“Giving family members the opportunity to explore new cultures helps develop your family’s human capital.”
~Bill Bonner and Will Bonner
Unexpected Articles from this Week
Oil prices rose 3% in European trade on Wednesday, despite a sharp increase of 14.9 million barrels in US crude stocks according to initial data. The gains come as China opened its border for the first time in nearly three years, expecting double the trips of last year and 70% of 2019 levels. Investors are now awaiting the official US data later today. Read more here.
Scientists from the Institute for Basic Science (IBS) and the University of Science and Technology of China (USCT) have discovered a new form of carbon called long-range ordered porous carbon (LOPC). It was produced using C60 fullerene powder, α-Li3N, and heating to moderate temperatures while holding at one atmosphere of pressure. LOPC consists of “broken C60 cages” that are connected with long-range periodicity and has unique electrical properties that could be applied to energy harvesting, transformation, and storage; catalysis to generate chemical products; and for the separation of molecular ions or gases. Read more here.
This research has uncovered the presence of sunscreen-like compounds in 250 million year old rocks, suggesting that a pulse of UV-B radiation was an important factor in the end Permian mass extinction event. The findings also indicate that volcanism can cause multiple and cascading impacts on the Earth System, from chemical changes in the atmosphere to reducing the volume of nutritious food sources available for animals. Read more here.
We should consider alternative investments, such as real estate, in response to the current environment of reemergent inflation and rising interest rates. These alternative investments can provide higher returns, higher income, lower volatility and diversification benefits compared to traditional stock and bond investments. It is recommended to consider investing in both private and publicly traded real estate strategies to maximize returns and reduce portfolio risk. Now is a good time to invest in public real estate as asset values have been remarked to reflect higher interest rates and REITs trade at a discount to net asset value. Read more here.
What I am reading
• 2023 Outlook (Article)
• Company of One (Book)
• Weight Lifting Is a Waste of Time (Book)
• Surge (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