“A more fruitful approach to the challenge of living more fully in the moment starts from noticing that you are, in fact, always already living in the moment anyway, whether you like it or not.”
~Oliver Burkeman
Unexpected Articles from this Week
Forte Protein is a startup that utilizes a proprietary method to create plant-based animal proteins and food ingredients quickly, affordably, and with a low-carbon footprint. The technology can be used for food, beverage, health and wellness, and other industrial applications. The company has potential to help people with nutrient-deficiency and provide access to high quality protein. Read more here.
The Atacama Skeleton is a 15-centimeter (6-inch) long mummified skeleton discovered in Chile’s Atacama Desert in 2003. Due to its unusual physical characteristics, it gained the nickname “Ata” and sparked rumors that it was the body of an extraterrestrial alien. The discovery of the Atacama Skeleton has raised ethical questions due to its dubious backstory and the fact that it may have been illegally exhumed.Read more here.
Species of bacteria, Rhodococcus rubber, is capable of digesting plastic made from polyethylene, which is the most commonly produced plastic in the world. While the rate of plastic decay identified in the study is too slow to completely solve the problem of plastic pollution, it does indicate where some of our planet’s missing plastic may have gone. Scientists have also proposed using engineered enzymes and bacteria to break down plastic, however, this could have unintended consequences on natural ecosystems and food webs. Prevention of plastic pollution is the best solution. Read more here.
Washington University School of Medicine researchers have identified a previously unknown signaling pathway cells use to protect their DNA while it is being copied. This pathway, which involves eight proteins, could potentially be targeted to boost the potency of cancer therapeutics and could also apply to autoimmune diseases. Read more here.
Scientists have discovered that Earth’s inner core may have stopped spinning faster than the rest of the planet around 2009. This could help explain its role in maintaining the planet’s magnetic field, and could potentially affect the length of a day. More research is needed to understand the mysterious inner core, and to reconcile differences in findings. Read more here.
The traditional economic story is that the Fed slows the economy to bring down inflation, leading to layoffs in sectors sensitive to interest rates. But there is no sign of dramatic contraction in those sectors despite aggressive monetary tightening, suggesting that the Fed may be able to bring down inflation without widespread layoffs. There have been some layoffs in the technology sector, but so far, it has been contained and hasn’t had a major impact on the labor market. Read more here.
What I am reading
•The Focus Formula (How to Take Control of Your Life) – Dan Koe (Article)
•Riddle Solved: Why Was Roman Concrete So Durable? (Article)
•Monster Stock Lessons (Book)
•The Acquirer’s Multiple (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