Curated Commons // Edition 143
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Vertical farming not exactly experiencing vertical growth
Energy is not exactly cheap, and vertical farming’s business model is still shaky. A prominent startup falls by the wayside - Read here
…the economics are almost routinely left off the discussion table until things go sideways. I would also add that crop quality (or lack thereof) is a big factor as well. In almost 40 years, I have yet to see a 100% artificially lit system produce market-competitive products on a consistent basis. Ambient sunlight plus supplemental (when needed and at the concentration/volume appropriate) has consistently produced the best quality crops with the most positive economic outcomes.
Equity analysts love ‘double clicking’
There’s now data to prove that they do. Less to show why though - Read here ($)
Our earliest ancestors have now been found
Scientists have discovered microscopic creatures that thrived about 1.6 billion years ago - Read here
Your doctor, super-powered with GPT-4
A new startup is leveraging GPT-4 to write medical records on the fly based on the conversation between the physician and the patient. Great example of how AI can help significantly boost productivity - Read here
PSA: Always be cautious when it comes to children and algorithmic recommendation systems
There are enough examples by now of how many platforms optimize engagement over safety. New evidence coming to light on how Instagram might be enabling, by inaction, a network of pedophiles - Read here ($)
Aliens are the flavor of the town. Again.
Aliens would be surprised to know they are of high interest to earthly dwellings. - Read here ($)
“Monopoly” in real life
NYPD apparently has literal ‘get-out-of-the-jail-free’ cards. That cops can distribute to friends and family! - Read here
Today in Japanese things - people are taking lessons on how to smile post the pandemic
“People in Japan who became so used to wearing face masks during the pandemic are signing up for lessons to teach them how to smile again.” - Read here
America loves student loans
Like no other country in the world! And this results in a very interesting phenomenon of rich college towns - Read here
“In 2022, the federal student loan portfolio totals more than $1.7 trillion. That’s more than GDP of Spain and half of the GDP of the United Kingdom.”
Also meet America, the country designed around the automobile. Not humans
A few days in the US, and one can’t help not recognize that the country, its infrastructure, its businesses, its architecture, everything is designed around the automobile. - Read here($)
Are autonomous cars a result of human need or technological opportunity?
Are the potential safety benefits of self-driving cars exaggerated? Interesting take - Read here ($)
More interesting reads
Consultants and the fall of SVB - Read here ($)
Is your job a calling? Should it be? - Read here ($)
A problem with LLMs that not many are talking of - compute cost - Read here ($)
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