The Sunday Brew #51
In this brew - Strategically Important Technology in a Picture | Cheerleader Effect & Diderot Effect | Google invests $2B in Anthropic, SBF testifies in FTX trial and Crisis in Britain
Welcome to The Sunday Brew, weekly 1-2-3 newsletter by The Percolator. Every Sunday we drop in your inbox 1 story in a picture, 2 concepts, ideas or frameworks to expand your horizons and 3 news from the week, to keep you updated.
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ONE STORY IN A PICTURE
TWO IDEAS, FRAMEWORKS OR CONCEPTS
This week we bring to you two concepts - Cheerleader Effect & Diderot Effect
Cheerleader Effect
The Cheerleader Effect, a term popularized by the TV show "How I Met Your Mother," is a cognitive bias that suggests people appear more attractive when seen in a group rather than individually.
It's like a visual trick our brains play on us. When we look at a group of people, our minds tend to average out their features, creating a perception of higher overall attractiveness.
Think about it this way: imagine you see a photo of a person standing alone, and then you see a photo of that same person in a group shot. Chances are, they'll seem more appealing in the group picture, even though their physical appearance hasn't changed at all. This effect is thought to be a result of our brain's natural tendency to simplify complex visual information.
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Diderot Effect
Diderot Effect is a concept named after the French philosopher Denis Diderot. Essentially, it refers to the tendency for the introduction of a new possession to create a spiral of consumption.
When we acquire a new item that doesn't quite match our existing belongings, it can lead us to want more things to complement or upgrade it. This often results in a cycle of acquiring more and more items.
For example, if you were to buy a stylish new desk for your office, you might start feeling like your old chair, lamp, and decor don't quite measure up. So, you end up replacing or upgrading those as well. It's like a domino effect of consumption triggered by a single new acquisition.
THREE NEWS FROM THE WEEK
Google is reported to Invest $2B in Anthropic
Google announced on October 28 that it is investing $2 billion in Anthropic. It is the largest investment that Google has ever made in an AI startup. Anthropic is a rival of OpenAI, the maker of the popular AI chatbot ChatGPT. Anthropic was founded in 2021 by former OpenAI engineers, and it is focused on developing safe and beneficial artificial general intelligence (AGI).
Google's investment in Anthropic is also a sign of the growing competition between tech giants in the field of AI. Tech giants like Google, Microsoft, and Amazon are all investing heavily in AI research, and they are all racing to develop AGI first. Read More »»»
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Sam Bankman-Fried testifies as Defense presents its case in FTX trial
In the FTX trial is that the prosecution rested their case on Thursday, October 26, and defense started their case with the testimony of Sam Bankman-Fried himself.
Bankman-Fried admitted to making mistakes, but he denied that he ever intended to defraud anyone. He said that he made risky investments because he believed that they were in the best interests of FTX and its customers. He also said that he was unaware of the extent of Alameda Research's losses until after the company collapsed. Bankman-Fried's testimony was met with skepticism from some legal experts. They argued that his claims of ignorance were not credible, given his level of involvement in FTX and Alameda. Read More»»»
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Is Britain headed to a Crisis?
UK’s has a significantly high debt-to-GDP ratio and the government’s increased borrowing. It is being argued that the UK is addicted to handouts and that this is unsustainable. Government is being criticized for not controlling the spending. With high interest rates and rising household debts, the housing bubble is even more inflated that it was in 2007. Put together, the factor point that a crisis akin to 2008 is imminent. Read More »»»
The Sunday Brew by The Percolator brings to you curated news on tech, business & entrepreneurship, from across the internet to give your week a perfect start.
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