under the microscope
New book Dirt Is Good explores why kids should be exposed to germs.
Read this NPR interview with co-author Jack Gilbert, who studies microbial ecosystems at the University of Chicago. | learn more
tech, startups, internet
From Union Square Ventures to a new crypto fund.
Joel Monegro, the USV analyst who wrote the excellent Fat Protocols post last year is leaving to start his own fund focused solely on crypto assets: Placeholder Capital. This is a group to watch. | learn more
tech, startups, internet
Shielding soldiers from terrorist drones.
Drones are a double-edged sword. They have enabled everything from emergency medical deliveries to drone race in abandoned malls. Their dark side can enable terrorist groups like ISIS to attack without exposing their fighters. Startup SkySafe is working on tech […]
tech, startups, internet
Tech takes a while.
Amidst all of the excitement around how things will change because of technology (and they will!), don’t forget that it takes a while. Bill Gates had a famous quote: “We always overestimate the change that will occur in the next […]
fun facts
The Jeff Bezos empire in one giant chart.
This awesome infographic covers his investments and ownership interests via Amazon as well as his other investment vehicles. The Bezos empire is vast. | learn more
fun facts
American honeybees’ sperm isn’t cutting it.
I have been reading for years about the plight of the honeybee and how populations were drastically falling every year. I learned in this article that honeybees aren’t native to North America, and that the U.S. stopped allowing imports of […]
book recommendations
An American Sickness: How Healthcare Became Big Business and How You Can Take It Back
This is an eye-opening book that drills down into the history of (probably) every segment of the U.S. healthcare system. I think it’s common knowledge that the system is broken: out of control costs, decoupled from outcomes. The author explains […]
thoughts of food
How can meat be organic?
I learned this this week (thanks Mike A!), and I thought I’d share. It turns out meat can be organic too! | learn more
fun facts
Where are the baby dinosaurs?
Seriously, why haven’t we ever seen baby dinosaurs in museums? Well, paleontologist Jack Horner tells us in this surprising TED talk. | learn more
better doing
A story about A/B testing.
Duolingo VP of Growth Gina Gotthilf discusses some of her favorite testing success stories and the ethos behind testing. I really appreciate her article in particular because she makes it clear that if you don’t have enough traffic (or users […]