The bots are coming for your 401(k)
One question I get all the time is, “Kim, can AI help me pick stocks?”
Spoiler: Not only can it help, it might do a better job than a guy in a Patagonia vest yelling about yield curves.
Search cannibalism: I called it three years ago. As the once search giant Google morphs into a chat-style (paywall link) “answer engine,” clicks are drying up and traffic is cratering all over. The Atlantic’s CEO said to assume “Google traffic drops to zero.” Google once said, “Don’t be evil.” Today, it reminds me of Goya’s “Saturn Devouring His Son.”
99.999%
That’s how much of Earth’s gold is locked in the core. It’s basically a global treasure chest we’ll probably never open. There’s enough down there to coat the entire planet in 1.5 feet of gold. It’s staying put unless you’ve got a plan to drill through 1,800 miles of molten iron. Somehow, Bitcoin mining sounds less complicated now.
95%
A new blood test is that good at spotting early signs of Alzheimer’s. It checks for two proteins tied to the disease: amyloid beta 42/40 and p-tau217. People with Alzheimer’s usually have more of the second one. The best part? The test is already FDA-approved and way cheaper (and less scary) than a spinal tap. Science wins again.
$38 billion
That’s how much Saudi Arabia is pouring into gaming. Basically the Thanos of gaming via Savvy Games Group, the kingdom controls 40% of the global esports industry and big chunks of ESL, Scopely, Nintendo, EA and more. When your gaming strategy includes Red Bull partnerships and a sovereign wealth fund, you’re not playing games when it comes to games.
100 years old
The age Layne Horwich was diagnosed with stage one breast cancer. She had three options: Do nothing, take pills to slow the growth or have surgery. Layne took option three and is now cancer-free at 101. The meds were a no-go since they could cause hair thinning, and she still hits the beauty parlor every week. Priorities.
AI vs. cancer: AI just helped design a new breast cancer treatment … with zero cancer drugs. Using high-cholesterol and anti-booze meds, GPT-4 suggested combos, and some worked better than standard care. Yes, it spit out actual useful science instead of writing a bad screenplay. GPT is slowly turning into Dr. House without the Vicodin.
$1.3 billion
That’s how much Lucy Guo is worth, dethroning Taylor Swift as the youngest self-made female billionaire. She cofounded Scale AI at 21, got fired, kept her stake, which grew to $1.2 billion, and casually launched another startup that raised $40M. Way to go!
40%
That’s how much cooling costs can drop with an ice battery. Yes, actual ice. Buildings like Eleven Madison in NYC are freezing water at night, then using that ice to chill the place by day. It’s like time-shifting your AC to happy hour prices, potentially lowering cooling costs by up to 40%. Peak grid demand? Never heard of her.
562,000
That’s how many new millionaires popped up in the U.S. in 2024. It’s more than any other country. A lot of them are also stashing their money in things like crypto and private equity, which now make up 15% of their portfolios. BRB, pitching to Shark Tank.