“The things you think about determine the quality of your mind. Your soul takes on the color of your thoughts.”
- Marcus Aurelius
The Overlooked Renewable
I watched an entertaining YouTube video this week about geothermal energy. Geothermal energy is created by drilling into the Earth's crust to access heat, which is used to heat water and power steam plants.
This energy source is incredibly safe, sustainable, and environmentally friendly, but carries an extremely high upfront cost. Traditional geothermal drilling is very similar to oil drilling, where machines turn metal tubes with a drill bit at the end to crush and move aside soil, rock, and other matter.
The startup in this video has created a new way to drill, using the same technology as nuclear fusion reactors. It vaporizes the material, rather than having direct contact with it. It's a very interesting and well-made video, give it a watch here.
What's Next for Apple?
This company is so interesting to follow. They have a ton of talent and cash but can't figure out how to make useful AI experiences. Their products are heavily dependent on Chinese manufacturing and resources. At the same time, their products are some of the most elegant, powerful, and useful tools in the entire world.
Vision Pro was a dud, even if it was cool. Also, no one wants to wear big ugly glasses (@Meta). So, what is that next wearable paradigm-shifting technology? Well, it seems that Apple is focusing on Airpods.
This week a story broke about Apple working on real-time translation for Airpods. That story got a lot of attention and makes a ton of sense, although the complexity for user interaction will be a tough solve.
The other story which got less attention is that Apple is actively developing a method for introducing video computing capabilities into Airpods. This means the things in your ears could have cameras on the end of them soon. I think this is brilliant. Overstimulation and headaches from things like Vision Pro and Oculus are what scare me away from using vision-based technologies as the next paradigm shift. When I put Oculus on for the first time, I immediately got sick.
I’d focus on two key questions: 1) How can we make it easy and useful to speak something when speaking is the quickest and easiest option? 2) How can we make it easy and useful to type something when typing is the quickest and easiest option?
The important thing here is that there are times where each of these two methods of outputting data are better. When you want to create a simple reminder, saying it is always going to be easier than filling out the text, date selection, time selection, etc. But for complex activities, such as refining a lightbulb thought, voice notes may not be the most efficient option. These are simple examples, and the challenge will be solving for more complex activities and incorporating computer vision to make these things even more impactful.
Check out the responses in this thread to see some cool website designs made by humans in Lovable (text-to-code tool).
Model Context Protocol
What the hell is that?
Model Context Protocol, or MCP, is an open standard that enables developers to build secure, two-way connections between their data sources and AI-powered tools. The architecture is straightforward: developers can either expose their data through MCP servers or build AI applications (MCP clients) that connect to these servers. It was introduced by Anthropic in November 2024.
Why the hell do I care?
You might not. But if you work in tech, you should. It's taken a while to garner attention and has blown up in recent weeks. Check out this video explaining what it is and the possibilities it unlocks made by one of my favorite content creators, Greg Isenberg (@gregisenberg). This article is also very helpful if you prefer reading!
Good News
A man in Australia has survived 100 days with an artificial heart while waiting for a donor. Medical technology has come a long way, and I'm excited for exponential improvements over the coming years! Check out the article.
Over the past five years, more than 100 million people in Africa have gained access to electricity. In Liberia, access has jumped from just 5% in 2017 to 35% today, while Rwanda has seen an impressive rise from 6% in 2009 to 75%. Nigeria has grown from 50% a decade ago to 70%, and both Gabon and Equatorial Guinea have now reached 90%. Looking ahead, Kenya, Senegal, and Rwanda are all striving for universal electricity access by 2030.
Some Thoughts on Social Security
If you've been reading my newsletters for a while, you know I love the All-In Podcast. This week's episode was fantastic. They brought a nonpartisan perspective to a number of topics that ordinary Americans care about. I highly recommend watching or listening to the entire podcast, but if you don't have the time, this particular section is what I want to focus on (41:25).
Friedberg did some analysis:
The Social Security program is meant to be the retirement program for folks who don't have access to private retirement accounts (mostly lower class)
The program was setup in the 1930s after the Great Depression
The "trust fund" is called the OASDI, which ONLY invest in US treasuries (bonds)
US treasuries have averaged a 4.6% return per year since the start of the program
Meanwhile, the S&P 500 has averaged an 11% return per year in the same time period
If in 1971, the year we went off the gold standard, we invested OASDI in the S&P instead of treasuries, it would be worth $15 trillion today
Today, the OASDI is valued around $2.7 trillion
Based on current inflows and outflows, it will go bankrupt in 2032
Here are my thougts on this:
For decades, prosperity in America has disproportionately benefited (some of) the middle and upper classes, leaving the lower class behind. But what if all Americans had true ownership in the American economy? Instead of a future filled with financial uncertainty, this shift could turn economic gloom into widespread prosperity and national interest. What if everyone was more optimistic?
One of the biggest missed opportunities lies in how Social Security’s Old-Age, Survivors, and Disability Insurance (OASDI) Trust Fund was structured. When it was first established, the government needed citizens to lend it money due to financial hardship, which is why the fund primarily invested in US treasury bonds. However, today, OASDI holds only about 8% of the total Treasury bonds, meaning this outdated system is no longer necessary. Imagine if, back in 1971, we had adjusted this approach — investing in broader markets rather than just government debt. It’s not too late to make that change now.
Some may argue against such a shift, questioning what happens if the market faces a downturn. But consider this: we’re already facing long-term financial instability. Rather than simply printing more money to buy Treasuries, why not create a sovereign wealth fund that invests in the world's most successful companies? There are over 20,000 companies worldwide generating more than $1 billion in revenue annually, and the S&P 500 represents the best of the best.
Since when did Americans become risk-averse? The time has come to rethink how we invest in our collective future!
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