Becket U curates the best resources in Math, Physics, Computers, Microeconomics, Game Theory, and Persuasion. With this knowledge, you will understand how the world works.
Undiscovered #044: The Computer Science Behind Human Decisions, Rebranding Nuclear Energy, Forgotten Y-Combinator Interviews
#044: The Computer Science Behind Human Decisions, Rebranding Nuclear Energy, Forgotten Y-Combinator InterviewsHi All! We are pleased to welcome you to this week's edition of Undiscovered, a newsletter with exclusive resources and insights expanding from the material found on our main site - becketu.com. This week, we will explore how a mathematical formula can help us figure out when a decision has 'enough' qualities of what we're looking for, 10-year old interviews with some of Silicon Valley's most famous founders, how we can rebrand nuclear energy for mass adoption, and more. Let's dive in: The Math Behind MusicWe are always fascinated by where we unexpectedly find math popping up in our daily lives. One of the most common areas where this occurs, is within music. Didier Gaulin, or @DiracGhost, recently shared a book called Musimathics by Gareth Loy, which details an exposition of the mathematical foundation of music. Gaulin also states that "the chapter on the 'geometric basis of sound'' is worth the price of entry alone". There is also the Musimathic's website where you can find more information about the two book volumes, the author, and the table of contents. A few other recommended reading items for those interested in the intersection of music and math, are Physics and Music by Harvey & Donald White, Music by the Numbers by Eli Maor, and This is Your Brain On Music by Daniel Levitin. Forgotten Y-Combinator Interviews Full of AlphaOld Y-Combinator interviews on YouTube are a goldmine for those interested in computers and startups. You'll find interviews with Mark Zuckerberg (twice), Balaji Srinivasan, Jessica Livingston, Jack Dorsey, Marc Andreessen, Travis Kalanick, and more. Be sure to sort from 'oldest' in the videos section of their channel to find more of the interviews in this style. They're refreshingly low-production value, which allows you to to be more focused on the ideas they are sharing. We find it incredible that many of these videos range from 17k-617k in views, which is relatively little compared to the amount of information freely given. Big thanks to @keshavchan on Twitter for bringing this to our attention again. Rebranded Nuclear EnergyNuclear Energy is one of the most reliable energy sources, and it's not particularly close. The United States has long lead the way when it comes to nuclear generation, but it doesn't have any active nuclear reactors under construction. China, on the other hand, has 25 in production as of July 2024. Why is this? Does the word 'nuclear' have bad connotations? Is it time for a rebrand? @Devon_Eriksen_ certainly thinks so, and ironically describes how we might go about reframing it as 'Radiothermal Steam Generation' for the public: Nuclear power is obviously bad because it contains the word nuclear, which is bad.
I propose we use Radiothermal Steam Generation instead.
For those of you who are not familiar with how this works:
1. You take some naturally occurring radioactive rocks, which get hot all by themselves because they’re radioactive.
2. You pile a whole lot of them together, in concentrated form, until they get really hot indeed.
3. Then you use that heat to turn water into steam.
4. And you run an electric turbine off the steam pressure.
That’s all it is. Just radioactive rocks, and a steam engine.
This is much less dangerous than nuclear plants, because nuclear plants use the word nuclear, which is the same word used by nuclear weapons, which are very dangerous, so that word is very dangerous, so nuclear plants are very dangerous, because they use the same word.
Down with nuclear power!
Build more radiothermal steam generators!
80% of Value from CS Degree in Three Books@Soul0Engineer recently shared: "You can get 80% of the value in a CS degree by reading these three (books)":
Soul goes on to clarify that 'value = theory the industry cares about', and the recommendations are primarily for software engineers. Be sure to check out our Computer Books section on our website if you're interested in finding even more resources! When is it the Right Time to Make a Decision?'Optimal stopping' is a theory in mathematics that calculates when you should make a choice when you have potentially infinite options, but you cannot go back to the current option if you discard it. The internet perpetuates this phenomenon, and we are subconsciously affected by this every day. Look at all the different jobs people have and how much money they are making! Look at how many people 'liked' me on this dating app! Look at where my friends vacationed this week! @signull shared an amazing video that perfectly illustrates this phenomenon, with a cheeky example of how men and women go about finding their partners. It's a great reminder that we must think about what 'enough' looks like, and the wisdom to be content with the decisions we make. If the topic interests you, be sure to also check out Algorithms to Live By: The Computer Science of Human Decisions by Brian Christian and Tom Griffiths. P.S Can you please respond to this email and bring it into your 'primary' inbox? You can say 'Hi!', tell us the last book you read recently, or what your favorite resource was from above. We appreciate any feedback you are able to provide here. What do you want more or less of? Other suggestions? Feel free to reach out to us on Instagram and give us a follow there, tag your friends on our posts, and please forward this newsletter along to anyone else who would enjoy it. Disclaimer: Becket U is an Amazon Associate and purchases through Amazon links may earn a small affiliate commission, but the price is the same for you. We only recommend books we love and think you would love, too. Always wishing you the best, J.B. |
Becket U
Becket U curates the best resources in Math, Physics, Computers, Microeconomics, Game Theory, and Persuasion. With this knowledge, you will understand how the world works.
#080: Work Backwards from Outcome You Want, Art of Storytelling, Failure Modes Hi All! We are pleased to welcome you to this week's edition of Undiscovered, a newsletter with exclusive resources and insights expanding from the material found on our main site - becketu.com. This week, we will take a look at the power of story and narrative in building businesses of the future, how to prevent common failure modes for projects you are taking on, a prompt for becoming a more ideal parent figure,...
#079: Greatest Artist Who Ever Lived, Make Your Website Beautiful, Life Lesson from Baseball Hi All! We are pleased to welcome you to this week's edition of Undiscovered, a newsletter with exclusive resources and insights expanding from the material found on our main site - becketu.com. This week we will take a look at why Steve Jobs is the greatest artist who ever lived, the best tool for freewriting, a poignant life lesson from baseball, and more. Let's dive in: Greatest Artist Who Ever...
#078: Physics Behind Torpedo Bat, Three Stages of Talent Development, How to Spread an Idea Hi All! We are pleased to welcome you to this week's edition of Undiscovered, a newsletter with exclusive resources and insights expanding from the material found on our main site - becketu.com. This week, we'll take a look at the physics behind the viral new bat design in Major League Baseball, Bloom's Three Stages of Talent Development, how to tell stories in sequences, and more. Let's dive in:...