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 […]
tech, startups, internet
State of machine learning and AI 2017.
Forbes offers highlights from McKinsey’s latest report on the sector. One factoid that caught my attention was about Amazon’s acquisition of robotics firm Kiva Systems. “‘Click to ship’ cycle time, which ranged from 60 to 75 minutes with humans, fell […]
better doing
How to make decisions.
We all make decisions every day – many of them. Most are made by our “automatic” brain (aka System 1). To make better decisions, we need to slow down and use a process. It sounds boring, but it’s remarkably effective. Read […]
thoughts of food
What if your grocery store had a farm inside?
Berlin-based startup Infarm has a vision of fresh produce grown directly inside of grocery stores. Considering how much of the food business is comprised of transportation costs, it’s an exciting concept. | learn more
under the microscope
A photon was teleported 500km from Earth to space.
Einstein derisively called quantum entanglement “spooky action at a distance.” Since his time, the phenomenon has been pretty well documented. Now, researchers in China have achieved entanglement over the longest distance yet, from the Earth all the way to orbit. […]
under the microscope
Is aging a disease?
Biologist Eric Verdin runs the Buck Institute for Research on Aging, the largest independent research institute devoted to aging research. “Our mission for right now … is to continue that progressive gain of two years [of life] every 10 years.” | learn […]
tech, startups, internet
China’s central bank testing a digital currency.
“A digital fiat currency—one backed by the central bank and with the same legal status as a banknote—would lower the cost of financial transactions, thereby helping to make financial services more widely available. This could be especially significant in China, […]
tech, startups, internet
Combined: microgrids, renewable energy, and the blockchain.
In Brooklyn, startup LO3 Energy is rolling out an interesting model that connects neighbors in a microgrid that’s segregated from (but connected to) the main power grid, where multiple members can buy/sell renewable energy, all supported by blockchain technlogy for capturing the […]
tech, startups, internet
125 year old General Electric is training its workers in AI.
As part of its digital industrial strategy, GE is training hundreds of its scientists in machine learning and artificial intelligence. One interesting thing they’re doing: creating digital twins of machines they have in the field. | learn more