Airplane Cabins Mix Outdoor Air with HEPA Filtration
This is not entirely correct (air changes ARE a meaningful metric independent of filtration), but mostly want to let people know that airplanes have excellent filtration, too - HEPA filters. Airplane cabin air is 50:50 mix of outdoor air and HEPA-filtered air.
Safety Over Savings: APU Essential for Passenger Health
And…having the APU powered up makes sure everyone is safe on the airplane, and the airline is meeting Federal Aviation Regulations. Sorry - doesn’t make sense to me to save energy and fuel at the expense to human health and comfort....
Early Clues Showed Airborne Human-to-Human Andes Transmission
Important that the sequencing was done to confirm Andes (h2h strain), of course, but there were obvious early signals that this was h2h and airborne before that: --> index patient got it before boarding, second patient got it *weeks* later. Now...
Airborne COVID Transmission Confirmed on Diamond Princess
Reupping this piece from NYT when they covered our modeling of Covid transmission on the Diamond Princess cruise ship that demonstrated it was spread person-to-person through the air, when people said that couldn’t possibly be happening… https://t.co/pB5qyRFC5u https://t.co/QkW8sr7LVW
Big Law’s Trump Payments Reveal Corruption, Not Cowardice
This article changed my mental model of when Big Law caved to Trump. I thought it was just cowardice, but now recognize it was corruption. Brad Karp used his firm’s money to pay a fee to Trump, right as Trump...
Blood Test May Forecast Alzheimer’s Years Before Symptoms
A new study by researchers at Harvard-affiliated Mass General Brigham has found that a blood test has the potential to predict progression of Alzheimer’s disease ***years before*** symptoms or brain scan changes. https://t.co/WtghaB12r2
Multiple Forces, Not Just Gas, Sink Struggling Business
Sunk by high gas prices? Or sunk by congress blocking a merger with Google years ago? (or maybe, just maybe, it’s a poorly run business…)
Vaccination Quickly Halts Measles Outbreak After Decline
A play in 4 parts: 1. Measles vax rates drop below 90% 2. Measles outbreak infects 1,000 3. 20,000 measles vaccines given 4. No new cases; outbreak over "Measles vaccinations [were] the most effective single containment tool” https://t.co/rE8lSQ45VF
Cockpit Air Quality Impacts Pilot Maneuver Success
Our study of airplane pilots showed that the air quality in the cockpit was associated with whether or not pilots passed or failed advanced maneuvers, including midair traffic collision avoidance. #HealthyAir #HealthyAirplanes #IAQ #HealthyBuildings
Base AI Models Devour Startups, Even Low‑Budget Launches
Poor folks launched this on the same day Anthropic announced Claude Design (these base models are eating up new - and existing - companies at an unhealthy clip)
US Ramps up Defense, Industry, and Geopolitical Focus
The moves on Venezuela, Greenland, Iran, Cuba, the $65B allocated to restoring domestic shipbuilding, the request for 44% increase in military spending to $1.5T, and this latest news on automakers/manufacturers, all signal one thing, don't they? https://t.co/1c6qA9auTA
Griffin’s Midtown Project Boosts Jobs and Public Realm
Ken Griffin is the CEO of Citadel. He chose to build a new building in midtown NYC. The project contributes $150 million for air rights from local landmarks and $35.8 million to the East Midtown Public Realm Improvement, creates thousands...
US EV Slump Stems From Bad Cars, Not Demand
The headlines last year about the 'automakers leaving EV market b/c buyers don't want them' were so off-base. The issue was US automakers (w/ the exception of Tesla) were making sh*t EVs. The market is there. Just make a good...
Embracing AI: I Mandate Its Use in Class
Good advice. I *require* students to use AI in my class (I know many professors who ban it.)
Cheap Drones Turn Warships Into $2M Toll Booths
a few cheap drones keeping $2B U.S. warships at bay. I think Iran may come to like it's toll booth that's generating $2M per ship, and realizing it may not cost that much to keep that toll booth operating...
Trump’s Misstep Fuels $2M Tolls in Hormuz
Trump's war of choice left the Iranian leadership intact, but now with an actual toll booth in the Strait of Hormuz where they charge up to $2M per supertanker. This is such an epic f*ck up by Trump. What a...
