Things from my Newsblur; 2019 Part 2

No major updates  from Our Man, though he's (still) working on a software (Enterprise, not Consumer) thesis.  Instead, another edition of “Things from my Newsblur” - this time some recent(ish) articles that have caught OM's eye, but didn't get enough attention generally.

Live Long – What Really Extends Lifespan
This isn’t actually an article, but a graphic of the way various traits affect lifespan.  The strength of the science is clearly shown, and ranges from suggestive to strong.  The traits range from the subtle (drinking a little alcohol vs. abstinence) to the more obvious (avoid cancer).  Well worth a look!  (Dave McCandless, Information is Beautiful)

This 8-Year Old Chess Champion Will Make you Smile
While last week saw a college admissions scandal in the US, this heartwarming article is another little reminder that talent is universal but opportunity is not. (Nicolas Kristof, New York Times)

Into the Dark
The Thai cave rescue seemed crazy at the time.  After reading Shannon Gormley’s article, based on months of in-person interviews with the key protagonists, it seems even crazier.  The confluence of skill, meticulous planning and luck required not just by the dive-team but also by the support staff (and Thai government) is astouding.  It’s the kind of story that if you read it in a book (or saw in a film) you wouldn’t believe.  (Shannon Gormley, Macleans)

Humanity + AI = Better Together
Robots are coming for your jobs!  Skynet is after your children!  Really?  Well, the flip side of the popular narrative is that in conjunction with AI - we will become more creative, improve our productivity and powers, make better decisions, be safer as dangerous tasks can be automated and understand each other better.  Too good to be true?  Well, Frank Chen takes us through those positive arguments.  (Frank Chen, a16z)

Here’s why we’re entering the Golden Age of Podcasts
Our Man has been an avid podcast listener for many a year, and it seems that 2018 is the year they finally broke into the mainstream.   Perhaps, the hit podcast Serial was the gateway drug for folks.  This article shows the state of podcasts in 10 charts, with some thoughts on what’s next!  (Dave Zohrob, Chartable Blog)

The Hunt for Planet Nine
Mike Brown is the “Pluto Killer”; a man with dozens of astronomical discoveries to his name, including the dwarf planets Sedna and Eris.  Konstantin Batygin is a renowned theoretical astrophysicist, who at age 22 mathematically proved our universe is unstable (don’t worry, we’ve got a few thousand years before Mercury crashes into the sun, or Venus!).  After analyzing historical data, they proposed in January 2016 that there was a giant planet orbiting far away from everything.  The hunt is on to find “Planet Nine”, and this is their tale.  (Shannon Stirone, Longreads)

Amazon’s Anti-trust Paradox
The history of anti-trust in the US is a surprisingly interesting topic, from its use to break-up Standard Oil in 1911 to its subsequent over-reach in the 1960’s and 1970’s, which saw Robert Bork redefine the term “competition” and paved the way for today’s University of Chicago inspired laissez faire approach.  Lina Khan’s article, combined with the discussion around ‘Big Tech’, has perhaps paved the way for a new interpretation of anti-trust law.  (Lina M. Khan, Yale Law Journal)