because the technology has been designed with the clinician and patient in mind. It is safe, can be easily and rapidly applied, and it is scalable.” This fluoride-free gel mimics natural […]