P.S. You Should Know... | Issue #454
Fireproof Balloon
my story 🚀
🎈 Thanks to a wonderful book of science experiments for kids, we learned how to make a fireproof balloon this week. If you fill the balloon with air and hold it over a candle, you can guess what happens. (Okay, you need not guess - it pops💥). But, add a bit of water inside the balloon and it’ll absorb the candle’s heat.
fun facts 🙌
Size of life. “From the largest dinosaurs that roamed the Earth to the smallest insects, the ‘Size of Life’ visualization provides a fascinating perspective on the scale of various life forms across time and space.” ~ learn more
EU’s source of tech revenue. “EU makes more from fines on US tech, than tax from ALL of public European tech in 2024.” ~ learn more
A list of US products not allowed in the EU. “Theres a very long list of US products that cannot be sold in the EU thanks to EU regulations. … I thought it would be very much worth going through some of those products.” ~ learn more
The Chernoff face. Invented by Herman Chernoff in 1973, Chernoff faces represent multivariate data through the features of a human face. “The individual parts, such as eyes, ears, mouth, and nose represent values of the variables by their shape, size, placement, and orientation.” ~ learn more
tech, startups, internet ⚡
Not a bubble pop, but a wildfire. “Wildfires don’t just destroy; they’re essential to ecosystem health.” This metaphor shifts the conversation about AI from bubble burst to natural correction. Periods of hype create urgency but also eventual adaptation and growth, with entrenched giants likely emerging stronger. ~ learn more
General Catalyst’s $1.5B AI roll-up machine. “Marc Bhargava, Managing Director at General Catalyst and head of the firm’s Creation Strategy, breaks down one of the most significant shifts happening inside venture and private markets today: AI Roll-Ups. … These companies, built initially inside GC’s Creation Strategy, have already begun doubling EBITDA margins within 12 months, demonstrating what becomes possible when AI automation frees 20–30% of repetitive tasks and allows teams to handle significantly greater throughput.” ~ learn more
better doing 🎯
All it takes is for one to work out. Whether in job searches, college applications, or finding a partner, this line offers hope in high-stakes situations. It’s enough for just one to change everything. ~ learn more
Two types of startup pivots. There are “two kinds of pivots and they are very different.” Type 1 pivots involve tweaking the approach to a consistent vision, while Type 2 pivots mean changing the endpoint entirely—a risky move that often leads to starting over at a disadvantage. ~ learn more
to your health ⚕
Bryan Johnson’s sauna stats. “Sauna is one of the most effective health protocols I’ve done. Here is everything I’ve learned; it’s the most robust characterization ever produced.” ~ learn more
Why Korean sunscreen disappeared. “A few years ago, social media videos convinced me to change my habits around sunscreen. I started buying sunscreen not from my local drugstore, but from the internet: Sunscreens from Japan, France, Australia, and South Korea. … But then one day, those products disappeared from the internet in the US. I wanted to understand what happened to my new favorite sunscreen — and whether or not the US can ever catch up to the sunscreen in the rest of the world.” ~ learn more
under the microscope 🔬
Anxiety disorders tied to low levels of an essential nutrient in the brain. “This is the first meta-analysis to show a chemical pattern in the brain in anxiety disorders,” said Jason Smucny, co-author and an assistant professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences. “It suggests nutritional approaches—like appropriate choline supplementation—may help restore brain chemistry and improve outcomes for patients.” ~ learn more
big ideas 📚
NSF is launching one of the most ambitious experiments in federal science funding in 75 years. “The program is called Tech Labs, and the goal is to invest ~$1 billion to seed new institutions of science and technology for the 21st century. Instead of funding projects, the NSF will fund teams.” Here’s a gift link to WSJ article. I think the tweet by the author is better. ~ learn more
E-fuels promise challenges ahead. “E-fuels will remain a premium product until green electricity gets much cheaper.” A whole article on e-fuels and no mention of Terraform Industries seems like a big miss, but maybe I’m just a fanboy. ~ learn more
profiles of people 🚶
When Trump fired Rubenstein. This is a story about the private equity billionaire, not the president. David Rubenstein, the co-founder of the Carlyle Group, was suddenly dismissed by Donald Trump as chair of the Kennedy Center. “I’m the first person to be fired by a president and succeeded by one,” he quipped, revealing a sting beneath his humor. ~ learn more