oh, chicago
Video Shows Man Chilling On Top Of A Moving CTA Bus, Smoking A Cigarette.
Because sometimes you just don’t have the $2.25 for bus fare. | lean more
big ideas
The BBC outlines 10 grand challenges we’ll face by 2050.
The list includes rising sea levels, gene editing’s ramifications, and aging populations. This article is part of their broader series on the topic. | learn more
under the microscope
EVOO preserves memory and protects brain against Alzheimer’s.
“In a new study, the researchers show that consumption of extra-virgin olive oil protects memory and learning ability and reduces the formation of amyloid-beta plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in the brain – classic markers of Alzheimer’s disease.” | learn more
under the microscope
Gene therapy for cancer endorsed by FDA advisory panel.
The FDA doesn’t need to listen to this panel, but they usually do. Scientists remove T-cells, genetically modify them to attack cancer, then put them back in the bodies of leukemia patients. This would be the first time the FDA […]
under the microscope
Old brains become less flexible, and now that’s reversible.
Young brains actively rewire themselves based on exposure to stimuli. As brains get older, they actively resist this process. It’s not necessarily a bad thing, but reversing this process can help with aging-related disorders. Researchers have figured out how to […]
tech, startups, internet
Blockchain technology is disrupting the trust business.
One of my favorite ways to describe the potential benefit of this technology is to point out that in order for transactions to happen in our economy, the parties need to trust each other (rare) or have a trusted intermediary. […]
tech, startups, internet
Insurance startups are raking in investments.
Venture capital investments in insurance startups doubled in 2016 to $830mm, and are at $740mm year to date – on pace to almost double again. Interestingly, much of the capital is coming from investment arms of traditional insurers. | learn more
fun facts
Insider trader caught after googling ‘insider trading’.
An example of a really dumb smart guy (he’s an MIT researcher). “Prosecutors say Yan searched ‘how sec detect unusual trade’ before he bought numerous stocks and options that netted him around $120,000 in illicit profits.” |learn more
book recommendations
The Snowball: Warren Buffett and the Business of Life
I’ve grown up hearing and reading about Warren Buffett and his company Berkshire Hathaway. I hope I’ll be forgiven for never realizing the full scope of his rise to become one of the wealthiest men in the world. His story […]