The hottest Innovation Substack posts right now

And their main takeaways
Category
Top Technology Topics

The Dirty Business of Clean Blood

BIG by Matt Stoller • 32315 implied HN points • 03 Feb 24
🏥 Health & Wellness Healthcare Policy Innovation Monopolies Patient Care
  1. Dialysis industry is controlled by two powerful corporations - DaVita and Fresenius - impacting over half a million lives. Non-compete agreements could potentially change this monopoly.
  2. Dialysis is a critical treatment provided under universal healthcare for end-stage renal disease patients, but monopolistic control has led to issues like patient coercion and quality concerns.
  3. The lack of competition and consolidation in the dialysis market has led to lower survival rates in the US compared to other countries. Eliminating non-compete agreements for healthcare professionals could foster innovation and improve patient care.

Where Did TikTok Come From?

The Honest Broker • 7879 implied HN points • 15 Mar 24
🕹 Technology Social media Entrepreneurship Algorithm Digital Platforms Innovation
  1. TikTok's success can be attributed to a strategic focus on teens as the main users of the platform, creating a significant legal and social impact.
  2. Zhang Yiming, founder of TikTok, capitalized on the algorithm's power over user control to pave the way for the platform's global success.
  3. TikTok's uniqueness lies in its outsider status in China, where a similar app exists, showcasing its worldwide appeal and massive user base.

Nvidia B100, B200, GB200 - COGS, Pricing, Margins, Ramp - Oberon, Umbriel, Miranda

SemiAnalysis • 6364 implied HN points • 18 Mar 24
🕹 Technology Hardware Gaming Industry News Analysis Innovation
  1. Nvidia's new Blackwell GPUs introduce B100, B200, and GB200 models, offering improved performance and architecture.
  2. The B100 has exceptional gross margins exceeding 85%, showcasing Nvidia's strong pricing power in the market.
  3. The configuration of the Blackwell GPUs includes 8 stacks of 8-hi HBM3E with up to 192GB capacity, utilizing CoWoS-L technology for increased performance.

Inside the Crisis at Google

Big Technology • 9632 implied HN points • 01 Mar 24
🕹 Technology AI Corporate Ethics Crisis Management Innovation
  1. The crisis at Google, involving controversial AI outputs, highlights significant organizational dysfunction and lack of clear accountability.
  2. The focus on culture war narratives in analyzing the crisis may overlook deeper issues within Google's operations.
  3. Google's handling of the crisis with its Gemini tool demonstrated the company's struggle with transparency and the need for significant organizational changes.
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Declining trust in Zeus is a technology

Experimental History • 20553 implied HN points • 31 Jan 24
🔬 Science Research History Technology Innovation Experts
  1. Randomized-controlled trials are a relatively recent method in the history of scientific evidence.
  2. Challenging old beliefs, such as trust in ancient gods like Zeus, can lead to important scientific advancements.
  3. There is a need for more transparency and accessibility in expert knowledge to earn public trust in institutions and experts.

Deep Fear!

Aether Pirates of the Matterium! • 18455 implied HN points • 04 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Military Artificial Intelligence Energy Society Innovation
  1. Military analysts are afraid of the future and the rapid advancement of technology.
  2. Tech-minded individuals are seen as a threat by the military due to their knowledge and innovative capabilities.
  3. The release of Zero Point Technology to the public, especially techies, is a major concern for the military as it would shift power dynamics significantly.

Will China squander its moment in the sun?

Noahpinion • 21647 implied HN points • 25 Jan 24
🌍 World Politics China Government Control Economic Growth Innovation Cultural influence
  1. China is at the peak of its relative power and effectiveness, with impressive economic and scientific achievements surpassing other major world powers at this moment.
  2. There are concerns about a slowdown in China's growth due to economic challenges and lack of focus on what the people truly want, resulting in a potential squandering of the nation's potential.
  3. China's system seems to inhibit breakthrough innovation, limit artistic and cultural influence internationally, and restrict freedom and autonomy of its people, perhaps hindering the nation's overall greatness.