Keep Completed Books with Ideas to Inspire Future Projects
I still keep my finished book, and my new book contract and manuscript for it, in my "Book ideas" folder. It's nice to have them in there with all the other crazy ideas. A reminder that some of the others...
Gemini Turns Questions Into Interactive Visual Learning
I love the embedded interactive viz. Has helped me a ton as I’m trying to learn about some things… (Use it with “deep learning” clicked)
AI Power Concentrated, Not Exclusive to Anthropic, Hidden Uses
The biggest issues around Anthropic's AI "Mythos": 1. World-altering AI power is already concentrated in the hands of a select few 2. Anthropic is not the only one with it (it'd be foolish to think other companies and countries don't have it,...
Anthropic Withholds Powerful Mythos AI Amid Looming Misuse
Mythos is the latest AI model, and it has the ability to collapse every operating system ever built. Anthropic is acting responsibly by not releasing it. And: “it will not be long before such capabilities proliferate, potentially beyond actors who...
Reporter Who Exposed Theranos Urges Reading Bad Blood
From the reporter who broke the Elizabeth Holmes / Theranos scandal (his book Bad Blood is a must-read, btw)
Live Prompt Injection Accelerates Anti‑Gravity Build Iterations
being able to inject additional prompts during the build has been a game-changer within anti-gravity. if you see the thought process slightly off (maybe b/c of an imperfect prompt...) you can quickly course correct instead of waiting. you can also...
AI's Compute Surge Threatens Energy, Needs On‑Device Solutions
i can't believe how much compute and energy we're going to need... even in highest tier, things like 'deep think' frequently can't run and there are caps and even with pay-to-play with API there are frequent "servers are busy" and we're just getting...
Closing Strait, Son in Power Guarantees War Loss
If we leave with the strait closed, and the son in charge, we will not only have lost the war, we will have lost the Iranian people.
Cockpit CO2 Levels Impact Pilot Emergency Maneuver Success
Our study found that a pilots likelihood of successfully managing advanced maneuvers, like an engine fire at takeoff, was influenced by CO2 levels in the cockpit.
Strait Closure Will Trigger Oil Price Spike, Curb Consumption
“The world still hasn’t grasped the severity of the situation…If the strait stays closed, the world will have to significantly reduce its oil and gas consumption – but not before prices spike to a level that forces consumers and businesses...
Low‑cost Drones Replace Nukes as Strategic Game‑changer
Kinda feels like the real lesson is you *don’t* need nukes - just some low-cost drones
Airborne Virus Alert: Buildings Central to Pandemic
6 years ago, ringing the alarm bell that this virus was spread through the air, which means buildings were central to the fight. (I originally wrote this in Jan 2020, but NYT rejected it. Took me 6 weeks to convince them…)...
NIL Investment Pays Multiples, High Point Gains Visibility
Whatever they spent on NIL they are getting back in multiples. My guess is very few had heard of High Point prior to now…
Morning Full Charge, Cheap Cost: EVs Win
Having a full “tank of gas” every morning, for just a few bucks, and never having to stop at a gas station…I’ll never not drive an EV now.
Trump's Exaggerated Iran War Claims vs Stark Reality
Trump, last week: "the Iranian navy has been destroyed, the air force no longer exists, and their missiles, drones, and everything they own are being annihilated" Reality, today: https://t.co/mJ7X09y7eQ
U.S. War Deepens Iran's Dictatorship, Raises Gas Prices
He puts his name on everything, so let’s make sure his name is on this, too: —> “Overall, it has not toppled Iran’s dictatorship and might have strengthened it. We helped install a younger supreme leader, Mojtaba Khamenei, who may be...
Trump's War Centers on Oil Control, Ignoring Climate Costs
The central focus of The Trump War being oil access and delivery and control against this backdrop of climate impacts from fossil fuels…
March Hits 113°F, Shattering Record by 10°
Monthly heat records being shattered by an unheard of 10 degrees beyond previous record —> 113F. In March.
