Curated Commons // Edition 109
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The tumbling cost of genome sequencing
Illumina, the genetics giant, announced a new series of genome sequencing machines that are set to bring the cost to under $200 for sequencing a human genome. Just a few years ago, they costed well over $10,000. - Read here
Brightness of a country, as a way of catching ‘lies’
Many countries report data that makes them look good. A new analysis conflating reported GDP data with satellite-based estimate, shows how big the difference is - Read here
Controlling China’s access to future of AI
The US Govt recently came out with a wide-ranging set of export control regulations on AI and chip-tech when it comes to China. This is a really good deep-dive into the implications - Read here
What does an Amazon smart home mean in terms of data?
One smart home - some 600,000 data points collected in three years. That’s data collected by various Amazon products in one journalist’s home. - Read here ($)
Clipart in 2022 = AI-generated imagery
Then - you paid royalty to aggregator sites for licensing pictures for your presentations
Soon - AI will generate the pic you want - Read here
Before we yield decisions to algorithms, we need to fix algorithmic accountability
Good story on how thousands of people wronged by an algorithm in Michigan years ago are still seeking justice - Read here
The most honest headline about metaverse
Loved this Reuters headline - Read here
Metaverse could accelerate manufacturing as well as social ills
The Chinese approach to surveillance
Interesting snippet from a new book: - Read here
“…the Chinese government has managed to build a new social contract with its citizens: they give up their data in exchange for more precise governance that, ideally, makes their lives safer and easier (even if it doesn’t always work out so simply in reality).”
Exoskeletons continue on path to progress
They will be common. Some day. And the effect will be tremendous for several categories of people - Read here
“How a new anti-woke bank stumbled”
Ideology isn’t enough to create a business. You still need a business model. Or something like that. - Read here ($)
I wondered. You might too.
Subscriptions are the new food
Or maybe something more. People are apparently willing to reduce their food bill than look at subscriptions to reduce cash outflow. - Read here
The decentralization of ‘cool’
Fears that globalization would lead to a worldwide monoculture have proven utterly wrong, says The Economist. Some interesting charts - Read here ($)
More interesting reads:
A pair of jeans sold for over $76,000. For a piece of history - Read here ($)
Chinese users are using puns to get past Govt censors - Read here
A video game that requires a prescription (game for treating ADHD) - Read here
AI eye checks can predict heart disease risk in less than minute, finds study - Read here
And finally, it appears not many people have seen the FT’s glorious 404 page. A casual tweet that I thought would appeal to a niche audience ended up going viral!
Stay safe, and happy reading! And if you liked the newsletter, thank you, and maybe consider sharing it? My DMs on Twitter are always open for any feedback.