profiles of people
Wisdom from the life of Mary Somerville.
The word scientist was coined to refer to her, as “man of science” wouldn’t do. | learn more
on the blockchain
Another big crypto hack: Axie Infinity’s Ronin network.
Friendly reminder that the existence of blockchains with value creates a permanent incentive for people to steal that value. “This hack totals almost $625 million at current value, making it the largest decentralized finance hack to date…” | learn more
teaching the kids
Why successful children don’t innovate.
The author makes an evolutionary case to explain why human children are particularly bad at innovating. Quote from a recent paper he cites: “A decade ago, now-seminal work showed that children are strikingly unskilled at simple tool innovation. Since then, […]
under the microscope
AI algorithm accurately predicts risk of heart attack within 5 years.
Researchers are building toward a world where, “AI tools can swiftly analyze diagnostic imaging to deliver immediate risk reports to patients.” | learn more
under the microscope
A locked-in man communicates in sentences by thought alone.
“In a world first, the man was able to ask for soup, beer, and even talk about his son for the first time since becoming completely paralyzed.” | learn more
under the microscope
First evidence of plastic in human blood.
A few years ago, I toured a factory that made plastic bags out of plastic pellets. The smell was powerful, and my views on plastic started to evolve from that day. Now this: “Three quarters of the subjects were found […]
better doing
Extreme questions to trigger new, better ideas.
“The following prompts jostle you out of tiny thinking. Each stretches some dimension of reality to an extreme. So extreme that it is nearly nonsense.” | learn more
tech, startups, internet
Mercedes takes a big step forward in autonomous driving.
The auto maker has said they’ll accept legal liability for collisions while the system is activated. “Mercedes says its Drive Pilot system is the first Level 3 hands-free autonomous driving technology available on a production car.” | learn more
tech, startups, internet
When is it the right move for a startup to sue?
When competing in a highly regulated market. Provi, a “startup that helps restaurants and bars order alcohol is suing two of the largest wine and spirits distributors in the U.S., alleging they are preventing retailers from using its service.” | learn more
fun facts
The myth that most Americans hate their jobs.
I’m always eager to read contrarian arguments to pop culture themes. Here’s one that made me change my assumptions about recent workforce churn. “Resignations are rising because people are seeing more job listings, not because they’re feeling more Marxist.” | learn more