First Derivative [20]
military—Christianity—artificial intelligence—Western civilization—'Chinafrica'—Erdogan—Democratic Trump—CAR-T therapy—immortality—bipartisanship
James Mattis, a Warrior in Washington
On January 22nd, two days after President Trump was inaugurated, he received a memo from his new Secretary of Defense, James Mattis, recommending that the United States launch a military strike in Yemen. In a forty-year career, Mattis, a retired…
The Radical Origins of Christianity
Kierkegaard relates a chilling parable in “ The Sickness Unto Death.” An emperor summons a poor day laborer. The man never dreamed that the emperor even knew of his existence. The emperor tells him that he wants to have him as his…
I really enjoyed reading this piece and if you have any interest in religion and literature I think you will too—TK
West Elm's New AI Tool Scans Pinterest To Recommend Furnishings
Shopping for a new couch online? That could mean looking through hundreds of shapes, styles, fabrics, and colors. Redoing a whole living room or bedroom involves not only new pieces of furniture but considering how they all fit together. Mid-priced…
Very cool application of AI. The point isn't better furniture shopping but test case for future use.—TK
Does the West Have a Civilization?
I'm frankly flabbergasted by this Peter Beinart article about Trump's speech in Warsaw. Specifically, I am flabbergasted that he wants to let the alt-right define Western Civilization: The West is not a geographic term. Poland is further east than…
Agreed—TK
'Chinafrica' is a macro megatrend set to impact everything from Silicon Valley to Wall Street
VC's and startup founders rarely pay attention to slow moving but powerful macro global events, especially with so many fast moving things to focus on at the micro like technology, teams, trends. While VCs and startup founders are often the…
A trend to watch. Josh Wolfe is also an interesting guy to follow—TK
Recep Tayyip Erdoğan: "They Should Look Up What Dictator Means!"
As we slowly make our way through three separate security checks, a helicopter lands on the grounds of the Turkish president's offices in Istanbul. Recep Tayyip Erdoğan has flown in from a…
Interesting to get a German take on Turkey—TK
What If Trump Had Won As a Democrat?
Not long ago, the writer Peter Beinart offered an interesting idea about our 45th president: “Someone should write a novel in which he runs and wins as a Democrat.” Underpinning this suggestion, of course, is the highly probable…
Mostly very plausible. Makes you wonder—TK
Novel cancer treatment wins endorsement of FDA advisers
Food and Drug Administration advisers on Wednesday enthusiastically endorsed a first-of-its-kind cancer treatment that uses patients' revved-up immune cells to fight the disease, concluding that the therapy's benefits for desperately ill children…
Huge milestone in oncology. Cell therapy, immuno therapy, genetic therapy personalized medicine all combined—TK
Silicon Valley's Quest to Live Forever
On a velvety March evening in Mandeville Canyon, high above the rest of Los Angeles, Norman Lear's living room was jammed with powerful people eager to learn the secrets of longevity. When the symposium's first speaker asked how many people there…
How to Make Congress Bipartisan
Next term the Supreme Court will hear a challenge to Wisconsin's election maps that could lead to a precedent-setting ruling against partisan gerrymandering — the problematic process whereby incumbents draw legislative boundaries to help…