current geopolitical themes

https://snowballresearch.xyz/p/chokepoint-investing

Terence Tao says AI can lower mental effort so much that the brain may stop “lifting its own weights.”

Early studies suggest reduced cognitive load can come with real harms, not just convenience.

Math is especially vulnerable because it’s easy to outsource every step to a tool.

Responsible use means choosing when to think, not just when to click, says Terence Tao.

https://x.com/WesRoth/status/2016224697105711343?s=20

Amazon to cut 16,000 jobs worldwide

Amazon is focusing spending on artificial intelligence.

Read more: https://bit.ly/4pYjK61

du are you in here???

https://x.com/thedulab/status/2016268940796952802?s=46&t=nluSw7cwYGx8zFxfoYi5Iw

[cc]

from a member:

Would love to hear your + humblespace thoughts on vtubers

https://www.nippon.com/en/japan-topics/g02554/diving-into-the-vtuber-world-a-new-nexus-of-japanese-pop-culture.html

personally think vTubers are another branch of streamers which is also gaining a lot of popularity in recent years post pandemic (see ishowspeed)

think vTubers paint a more perfect figure because:
1) virtual avatar - no blemishes, cute, anime style, appeals to weebs
2) anonymity - no repurcussions or backlash from any irl actions
3) feeds into incel culture as well
4) imagine your favorite anime character coming to live and answering you w free will - it can be intoxicating

i do feel like it's a region bound trend (mostly Japan) due to cultural roots and is unlikely to spread to other parts of the world in a huge way

upon reading a bit more, turns out there are also management companies behind these vTubers, making it pretty similar to KPOP culture, which could possibly be one of the reasons for it's explosive growth -> huge coordinated marketing campaigns as compared to individual vTubers trying to reach escape velocity

what are your thoughts on it? feel free to share your views on the trend of vTubers!

[cc]

“Work is endless. Exercise is endless. Parenting is endless. Same with marriage, writing, investing, creating, and more. You get to choose the parts of your life, but many of the important things in life cannot be “finished.”

Do not approach an endless game with a finite mindset. The objective is not to be done, but to settle into a daily lifestyle you can sustain and that allows you to make daily progress on the areas that matter.

Embrace the fact that life is continual and look for ways to enjoy the daily practice.”

https://jamesclear.com/3-2-1/january-29-2026

When you recall an event, you aren't remembering the original moment; you are remembering the last time you remembered it. Therefore, most of your memories are distorted, if not outright fiction. Every time you recall a memory, your brain rewrites it.

the 'telephone game' theory of memory

https://www.nationalgeographic.com/science/article/when-memories-are-remembered-they-can-be-rewritten

social media for AI bots

https://x.com/corsaren/status/2017064047636529530?s=46&t=nluSw7cwYGx8zFxfoYi5Iw

[cc]

"Never skimp on anything that is between you and the ground; namely, shoes, tires, and beds."

if i might add chairs too

create, consume, cavort, commune

https://x.com/bluewmist/status/2018002973981577514?s=20

MSM catching on rn

https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c62n410w5yno

happiness is never beyond reach. it’s not in the distant past, nor on the horizon of the future. it’s right in front of you. as simple as a day’s beer or another’s beautiful skies.

[cc]

https://www.koreaherald.com/article/10580442

AI are renting humans now

https://x.com/alexandertw33ts/status/2018436050935292276?s=46&t=nluSw7cwYGx8zFxfoYi5Iw

[BR]

Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop by Huang Bo-Reum

I was recommended this book after Midnight Library. A fiction novel that depicts the life of Yeongju, going through a midlife crisis, hence quitting job and marriage to open a bookstore. Through the bookstore she found herself, happiness, friends, and a new partner. A self-care healing book mostly and a little dry at some parts.

main takeaways:
- solitude sets us free, just as loneliness brings depth to our lives
- books are not meant to remain in your mind, but in your heart. a forgotten sentence or story can come back years later to guide you
- happiness is in the little things everyday
- life never improves in a flash, only day by day, bit by bit

fav quotes:

A day well spent is a life well lived

3/5

[2026 NYR Reading Goal]

Total: 3/15
- Fiction: 1/8
- Non-fiction: 2/7

1. The Diary of A CEO - link
2. Purple Cow - link
3. Welcome to the Hyunam-Dong Bookshop - link

AI songs are getting better

was at the gym today and heard a pretty good hiphop tune

tried to shazam but to no avail

asked the receptionist and turns out it’s AI

kinda scary

[cc]

potential philosophical reads

Talleyrand duff cooper
The Artist, the Philosopher, and the Warrior by Paul Strathern
Frederick the great : King of Prussi
The Art of Worldly Wisdom by Balthasar Gracian
Cato the Younger: Life and Death at the End of the Roman Republic
David Fideler's Breakfast with Seneca: A Stoic Guide to the Art of Living
Lives of the Stoics: The Art of Living from Zeno to Marcus Aurelius
The Architect of Power: Cardinal Richelieu
The Book: Anabasis (The Persian Expedition).

List of books I'm planning to read since my list is running down/lack of availability in libraries

Prob gonna get a Kindle and get the electronic version before committing to a physical book

Reason for these books is basically I just prompted Gemini on my thots and approach to life, revert what kind of descriptive it thinks of me and recommend me books of historical figures who have the same life philosophy

https://t.iss.one/c/2522076793/1453

this marketing is on point by Anthropic

https://x.com/Grantblocmates/status/2019138726685995241?s=20

also, it reminds me of the black mirror episode whereby the main character's wife starts spouting ads after she had her brain rewired online in bid to extend her lifespan