“A feedback loop is formed when changes in a stock affect the flows into or out of that same stock. A feedback loop can be quite simple and direct.”
~Donella H. Meadows
Unexpected Articles from this Week
Researchers at Nagoya University in Japan have discovered that a group of neurons in the preoptic area of the brain, called EP3 neurons, play a key role in regulating body temperature. This finding could lead to the development of a technology that artificially adjusts body temperature, which could be used to treat heat stroke, hypothermia, and even obesity. Furthermore, this technology could also be used to combat the increasingly hot global environment. Read more here.
A startup is claiming they have released sulfur particles in the stratosphere to reflect sunlight in an attempt to manipulate the climate, a process known as solar geoengineering. This act has caused controversy in the scientific community as little is known about the real-world effects of such a deliberate intervention and it could have dangerous side effects. The startup is attempting to commercialize this geoengineering process, offering “cooling credits” for future balloon flights, but dedicated experts in the field believe it is too premature to do so and could set back the field if done. Read more here.
This holiday season, American shoppers have been resilient despite rising prices, resulting in a 7.6% increase in sales according to Mastercard SpendingPulse. Spending on clothing and restaurants rose, while electronics and jewelry declined. Online sales increased 10.6% and in-person sales went up 6.8%. Retailers discounted heavily to accommodate shoppers, who have been trading down to private label goods and searching for deals. Read more here.
Turkey has recently discovered a significant new source of natural gas in the Black Sea, totaling 58 billion cubic meters. This discovery is expected to reduce the country’s foreign dependency in energy, and pave the way for similar discoveries in other areas. The project is part of a larger effort to increase Turkey’s use of domestic energy resources. Read more here.
Sales of luxury U.S. homes fell 38.1% year over year during the three months ending Nov. 30, 2022, the biggest decline on record, which outpaced the record 31.4% decline in sales of non-luxury homes. The number of luxury homes for sale rose 5.2%, the largest increase since 2016, and home-price growth has slowed across the housing market due to ebbing demand. Early indicators suggest homebuyer demand may be starting to inch back as interest rates decline. Read more here.
What I am reading
•The Treasury Market Black Swan (Article)
•Invest in the Best (Book)
•Present Future (Book)
•Four Thousand Weeks (Book)
If you are looking for an investment in your startup, please tell me about your project.
As always – I would enjoy hearing from you (what you found interesting, the format of this email, notes from your own explorations, etc.), feel free to just respond to this email.
Until next week,
Ian Eliason