Book summary: The Great Escape by Angus Deaton

Deaton, A. (2013). The Great Escape: Health, Wealth, and the Origins of Inequality. Princeton University Press. Historical Increase in Life Expectancy: Deaton illustrates how life expectancy has dramatically increased, particularly since the eighteenth century. Example: He references the significant reduction in deaths from diseases like smallpox in Europe, highlighting the impact of medical advancements. Shift …

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Book summary: Human Compatible by Stuart Russell

Russell, Stuart J. (Stuart Jonathan). Human Compatible Artificial Intelligence and the Problem of Control. London: Penguin Books, 2020. Print. Fundamental Flaws in AI's Standard Model: Russell highlights a critical flaw in the standard AI model: it focuses on achieving specific human-defined goals without necessarily considering the full spectrum of human values. This approach risks creating …

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Book summary: Crashed by Adam Tooze

Tooze, A. (2018). Crashed: How a Decade of Financial Crises Changed the World. New York: Viking. US Mortgage Industry's Fragility: Deregulation in the 1970s increased risk and profit in US lending markets. From 1996 to 2006, US house prices nearly doubled; household wealth grew by $6.5 trillion. Introduction of "subprime" mortgages enabled high-risk borrowers to …

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Podcast summary: Who is right on lithium?, The Fin podcast

Ker, P., & Fowler, E. (2023). Billionaires v BHP: who is right about lithium? [Audio podcast episode]. In The Fin. SAP. Retrieved from https://www.getpodcast.com/podcast/billionaires-v-bhp-who-is-right-about-lithium https://podcasts.apple.com/au/podcast/the-fin/id1649633861?i=1000632607751 Rapid Growth and High Demand: The demand for lithium, driven primarily by the burgeoning EV market, has led to significant growth in the industry. As of the early 2020s, the …

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Backgrounder: Alchemy

A random rabbit hole this morning. Types of alchemy Alchemy historically encompassed several different pursuits and goals, often overlapping in their philosophical and practical aspects. The most well-known types include: Transmutation of Base Metals into Gold: This is the most iconic goal of alchemy, often symbolized by the quest for the Philosopher's Stone, a legendary …

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Offbeat: These song lyrics could refer to a great many institutions

https://youtu.be/bpNw7jYkbVc?si=HENZXTjBLVhXoBa2 I think of you every night and dayYou took my heart, and you took my pride away I hate myself for loving youCan't break free from the the things that you doI wanna walk but I run back to youThat's why I hate myself for loving you I Hate Myself for Loving You Song …

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Chapter summary: Dosi G., Nelson R. “Technological change and industrial dynamics as evolutionary processes”

Giovanni Dosi, Richard R. Nelson,Chapter 3 - Technical Change and Industrial Dynamics as Evolutionary Processes, Editor(s): Bronwyn H. Hall, Nathan Rosenberg, Handbook of the Economics of Innovation, North-Holland,Volume 1, 2010, Pages 51-127, ISSN 2210-8807, ISBN 9780444519955, https://doi.org/10.1016/S0169-7218(10)01003-8.(https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0169721810010038) Evolutionary Perspective on Technology: The paper places technological advancement within an evolutionary framework, linking it to broader concepts …

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Book summary: Flyvberg & Gardener (2023), How big things get done

Flyvbjerg, B., & Gardner, D. (2023). How Big Things Get Done: The Surprising Factors that Determine the Fate of Every Project, from Home Renovations to Space Exploration and Everything in Between. New York: Random House. ISBN 9780593239513 Prevalence of Project Failures: Most big projects, whether government-funded or small home renovations, often exceed budgetsand timelines. Iron …

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Book Chapter Summary: Fagerberg, Jan, ‘Innovation: A Guide to the Literature’

Fagerberg, Jan, 'Innovation: A Guide to the Literature', in Jan Fagerberg, and David C. Mowery (eds), The Oxford Handbook of Innovation (2006; online edn, Oxford Academic, 2 Sept. 2009), https://doi.org/10.1093/oxfordhb/9780199286805.003.0001, accessed 12 Nov. 2023. Innovation as a Fundamental Human Activity: Fagerberg argues that innovation is an inherent part of human history and development. He asserts …

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