"5 COOL THINGS" - weekly emails

5 Cool Things 😎
5 Cool Things:
12/14/23
Hi, this is Greg Powell. I hope you'll enjoy one or more of these interesting topics from the world of business and beyond. Dan Powell, my son and collaborator, has researched the articles and written the summaries, so this is not a boilerplate message. We'd like to give you a weekly break to learn about something cool or, better yet, 5 Cool Things.


The Scale of Tornadoes (RojoFern via Youtube)

We’re used to seeing photos and videos of tornadoes, and maybe even some generic size comparisons. These don’t do justice to the true scale of some of these monster storms. From the very tallest tornadoes — measuring as tall as multiple skyscrapers stacked atop each other — to funnels that measure more than two miles across, this video will give you a new appreciation for this little-understood natural disaster, as well as the photographers and storm-chasers who willingly go into harm’s way to bring us this footage. See more…


The Year A.I. Ate the Internet (The New Yorker)

2023 was the year of ChatGPT. Looking back on this year's place in history, it seems that no other person, place, or thing could top the exciting, albeit somewhat unnerving feeling that we all received when experiencing the power of this AI tool for the first time. Though they have their flaws, text and image generators like GPT-4 are already transforming our media, academics, news, and more — a natural add-on to a human world that already moves to the beat of algorithms curating our internet experience. The only question now is whether we can learn to channel these new energies productively, for the good of all humankind. In March of this year, leaders from across the tech world came together to write an urgent letter, stating in part, “Should we develop nonhuman minds that might eventually outnumber, outsmart, obsolete and replace us? Such decisions must not be delegated to unelected tech leaders.” Read more…


This Chart Shows a Key Reason Why Millennial Parents Are Miserable (Business Insider)

In a world where the price of food, cars, houses, concert tickets, and virtually everything else has skyrocketed, it’s interesting to note that one category of goods has fallen drastically in price: toys. Incredibly, “…a toy that cost $20 in 1993 would only cost $4.68 today”. It’s a phenomenon that’s been brought on by several factors, especially the flow of manufacturing jobs overseas in recent decades. But with all of our gains in cheap toy manufacture, some parents say they’re experiencing increased stress, as households become choked with a tidal wave of cheap plastic products. Read more…

 

World's First Supercomputer Capable of Brain-Scale Simulation Being Built at Western Sydney University (Western Sydney University)

It’s said that the human brain can never truly understand itself — but what about a computer that mimics it? We may find out next year, as Western Sydney University’s DeepSouth supercomputer, designed to mimic the interaction of neurons in the human brain, comes online for the first time. At 228 trillion synaptic operations per second, the supercomputer is an incredible feat of engineering, but it also seeks to understand how the brain can be so efficient compared to traditional computing systems. With modern computer networks using as much energy as entire nations, a breakthrough here could mean a lot for cost efficiency, resource management, and climate moderation. Read more…


Royally Sweet: How Hot Beverages Became All the Rage in 18th Century Britain (LitHub)

These days, we might look forward to each fall’s pumpkin spice offerings, or savor a nice cup of hot cocoa over the holidays. In 1700’s England, however, a hot drink was an incredible new innovation. The craze had a wide-ranging impact, not just the in aristocratic class but in the general population where tea parlors and coffee taverns became social hubs. Hot chocolate also became popular, made with sugar and cocoa beans from the conquered colony of Jamaica. Later on, abolitionists would target sugar for boycott actions, as the British press reported more honestly on the cruelty of the system that produced such luxuries. Read more…

Check out my Writings: "Minding Your Business"
VISIT MY WEBSITE
See you next week!
            - Greg
Facebook
Twitter
Link
Website
Copyright © 2023 Powell Management Resources, All rights reserved.


Want to change how you receive these emails?
You can update your preferences or unsubscribe from this list.

Email Marketing Powered by Mailchimp
https://mailchi.mp/b0a7a8c79fd9/5-cool-things?e=[UNIQID]