Content I Consumed: Bringing back the Woolly Mammoth and 12 Assumptions for Extraterrestrial Life
And finally a guide for which expiration dates to follow
Happy Wednesday!
Brain Stuff
Having trouble falling asleep? A Happy Memory Can Help You Fall Asleep, if You Know How to Use It [WSJ Paywall]. Use the savoring technique to fall asleep quickly. Pick a happy memory that brings you joy. Use as many of your senses as you can to recreate the event. Another hint -- schedule a time to ruminate on your stresses a few hours before hopping in bed.
Our brains develop over time. This article outlines different types of intelligence and when they peak and decline. The rise and fall of cognitive skills. While raw processing speed peaks around 18 or 19 and short-term memory peaks around 25, the ability to evaluate other people’s emotional states peaks in your 40s and 50s. Accumulated intelligence, knowing facts and vocab peaks in your late 60s and early 70s.
The Search for Growth Podcast - Another Thinking Fast and Slow episode, this time on the remembering vs. experiencing self. We spend most of our attention remembering past events rather than experiencing current events which has significant impact on how we make decisions.
Back to happiness and meaning from last week. Meaning is post-hoc. Meaning can only be determined after the fact. Cody discusses how many significant people, Van Gogh, Zora Neale Hurston etc. only had their work discovered after they died.
Climate
‘De-Extinction’ Company Will Try to Bring Back the Dodo - Colossal Biosciences has raised $225M to bring back the dodo, woolly mammoth, and the Tasmanian tiger. Interestingly, these species will be proxy species, species that resemble a substitute of the original species. They will not be exact copies. They take genetics from these extinct species and use modern DNA and an artificial womb in order to create these new species. Sounds out of science fiction.
The World Economic Forum’s Global Risks Report just came out. Statista has a short overview and diagram of The Largest Risks Faced by the World. Tl;dr - In the next 10 years, climate change drives the top risks.
Misc
12 Assumptions for Extraterrestrial Life - Founder and Senior Maverick of Wired, Kevin Kelley, goes through 12 loosely-held assumptions he has about extraterrestrial life. They make logical sense given the size of our universe. He concludes that every day a few aliens probe Earth to understand our technological capabilities. Wild, if true!
Ever wondered which expiration dates to follow and which ones to forget? NYT has a helpful guide that breaks down different types of foods and how long they last. The Food Expiration Dates You Should Actually Follow. Want longer-lasting milk? Look for “UHT” or “ultrahigh temperature” on the label.
At the start of the Ukraine War, Roman Abramovich had to sell Chelsea, a top Premiere League team. Since then, he has been a broker of sorts, helping with prisoner transfers and engaging with Putin in person. More from the WSJ here: Roman Abramovich’s Long-Shot Effort to Save Ukraine, His Reputation and His Fortune [paywall]. Interesting to hear how influential people can use their status to negotiate during war.
Bizarre story, from close to my hometown. 29-year-old woman faces charges for posing as teen at New Jersey high school, police say. She was a Rutgers grad. 29-year-old woman who allegedly tried to enroll in N.J. high school is a Rutgers grad. Why? People aren’t sure. It’s weird.