Thoughts about the markets, automated trading algorithms, artificial intelligence, and lots of other stuff
Humpty Dumpty tried skiing … and is leaving with 10 fingers and 10 toes still attached in all the right places!
Skillful skiers relax and let physics do a lot of the work. I used muscles way too much and way too often.
When I was done, I was WIPED!!!!
Nevertheless, it was a lot of fun … and I plan on doing it again.
Thanks Randy Garn for shaming into trying this. Park City, Utah was beautiful.
I often share examples of functional data science – using data to give insight into our economy, into our impact on the planet, and more.
Sometimes, it's nice to appreciate a beautifully made infographic purely for its creation and function.
This won't change your life (or help you make investment decisions) … nevertheless, hopefully, you will appreciate it.
Pablo Picasso was a prolific and vastly misunderstood artist during his time. He created tens of thousands of works that span countless topics.
National Geographic published a painting/infographic depicting the different phases and influences in Picasso's career. It leverages the techniques, colors, and shapes Picasso predominantly used to help immerse you in his art. The size of each category reflects the number of artworks in the category.
Click the image to see it in full size, with descriptions of each section.
Elon Musk recently said that there's a 70% chance he goes to Mars. Their follow-up questions was this…
Is Mars going to be an escape hatch for rich people?
I thought his response brought some interesting points to light. Check it out (his answer starts @ 22 seconds in).
via Axios
"Really the ad to go to Mars would be like Shackleton's ad to go to the Antarctic. It's going to be hard. There's a good chance of death … going in a little can through deep space."
Elon is a controversial character; he may be the closest we have to a real life Bruce Wayne, but he's also been forced to stepdown as Chairman of Tesla, has many controversial tweets, and is widely considered an eccentric.
That being said … I have to respect what he's accomplished, and his approach to his businesses.
Elon comes from the mindset of "what's possible?" not "how can I make the most money consistently over time?"
When asked why you climb the mountain, the answer doesn't have to be profound … because it's there, or to see if I can are valid answers.
If you need rationale, Dr. Zubrin, President of the Mars Society puts it eloquently.
NASA's Ames Research Center via YouTube
Human expansion has been furthered greatly by selfish endeavors – and that's okay.
What's your metaphorical flight to Mars? What's the idea that you want to make a reality? You can accomplish a lot when you're aligned with your goals.
Here are some of the posts that caught my eye recently. Hope you find something interesting.
As the holiday season begins, I was thinking about my father.
I love him and miss him … but, truth be told, I teased him mercilessly about being technologically challenged (especially around the holidays, when I'd buy him a new gadget – only to roll on the floor laughing while watching him try to figure it out).
Karma is a bitch! My Dad used to say "whatever you make fun of me for … will happen to you."
I didn't yet realize how fast the world was changing … or how quickly I'd find it hard to keep up.
In 2015 I wrote an article about this titled "A Look Back at The Future".
It's only four years later … and somehow my realizations seem out-dated.
It's not just me, it's everyone!
Realize that human perception is linear, but technological growth isn't.
As technology progression evolves and quickens, it is going to get harder to keep up.
Check out this video from 1974 … It shows Arthur C. Clarke making some impressive guesses about the future of technology.
Now that we're here, it may not seem like an impressive prediction … but how cool was it that Arthur C. Clarke believed a computer would fit on a desk in 1974?
Do you think that you can predict what a computer will look like in 2034?
Artificial Intelligence, quantum computing, augmented reality, neuro-interfaces, etc. are all going to change the face and nature of computing and perhaps life itself.
We live in exciting times!
Onwards.
Here are some of the posts that caught my eye recently. Hope you find something interesting.
Tonight marks the first night of Chanukah – the Jewish festival of lights.
We light the Menorah (Chanukah candles), eat latkas (potato pancakes), we exchange gifts, we spin the Dreidel (a gambling toy), and we enjoy a sense of family togetherness for 8 days and nights.
One of my friends sent me this funny video of a Chanukah parody of Bohemian Rhapsody … it's better than you would expect.
Six13Sings via YouTube
It's not too different from Christmas (though my kids were jealous Santa didn't come down our chimney).
The cynic in me beleives the gift part of the holiday was invented by merchants.
In our office, we have an "Elf on the shelf", the magical elf who reports who has been naughty and who has been nice to Santa, perching in a new spot each day.
And, we also have "Mensch on a Bench", who watches your Menorah to make sure you don't run out of oil.
Happy Chanukah … or at least an early start to your holiday season!
Happy Thanksgiving!
My children came to town, and we continued our tradition of spending time together watching some football. The top photo is from 2008.
After looking at this picture, I recognize the burden I impose on my sons. Some would call it crushing.
That's my oldest son, Ben. He's a good sport.
My youngest son, Zach, was happy to make sure that I got mine too.
He still plays Rugby.
I am thankful for my family, my company and that I continually face a better class of challenges … forging a path to a bigger future.
What about you?
I remember when they told me that eating meat was bad for my health …
Here are some of the posts that caught my eye recently. Hope you find something interesting.
Have you ever seen the posts showing what happens in a minute on the Internet? The speed and scope of activity is amazing … so is how fast it is increasing.
The same is true for storage. It is getting bigger and cheaper quickly.
This picture shows an IBM VP holding a 10 MB hard drive from the 1960s.
via novartistic
When it was invented, I bet they wondered how someone could ever fill it. Now imagine what it cost back then.
For context, here are some things you can do with 10 MB of space:
Things are changing.
Here's a link to a 256 GB flash drive that you can buy for about $50 dollars … and here's a link to a working prototype of a 1 TB flash drive.
Here are some things you can do with 1 TB of space:
I wonder how someone could ever fill it?
Crazy!