I think part of the illusion of success with Threads was Meta reporting sign-ups as new users when in reality many Instagram users were just reserving their username and never meaningfully interacting with Threads. Never underestimate people's desire for clout and acquiring scarce items (remember NFTs?). Threads does not have the valuable network effect that Twitter does. The Instagram network is not conducive to text-based media IMO (vanity seekers vs. niche information seekers w/Twitter).
RE: Boring topics
I recently had soil from my lawn analyzed. Now I am deep in the weeds (pun totally intended) of learning the complex ecosystem of topsoil and how to achieve a healthy balance of acidity, nutrients, organic matter, and capacity to convert materials to nutrients. It is absolutely fascinating to me!
”if you live somewhere with little sun and low electricity costs (and an already clean grid, like in Quebec and Ontario), then solar makes no sense at all”
I’d like to see them as complementary. The CO2 emissions from solar cell manufacturing is recouperated within months, and as long you are grid connected to any production plant that causes emissions you are offsetting those. Nuclear can’t be regulated fast enough for grid stability, so if you aren’t blessed with hydro there will be some emissions from some plant somewhere.
I live in Sweden at a latitude eq to Fairbanks, Alaska and was part of commissioning a 36 kW roof solar project back in 2018, and even with low Swedish energy prices we have gotten a sound return in these 5 years. We are also situated within a few miles from Swedens largest hydroelectric plant. Conditions may be different in Canada, but here it made sense and continue to do so. We are however beginning to see the effects of increasing solar and wind production, with sometimes negative electricity prices early summer when spring flood forces hydro plants to produce at the same time as wind and solar does. Hydroelectric pump and grid tie battery storage projects are under way to tap into that arbitrage. The market will find a way to accommodate emissions free energy production one way or the other.
I am nevertheless a big fan of nuclear. Sweden has decomissioned half of its nuclear reactors the last two decades, the majority of them due to stupid political decisions. The effects have been obvious since the last decommissioning in 2020 with high volatility in pricing.
Regarding Midjourney: Is there a way to downplay the attractiveness of the AI generated persons? Or is this an inherent limitation from all the training data on model photography? Impressed as I am of the output, most images you see seem to be of the 99th percentile of 21-25 year olds on an attractiveness scale.
443: Threads too Successful?, Exxon Lithium, German TSMC Fab, ARM IPO, Roper, Uber's $31.5bn Loss, Liquid Rock, and Tony Hawk
Great edition Liberty.
RE: Threads
I think part of the illusion of success with Threads was Meta reporting sign-ups as new users when in reality many Instagram users were just reserving their username and never meaningfully interacting with Threads. Never underestimate people's desire for clout and acquiring scarce items (remember NFTs?). Threads does not have the valuable network effect that Twitter does. The Instagram network is not conducive to text-based media IMO (vanity seekers vs. niche information seekers w/Twitter).
RE: Boring topics
I recently had soil from my lawn analyzed. Now I am deep in the weeds (pun totally intended) of learning the complex ecosystem of topsoil and how to achieve a healthy balance of acidity, nutrients, organic matter, and capacity to convert materials to nutrients. It is absolutely fascinating to me!
A top-notch edition. Had not heard about the new "maps" project until now!
Liquid rock does seem like a pretty ridiculous invention. There we go again, not marveling enough at the genius creations all around us 🙄.
Loved every part of this edition Liberty - thank you!
”if you live somewhere with little sun and low electricity costs (and an already clean grid, like in Quebec and Ontario), then solar makes no sense at all”
I’d like to see them as complementary. The CO2 emissions from solar cell manufacturing is recouperated within months, and as long you are grid connected to any production plant that causes emissions you are offsetting those. Nuclear can’t be regulated fast enough for grid stability, so if you aren’t blessed with hydro there will be some emissions from some plant somewhere.
I live in Sweden at a latitude eq to Fairbanks, Alaska and was part of commissioning a 36 kW roof solar project back in 2018, and even with low Swedish energy prices we have gotten a sound return in these 5 years. We are also situated within a few miles from Swedens largest hydroelectric plant. Conditions may be different in Canada, but here it made sense and continue to do so. We are however beginning to see the effects of increasing solar and wind production, with sometimes negative electricity prices early summer when spring flood forces hydro plants to produce at the same time as wind and solar does. Hydroelectric pump and grid tie battery storage projects are under way to tap into that arbitrage. The market will find a way to accommodate emissions free energy production one way or the other.
I am nevertheless a big fan of nuclear. Sweden has decomissioned half of its nuclear reactors the last two decades, the majority of them due to stupid political decisions. The effects have been obvious since the last decommissioning in 2020 with high volatility in pricing.
Regarding Midjourney: Is there a way to downplay the attractiveness of the AI generated persons? Or is this an inherent limitation from all the training data on model photography? Impressed as I am of the output, most images you see seem to be of the 99th percentile of 21-25 year olds on an attractiveness scale.
marques brownlee is awesome and that video in particular was excellent!
Are you on Threads as a matter of interest?
Great piece btw