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⛽ Why is gas "unleaded":
Once upon a time I did academic research. Last week it was my old research partner's birthday. I was wishing him a happy birthday and reminiscing on our research where we used graphite furnace atomic absorption spectroscopy to calculate and compare the amount of lead in fish from several surrounding lakes.
Back then I was peripherally aware of the dangers associated with lead toxicity, but I didn't know the whole story...
This is a scary story that we keep repeating. We try to outsmart nature to our own demise.
In time, I'm sure we'll look back on the "food" we eat today with far more shock than even lead.
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👶 Why are babies so fat:
Babies stand out in 2 big ways...
And while babies are certainly fat (in a good way), adults are too (comparatively).
The leanest humans carry far more fat than other primates.
The reason we are so (relatively) fat is to support high levels of ketosis and a massive brain. Unlike other species where ketosis represents a starvation state, it's a natural (dare I say...default state) in humans.
This is not to say adult obesity is healthy. It's not. It's one of the biggest predictors of heart disease and cancer (the 2 biggest killers). And one of the problems with obesity is that obese people have a tough time running on their fat reserves like babies do.
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🤝 How to fix 1/2 of your work life:
I was reading a report on "Productivity Trends" which said the average professional spends 21.5 hours/week in meetings. Over half their work week. In meetings.
While I'm not sure about the accuracy of this statistic, I know that if something takes up this much time, it should be done well. Turns out that most meetings aren't. Here's a guide on how to run efficient meetings that don't suck so that you get the most out of your work.
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💤 Why do we dream:
It hypothesizes that we dream to provide our brain with false data so that it doesn't get too stuck in our limited day-to-day reality. By incorporating "misinformation" it makes our brains better prediction machines via improved, balanced, generalization.
AI researchers developing neural nets intentionally provide their algorithms with "noise" in the form of false information so that they don't "overfit" data, but instead create balanced fits.
One of the themes of this newsletter (aka my life lol) is the power of generalization to connect seemingly unrelated dots to arrive at conclusions that would otherwise be unseen if focused too narrowly. Perhaps this is why we dream.
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🧠 What quote I've been thinking about:
"The secret to doing good research is always to be a little underemployed. You waste years by not being able to waste hours."
– Amos Tversky
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💸 How to fly:
In 1980 the market cap of gold was equal to the market cap of equities. Now the stock market is 10X bigger...Why?
Preston Pysh explains how interest rates act like gravity, as they drop it becomes easier for certain assets to fly. And rates have been on a precipitous decline since the 80s.
To me it seems that if we allow gravity to re-exert its natural forces (raise rates), assets like stocks and home prices will crash back down to earth.
So, I guess the question is how long can we suspend gravity in the face of rapid inflation and the consequent wealth gap?
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🧳How to travel with children:
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As always, it's an absolute pleasure and an honor getting to spend some time with you, hope you have a great weekend!
Kevin
P.S.
Speaking of travel, I tried to sue the airlines for losing my luggage...
I lost my case.
A Saturday morning roundup on health and wealth, art and science, creativity and innovation, laughs and life by Kevin Stock.
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