Weekend Briefing No. 518
Techno-Optimism in 2024
Welcome to the weekend.
Check out my January playlist here. Enjoy!
Prime Numbers
77 — There are 77% of Americans who believe crime increased last year, according to a Gallup survey released last month. Yet homicides and other violent crimes were down significantly in 2023.
62.3 — It turns out workers in the U.S. are pretty happy: Job satisfaction is at a 35-year-high. In fact, 62.3% of U.S. workers say they are satisfied with their job.
8,000,000,000 — Global population will hit 8 billion people this year.
Techno-Optimism in 2024
Noah Smith released his annual post on why you should be excited about how tech can make the world a better place. Here are some things to get excited about: 1) Robots. A Stanford/Google team recently released a demo video of its new robot, the Mobile ALOHA, which does household tasks just like Rosey in “The Jetsons.” 2) Batteries. Sodium-ion and solid-state batteries are emerging battery innovations that offer improvements in performance, safety, environmental impact and material costs over current lithium-ion batteries. Major auto and battery companies are now working to commercialize these new technologies for electric vehicles and grid storage. 3) Synthetic Biology. Synthetic biology has the potential to create custom organisms for diverse applications through the synthesis of artificial DNA, as demonstrated last year by the creation of synthetic yeast. 4) Space. One of the most important inventions of the 2020s that hasn’t worked yet is SpaceX’s Starship, a gigantic reusable rocket bigger than the Saturn V, which looks like a 1930s comic book rocket ship, and can be made cheaply and in large numbers. Starship hasn’t successfully flown yet, but each test is getting closer. It’s pretty majestic to watch. (Check out the video in this post. It’s surprisingly emotional.) Noahpinion (13 minutes)
Trafficked
A 22-year-old Chinese man named Lin was lured to Myanmar by a job offer, then kidnapped and forced by an illegal telecom scam operation to make fraudulent phone calls swindling people worldwide. After being held hostage for months, deprived of freedom and abused, he was finally released through third-party intervention, but only after paying a high ransom fee, exemplifying the rampant telecom kidnapping fraud afflicting Southeast Asia. Chinarrative (14 minutes)
Gin Revolution from Wakanda? Procera Forever!!!!
Juniper makes up more than 80% of gin’s botanical recipe. It feels like time gin makers talked more about juniper. Gin has been made the same way for 300 years, with dried European Juniper. Procera from Nairobi, Kenya, is elevating gin into the ultra-premium space with two monumental innovations. It is being viewed as a revolution in the category by industry experts from London to New York. African Equatorial Juniper – originally gin distillers used northern European Juniperus Communis but then switched to Mediterranean juniper as more sunshine creates richer berries. Imagine if you used an entirely new juniper species growing on the Equator, above 1,500m, with summer temperatures 365 days a year? That is Juniperus Procera. Fresh Berries – almost all gins use dried juniper. Imagine again if someone had the crazy idea to use fresh, sun-drenched juniper berries, harvested themselves, from less than 50km from their distillery? Using fresh equatorial juniper turns gin into a true terroir spirit by not drying out its soul. Taste the future of Gin. Procera (Sponsored)
Robots & Dementia
Kat McGowan, a journalist at WIRED, describes her journey caring for her parents with dementia, initially feeling hopeless based on prevailing attitudes that it is an unstoppable tragedy. She eventually found technologists taking a human-centric approach to develop robots that enhance joy, meaning and connection for people with dementia rather than just solving problems. Their innovative, compassionate outlook helped the McGowan reframe dementia as an opportunity to nurture her parents' spirits and support their continued selfhood despite cognitive decline. These robot makers modeled creative ways to improve quality of life, validating the writer's goal of helping her parents live their remaining years with fulfillment. WIRED (12 minutes)
Rare Earth
Transitioning to lower-carbon technologies is vital to address climate change. However, access to rare earth elements — crucial for these technologies — poses a challenge. Demand for these elements is expected to surge by 2040, far surpassing current levels. Meeting climate goals necessitates a quadrupling of global mineral supply within that time frame. China's dominant position in rare earth element production has raised concerns, especially after export restrictions were imposed in 2023. In the U.S., primary extraction is limited to one mine, the Mountain Pass Rare Earth Mine, prompting efforts to explore secondary and unconventional sources for these critical minerals. MIT Technology Review (7 minutes)
Bartending in Antarctica
What’s it like to be a bartender at the bottom of the world? Bartending at Antarctica's South Pole research station provided warmth and escapism during the six-month winter isolation for Philip Broughton. He tended bar on weekends at Club 90 South, constructed by the Navy out of scraps and featuring a cozy, smoky harbor bar vibe. He served Crown Royal, the drink of choice, along with absinthe and rums, using liquid nitrogen for molecular mixology cocktails. The unsalaried job earned kudos as Broughton helped build community, bridging divides between researchers and contractors in the absence of restaurants and theaters. The bar became a melting pot and lifeline before eventual last calls in the land of eternal darkness. Atlas Obscura (7 minutes)
Octopus Versus Maze
This captivating video showcases the remarkable journey of Sushimi, an octopus, as it endeavors to master a complex underwater maze consisting of nine intricate steps, all in pursuit of a sumptuous feast of succulent shrimp. Each successive stage within the maze presents progressively intricate challenges, demanding higher levels of problem-solving prowess from our curious cephalopod friend. It’s really engaging and endearing. Check it out. Mark Rober (17 minutes)
Should We Work Together?
Hi! I’m Kyle. This newsletter is my passion project. When I’m not writing, I run a law firm that helps startups move fast without breaking things. Most founders want a trusted legal partner, but they hate surprise legal bills. At Westaway, we take care of your startup’s legal needs for a flat, monthly fee so you can control your costs and focus on scaling your business. If you’re interested, let’s jump on a call to see if you’re a good fit for the firm. Click here to schedule a one-on-one call with me.
Founder Fridays
Check out my other email, Founder Fridays — a Friday morning briefing helping startup founders and operators scale smarter.
Weekend Wisdom
What lies behind you and what lies in front of you, pales in comparison to what lies inside of you. -Ralph Waldo Emerson