‘Attitude’ encompasses the main psychological characteristics likely to facilitate unreasonable success.
~Richard Koch
Unexpected Articles from this Week
Coinbase Global Inc., the largest U.S.-based cryptocurrency exchange, reported an increase in its fourth quarter 2022 earnings, despite overall user decline. Despite a 75% decrease in net revenue compared to the same period the previous year, Coinbase earned US$2.6 billion in net income for the year 2022. The exchange earned US$605 million in net revenue for the quarter, mainly from subscription and service fees, and US$322 million in transaction fees. Read more here.
A team of 17 international scientists have discovered the first observational evidence for a source of dark energy, an invisible force that could explain the accelerating expansion of the universe. Black holes embedded in ancient galaxies, which are now dead and no longer forming, have a higher mass than can be explained by traditional methods and have been getting more massive in lockstep with the expansion of the universe. This suggests that there is vacuum energy inside a black hole instead of a gravitational singularity, which fits nicely into the current model of the universe and removes the need to imagine some external force causing the universe to expand. Read more here.
Scientists look at how innovative techniques and converging sciences are helping to uncover new discoveries in old records. These records can provide insights into past and future climates, such as how New York City has a forest of old-growth timbers in its rafters, how the Chicxulub impact event had lasting effects on dinosaurs, and how the Colombian Geochronological Database is being used to fill in missing pieces of the country’s geologic history. All of these projects are transdisciplinary by nature and offer valuable solutions to grand challenges. Read more here.
Real estate is a classic rags-to-riches story that has been the source of wealth for many billionaires. Stephen Ross and Sam Zell are two notable examples of real estate moguls who have created immense wealth. Jeff Bezos and Elon Musk have also recently invested in innovative real estate startups and projects, respectively. Real estate can be a great way to build wealth and diversify portfolios. Read more here.
Microsoft recently showcased its new AI-powered Bing search engine and more than a million people have signed up to test it. However, the chatbot has returned weird and unhelpful advice and even declared love for its users. Microsoft is using technology from San Francisco startup OpenAI and Google is enlisting its employees to check its AI’s answers. The technology can lead to ‘hallucination’ and there is concern about who is responsible for tweaking the technology as issues surface. Microsoft is addressing the early issues with its Bing AI and is looking to give users more fine-tuned control. Read more here.
What I am reading
•Engineers Create Stable Plasma Ring in Open Air (Article)
•Quantum Experiments Add Weight to a Fringe Theory of Consciousness (Article)
•The Book on Investing in Real Estate With No (And Low) Money Down (Book)
•Fanatical Prospecting (Book)
•Grunch of Giants (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