March 2024 Roundup: What I am Reading, Watching and Listening To
What I Am Reading:
Why you, personally, should want a larger human population
Resources are not static. Historically, as we run out of a resource (whale oil, elephant tusks, seabird guano), we transition to a new technology based on a more abundant resource—and there are basically no major examples of catastrophic resource shortages in the industrial age.
Why Americans Suddenly Stopped Hanging Out
Something’s changed in the past few decades. After the 1970s, American dynamism declined. Americans moved less from place to place. They stopped showing up at their churches and temples. In the 1990s, the sociologist Robert Putnam recognized that America’s social metabolism was slowing down.
Ancient Greek antilogic is the craft of suspending judgment
In Syracuse, 2,500 years ago, there was a famous teacher of rhetoric named Corax. This new discipline was in high demand: mastery of persuasive speaking, it was hoped, led to fame and wealth.
Crucial chemical for life can form in conditions found on early Earth
Pantetheine, which helps enzymes to work and is found in every organism, can be formed by simple reactions and may have played a role in the origins of life
Venture Capital & Free Lunch
Venture capital gets a lot of sh#%, but I’m here to tell you that venture capital rocks. In fact, it’s the best asset class there is. I can hear the other asset classes yelling at me. Certainly, some have a case.
What I am Watching:
Bill Ackman: Investing, Financial Battles, Harvard, DEI, X & Free Speech
Bill Ackman is an investor who has led some of the biggest and controversial financial trades in history. He is founder and CEO of Pershing Square Capital Management.
What I am Listening To:
Bryan Johnson: Five Habits for Longer Living
What can you do (or avoid) tomorrow to guarantee you can live longer? In this episode, Bryan Johnson reveals the five simple disciplines you can start doing to live healthier and longer. Johnson shares what his daily routine looks like, the ins and outs of his experimentation process, and why he gave his father plasma.