What I Am Reading:
The Big Bang was not the beginning
We think the Big Bang was the beginning of time and space itself. But there are problems with this story. The energy of empty space – known as the cosmological constant – poses one major problem. The cosmological constant is 120 orders of magnitude smaller than the standard Big Bang theory suggests it should be, a finding that scientists have called "the largest discrepancy between theory and experiment in all of science”.
Understanding Investment Biases: 2024 Cerulli Study Highlights
The respected Boston-based research firm, Cerulli, recently shed light on two cognitive biases that often sway investment decisions: availability bias and confirmation bias. Their latest study in behavioral finance reveals that 88% of affluent investors are influenced by availability bias, with confirmation bias affecting 78%. These biases are not only common but also interrelated, and they significantly impact investment choices. I have highlighted these two biases prominently in my books.
The Folly of Certainty
Sometimes things go as people expected, and they conclude that they knew what was going to happen. And sometimes events diverge from people’s expectations, and they say they would have been right if only some unexpected event hadn’t transpired. But, in either case, the chance for the unexpected – and thus for forecasting error – was present. In the latter instance, the unexpected materialized, and in the former, it didn’t. But that doesn’t say anything about the likelihood of the unexpected taking place.
New anti-ageing therapy extends life of mice by 25%
Scientists have discovered that deactivating a protein called IL-11 can extend the healthy lifespan of mice by nearly 25%, raising the potential for similar benefits in humans.
What I am Watching:
The most Misunderstood Concept in Physics
Entropy governs everything from molecular collisions to humongous storms, to the beginning of the universe, to its evolution and end. It may, in fact, determine the direction of time and even be the reason that life exists. To see the confusion around this topic, you need to ask one simple question: What does the Earth get from the Sun?
How AI Will Step Off the Screen and into the Real World
The convergence of AI and robotics will unlock a wonderful new world of possibilities in everyday life, says robotics and AI pioneer Daniela Rus. Diving into the way machines think, she reveals how "liquid networks" — a revolutionary class of AI that mimics the neural processes of simple organisms — could help intelligent machines process information more efficiently and give rise to "physical intelligence" that will enable AI to operate beyond digital confines and engage dynamically in the real world.
Aravind Srinivas: Perplexity CEO on Future of AI, Search & the Internet
Arvind Srinivas is CEO of Perplexity, a company that aims to revolutionize how we humans find answers to questions on the Internet.
9 NOVA Documentaries on Human Genius
Stories of brilliant innovations and inventions by the world’s greatest minds such as Einstein, Dr. Percy Julian, and Leonardo da Vinci.
What I am Listening To:
Dr. Jim Loehr: Change the Stories You Tell Yourself
What if reaching the next level of success wasn't determined by another skill, degree, or course but by something that changed on the inside?
That's what Dr. Jim Loehr believes, and in this episode, he reveals everything he knows about mental toughness and winning the mind game. Shane and Loehr discuss the radical importance of the stories you tell yourself—including how they can damage your kids—and how to change the negative stories you believe. Loehr also shares the best reflection questions to ask yourself to reveal personal blindspots, the importance of rituals for calming anxiety and performing under pressure, and how the best in the world use their recovery time effectively.