Book review: "Power and Progress"

Noahpinion • 8706 implied HN points • 21 Feb 24
📚 Literature Book review Economics Innovation Critique History
  1. The impact of technological innovation on human welfare depends on how society chooses to use these innovations, highlighting the importance of social decisions.
  2. The book discusses how power dynamics in society influence the choices made regarding technology, with recent decisions leaning towards negative impacts.
  3. Society can shape technology to distribute benefits more widely by focusing on inventions that complement workers instead of replacing them, presenting a controversial but essential concept.

After Musk’s Lawsuit, No More Illusions About OpenAI

Big Technology • 4753 implied HN points • 08 Mar 24
🕹 Technology AI Legal Business Companies Innovation
  1. Elon Musk's lawsuit against OpenAI revealed that the company's open promise was more of a ploy for recruitment than a true dedication to open-source.
  2. OpenAI's deal with Microsoft has created a situation where it must balance being close to AGI for profits while keeping its research proprietary, as Musk's lawsuit claims AGI has been reached.
  3. Musk's case against OpenAI showcases his concerns about Google's AI advancements and his efforts to shape the narrative around his relationship with OpenAI.

Why Platformer is leaving Substack

Platformer • 12755 implied HN points • 12 Jan 24
🕹 Technology AI Apps Innovation Social media Software Engineering
  1. Platformer has decided to move off of Substack and migrate to a new website powered by Ghost
  2. The decision was influenced by concerns over how Substack moderates content and promotes publications
  3. Substack faced controversies over hosting extremist content, leading to Platformer's decision to leave for a platform with more robust content moderation policies

Introducing Chiplets

The Chip Letter • 6372 implied HN points • 11 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Hardware Semiconductors Innovation
  1. The newsletter is introducing 'Chiplets,' shorter and more varied posts for the readers.
  2. Readers have the option to opt-in to receive 'Chiplets' in their inbox to avoid filling it with too many emails.
  3. The 'Chiplets' will cover a mix of historical and current topics in a more informal and fun way, offering a new format for readers.

The Irony and the Agony of Elon Musk's Lawsuit against OpenAI

Marcus on AI • 3116 implied HN points • 03 Mar 24
🕹 Technology AI Lawsuit Mission Ethics Innovation
  1. Elon Musk's lawsuit against OpenAI highlights how the organization changed from its initial mission, raising concerns about its commitment to helping humanity.
  2. The lawsuit emphasizes the importance of OpenAI honoring its original promises and mission, rather than seeking financial gains.
  3. The legal battle between Musk and OpenAI involves complex motives and the potential impact on AI development and its alignment with humane values.

Eight More 8-Bit Era Microprocessors

The Chip Letter • 4111 implied HN points • 18 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Hardware Design History Innovation
  1. Designs that were not commercially successful can still be interesting and hold value for learning.
  2. Intel's 8085 microprocessor, while not a bad design, was overshadowed by Zilog's Z80 due to lack of major improvements.
  3. Signetics 2650 microprocessor faced limitations such as delayed time to market and segmented memory, showing the importance of timely releases and memory efficiency.

The One and a Half Gemini

thezvi • 1651 implied HN points • 22 Feb 24
🕹 Technology AI Machine Learning Innovation APIs Digital Transformation
  1. Gemini 1.5 introduces a breakthrough in long-context understanding by processing up to 1 million tokens, which means improved performance and longer context windows for AI models.
  2. The use of mixture-of-experts architecture in Gemini 1.5, alongside Transformer models, contributes to its overall enhanced performance, potentially giving Google an edge over competitors like GPT-4.
  3. Gemini 1.5 offers opportunities for new and improved applications, such as translation of low-resource languages like Kalamang, providing high-quality translations and enabling various innovative use cases.

All the arguments against EVs are wrong

Noahpinion • 26118 implied HN points • 14 May 23
🕹 Technology Transportation Energy Environment Social Impact Innovation
  1. Electric vehicles are rapidly becoming more popular worldwide, supported by improved technology and falling battery prices.
  2. There are concerns about the availability of minerals for EV production, but advancements in mining technology and growing lithium reserves offer hope.
  3. EVs have environmental benefits compared to gas cars, including reducing carbon emissions and offering more efficient energy use.

