fun facts
When did Americans lose their British accents?
No clear answer, but some fun speculation. | learn more
fun facts
The (not failing) New York Times.
A decade ago, the NYT was in rough shape. The business has really turned things around and found its way in the digital age. NYT now has 4x more subscribers than they did at their print-era peak. Presented in slide […]
fun facts
There are some good reasons to ring doorbells at 2 AM (video)
“The unexpected visitor is Milgrom’s former advisor, longtime colleague and neighbor Robert Wilson, who walked across the street in slippers to deliver the news the two Stanford professors had won the #NobelPrize in Economic Sciences.” | learn more
big ideas
On battery recycling and the future
JB Straubel, the Tesla co-founder and former CTO, is deep in the battery recycling game. Historically recycling compliance for batteries has been low, but that must change as the volume keeps increasing. “Why Amazon and Panasonic are betting on this […]
teaching the kids
The new digital high school
USV just invested in Sora, and I have a hunch that’ll look really smart once the program gains accreditation. “Sora puts high school students in the drivers’ seats of their own development with a remote-first, network-based model. Through a combination of […]
under the microscope
The most common pain relief drug in the world induces risky behavior
“Acetaminophen, also known as paracetamol and sold widely under the brand names Tylenol and Panadol, also increases risk-taking, according to a new study that measured changes in people’s behaviour when under the influence of the common over-the-counter medication.” | learn more
retail therapy
How CEO Gary Friedman built Restoration Hardware into RH
What an incredible story! “Hermès, Chanel, Louis Vuitton, Gucci, Cartier, Tiffany and the rest of the finest luxury brands in the world were all born on the top of the luxury mountain,” wrote Friedman in this year’s shareholders letter. “Never […]
to your health
How to join a psychedelic clinical trial
“You could be eligible to participate in a psychedelic research trial. Studies of psychedelics are at various stages, enrolling both healthy volunteers and individuals with specific mental health conditions. We’ve compiled a list here of all the current or planned […]
better doing
Iatrogrenics: why intervention often leads to worse outcomes
The term was popularized by Nassim Taleb and in this post Farnam Street explains the concept well. “Iatrogenics is when we cause more harm by intervention than we do good.” | learn more
better doing
The second mountain & secular formation
I never grasped what “community” really meant nor its importance until recently. Maybe I still underestimate it. “[T]hree core elements that make an organization “church-y,” even if it doesn’t look like a traditional religious institution: contemplation, community, and contribution.” | learn more