Trump's War Aim: Reopen Strait of Hormuz, Hoping China Ships
2 weeks in and Trump finally has a goal for his war, and a strategy: --> Trump's goal for his war is to reopen the Strait of Hormuz --> Trump's strategy is do that by 'hoping' China and others send ships https://t.co/qPNqIFfEk9
Iran's Military Claimed Destroyed, Still Launches Attacks
“We have already destroyed 100% of Iran’s military capability” and “but it’s easy for them to send drones, drop mines, or shoot missiles” https://t.co/rFsTB96ha4
New Investors Linked to Trump Back Major Media Deal
"Some of the new investors have ties to the administration: --> Larry Ellison, a co-founder of Oracle, is friendly with Mr. Trump and is backing the acquisition of Warner Bros. Discovery by his son, David Ellison, the chief executive of Paramount -->...
Trump’s War Decision Could Empower Iran’s Long‑term Threat
Good thread on 4 major crises that Trump faces after stating the war. One question: if Trump does just declare victory and end it just to get us out alive, will the Iranians end it? Seems likely they’d just keep...
Better EVs Will Make Gas Cars Obsolete
As I was saying…it’s not that Americans didn’t want EVs, it’s just that us car makers were producing sh*t EVs. Once you have a good EV, you will never want to go back to a gas car. (See next tweet in thread...
College Grads' Adaptability Will Outpace Older Workers in AI Era
College grads only skill is not “I can use excel”. They’ll adapt than older workers to whatever job ops ARE there in the AI economy. That’s the displacement that’s coming…
US Air Campaign in Yemen Ends Stalemate, Costly Failure
Extra concerning, considering the Houthis were the first target of Hegseth in his new role and we know how that went (and it's sounding all too familiar...): --> started with bravado and dumb name: "Operation Rough Rider"; Hegseth saying the goal...
AI Base Model Race Splits Winners From Struggling Rivals
winners/losers starting to emerge after several hundred BILLION dropped on the AI base model race: WINNING: -OpenAI (first mover, but losing market share fast...) -Anthropic (Claude has taken off...) -Google (best fully integrated approach) -Amazon (AWS bedrock, training chips, own models...) LOSING -xAI (lost key founders;...
Missile Destruction Won’t End Iran’s Strategic Threat
12 days into Trump’s war and we get an objective. Also - “destroying Iran’s missiles”isn’t going to solve anything when they still have: -drones -control over the strait -nuclear fuel -khamenei leader (just more hardline)
Deterrence Doctrine Outdated in Drone‑dominated Warfare
It’s not impotence; it was a military strategy and doctrine grounded in deterrence. It worked well for decades, but is now a million targets that cannot be protected in an active war in the drone era.
Trump Urges Tanker Crews to Brave Hormuz Strait
Trump, 2 days ago: oil tanker crews should “show some guts” and sail through the Strait of Hormuz
Elon Needed an Affordable,
The EV-SUV Elon should've built for mass adoption and sales over the "cyber" truck (jesus, that name...) -330M range -29 min 10% --> 80% charge -$57,990 -looks great and non-cyber-truckery https://t.co/Xf9sLhm7Ck
RFK Jr. Contradicts Himself on GRAS Chemical Policies
Another example of how RFK Jrs version of MAHA is totally incoherent. --> he wants to end 'GRAS' chemicals in food (generally regarded as safe) --> his FDA opens door to flavored e-cigs (which use GRAS chemicals - NEVER TESTED FOR INHALATION...
NCI Grants Halted Under Trump, Cancer Research Stalls
Trump has collapsed cancer research. —> The National Cancer Institute hasn’t made a single grant this fiscal year https://t.co/3mKjoMua8Q
Tesla’s AI Driving Redefines EV Superiority and Freedom
It's cool to own a Tesla again. Time to rip your 'I bought this Tesla before musk went crazy' sticker off and replace it with your "I bought this Tesla so we didn't have to go to war with Iran"...
Trump’s Policies Keep Taxing Americans: Tariffs and War
One year ago the Trump-Tariffs put a tax on all Americans. This year it's the Trump-Iran War adding to that tax. (his observation 👇) https://t.co/nF3KxY5qpw