Captain's log: the irreducible weirdness of prompting AIs

One Useful Thing • 902 implied HN points • 04 Mar 24
🕹 Technology AI Prompts Machine Learning Artificial Intelligence Innovation
  1. Stop trying to use incantations: There is no single magic word that works all the time with AIs. Promising rewards or being polite may help occasionally, but not always.
  2. There are prompting techniques that work consistently: Techniques like adding context to prompts, providing a few examples, and using Chain of Thought can help in crafting better prompts for AIs.
  3. Prompting matters significantly: The way you prompt AIs can have a huge impact on the outcomes. Good prompts can turn a difficult task into an easy one for AI.

The Tale of Two Teams

Software Design: Tidy First? • 1226 implied HN points • 19 Feb 24
💼 Business Leadership Software Development Management Innovation Team Dynamics
  1. Software development teams can take two different paths over time - one struggling to maintain progress and innovate, the other accelerating and exceeding expectations.
  2. Executives play a crucial role in steering teams towards successful software development by fostering a culture of continual improvement, tidy code, automation, and collaboration.
  3. Understanding software design fundamentals as an executive can help diagnose ineffective teams, bridge communication gaps between business and technology, and inspire innovation and excellence.

The techno-optimist's fallacy

Slow Boring • 7429 implied HN points • 23 Oct 23
🕹 Technology Innovation AI Ethics Risk Progress
  1. The fallacy of assuming all technological progress is inherently good is a common mistake.
  2. The nuclear energy industry faced significant opposition in the 1970s, impacting energy policies and environmental outcomes.
  3. While technological progress is vital, it is crucial to acknowledge that technology can have negative impacts that need to be addressed.

Small Spaces

The Map is Mostly Water • 547 implied HN points • 14 Mar 24
🎭️ Culture History Technology Cities Cultural Diversity Innovation
  1. Culture and new ideas can often originate and flourish in smaller spaces rather than just big cities or metropolises.
  2. Success in creating innovation and technology may not always come from larger cities; smaller, more remote locations can foster creativity and growth.
  3. Remote places can produce rare and valuable cultural specimens, and it's important to be mindful of the advantages of small spaces in fostering innovation and culture.

The 22-Year-Old Who Unlocked the Secrets of Ancient Rome

Common Sense with Bari Weiss • 1252 implied HN points • 16 Feb 24
🕹 Technology AI Competition Innovation
  1. The Vesuvius Challenge offered a $1 million prize for decoding ancient scrolls, sparking interest in AI deciphering
  2. Luke Farritor won a prize for using AI to read an Epicurean work of criticism on a scroll from the Villa dei Papyri
  3. Deciphering ancient scrolls has the potential to reshape our understanding of the ancient world and rewrite assumptions about history

The Birth of the Grid

Construction Physics • 19834 implied HN points • 25 May 23
🕹 Technology Energy Infrastructure Innovation History
  1. Electricity transitioned from a rare luxury to a critical aspect of modern life in a short period of time.
  2. The development of high-voltage transmission lines allowed for long-distance power transmission and the creation of interconnected power systems.
  3. The electric power industry grew by embracing scale, cooperation, and regulation to meet increasing demand and ensure reliability.

Strategies for an Accelerating Future

One Useful Thing • 1033 implied HN points • 20 Feb 24
🕹 Technology AI Machine Learning Innovation Applications Future
  1. Advancements in AI, such as larger memory capacity in models like Gemini, are enhancing AI's ability for superhuman recall and performance.
  2. Improvements in speed, like Groq's hardware for quick responses from AI models, are making AI more practical and efficient for various tasks.
  3. Leaders should consider utilizing AI in their organizations by assessing what tasks can be automated, exploring new possibilities made possible by AI, democratizing services, and personalizing offerings for customers.

Create good problems to have

Subconscious • 829 implied HN points • 26 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Innovation Tech Culture Community Building Complex Systems Social Networks
  1. Create good problems to have after the flywheel is already spinning, during rapid growth, which motivates the ecosystem to solve problems.
  2. Avoid building perfect technology as it leads to front-loading work, needing an ecosystem flywheel, and inability to anticipate scale problems.
  3. Creating good problems to have encourages co-evolution with the community and provides opportunities for others to contribute.

🚨 The House of Lords could liberate the Postcode Address File if they back this amendment 🚨

Odds and Ends of History • 1139 implied HN points • 14 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Data Government Innovation Policy Legislation
  1. The Postcode Address File (PAF) is a critical database of postal addresses in the UK, owned by Royal Mail and requires expensive licensing fees for access.
  2. An amendment proposed in the House of Lords aims to make UK address data freely available for public use, potentially liberating the PAF.
  3. Individuals are encouraged to reach out to House of Lords members to support the amendment, as it moves through the legislative process towards potential implementation.

⚛ Nuclear power: Faster, please! But also cheaper, please!

Faster, Please! • 1188 implied HN points • 10 Feb 24
🕹 Technology Energy AI Economics Policy Innovation
  1. Nuclear power needs to be developed faster and at a lower cost to be a reliable energy source for the future.
  2. New generations of reactors, like small modular ones, are emphasized for the advancement of nuclear energy.
  3. Building nuclear power plants faces significant delays and challenges globally, hindering progress in the industry.

Unbridled Capitalism Works

Points And Figures • 399 implied HN points • 12 Mar 24
💼 Business Economics Startups Industry Management Innovation
  1. Unbridled capitalism works: In a capitalist society, businesses must prioritize growth to survive. Without growth, businesses risk failure or acquisition.
  2. Philanthropy and profit: Successful entrepreneurs historically engage in philanthropy after building their businesses. Making money is essential for a business to exist.
  3. Employee culture and strategic decisions: Maintaining employee trust and fully committing to strategic decisions, like pivoting to blockchain, are crucial for the success of a startup.

Where Steve Jurvetson Sees Dead Companies

The Geek Way • 399 implied HN points • 12 Mar 24
💼 Business Innovation Technology Management Industry Economics
  1. Software proficiency is crucial in modern business - companies need to adapt and iterate quickly to stay competitive.
  2. Legacy companies face challenges in transitioning to modern software practices and may struggle to keep up with agile competitors.
  3. The 'geek way' of upgrading a company involves more than just technology - it extends to decision-making, culture, and overall organizational strategy.

Karuna Therapeutics, a drug repurposing effort, sold for about $14 billion. This is their story.

Trevor Klee’s Newsletter • 1119 implied HN points • 05 Feb 24
🔬 Science Biotechnology Drug Development Pharmaceuticals Clinical Trials Innovation
  1. Karuna Therapeutics achieved a $14 billion sale through drug repurposing.
  2. Drug repurposing can be a highly lucrative business without requiring excessive brilliance or luck.
  3. VCs often prioritize hype and platform-based drug development over drug repurposing success stories.

There's a technology built into our cars to make driving safer – but we're not using it.

Odds and Ends of History • 1541 implied HN points • 19 Jan 24
🕹 Technology Safety Emergency Response Data Sharing Innovation
  1. There's a built-in technology in cars for safer driving that's not being utilized properly.
  2. The eCall system can connect drivers to emergency services with just a press of a button, providing important data like location and car details.
  3. The potential of eCall data to optimize emergency response and improve road safety is hindered by lack of integration among different emergency service systems.

😃⤴ Is a future-optimist Vibe Shift happening?

Faster, Please! • 731 implied HN points • 21 Feb 24
🎭️ Culture Optimism Technology Society Progress Innovation
  1. The concept of vibe shift from pessimism to optimism can be seen in societal attitudes towards progress, innovation, and disruptive technologies.
  2. Up Wing thinking focuses on embracing risk, emphasizing technology's role in progress, and supporting entrepreneurial capitalism to drive positive change.
  3. There is growing evidence of an emerging future-optimist vibe shift, especially in social media content, attitudes towards technologies like nuclear energy, and the performance of the stock market.

The Founders’ Guide to Leveraging AI

The Generalist • 480 implied HN points • 05 Mar 24
🕹 Technology AI Startups Finance Entrepreneurship Innovation
  1. Startup founders are navigating the Age of GPTs with new opportunities and risks due to advancements in AI.
  2. AI not only streamlines processes but also enhances human connection, especially in areas like HR.
  3. Industries should leverage AI for efficiencies, and companies need to be cautious not to blindly adopt AI trends without valid reasons.