I'm attempting to create a blog that people might find interesting, based on my wide range of interests - I'll post a short note about the most interesting or surprising things I've learned in the past week or so, along with a link to the source.
GEOTHERMAL ENERGY
So much of the energy debate still swings between “renewables are unreliable” and “fossil fuels are cooking the planet”, with nuclear always promised but perpetually 20 years out. This Economist piece points to a surprising alternative: geothermal is suddenly leaping forward thanks to fracking-era drilling tech. Companies like Fervo and Eavor are proving that constant, clean, 24/7 power might be hiding just a few kilometres under our feet.
Sorry the article is paywalled:
CHRONIC PAIN DISCOVERY
Researchers have finally connected chronic gut pain to certain bacteria that flip a molecular “pain switch” and leave it stuck on. Two teams figured out how this happens and even built nanoparticles that sneak inside cells to shut the signal off, offering a real shot at long-lasting, non-addictive relief. The twist? Other bacteria may actually turn the pain switch off — setting up a future where probiotics could calm the gut instead of stirring it up.
CHOLESTEROL COMPLEXITY
For years we were told cholesterol was simple: LDL bad, HDL good. But new research shows the reality is a chaotic lipoprotein ecosystem, where some overlooked particles — like lp(a) and “remnants” — are far more dangerous than standard cholesterol tests reveal, and HDL itself can turn troublesome at very high levels. As scientists unravel this molecular cast of villains and impostors, the old cholesterol rules are being rewritten, with apolipoprotein-B counts now looking like the real measure of heart risk.
sorry paywalled again:
MIKE WADE'S STRATEGY INSIGHT
People love to point at Valve’s flat structure and quirky culture deck as if that explains its mind-bending efficiency. But Wade’s lens shows the real story: all the copyable stuff is cosmetic, and the hard-to-copy stuff — like owning Steam, benefiting from massive network effects, and operating without shareholder pressure — is what actually drives the magic. The lesson isn’t “ditch your managers”; it’s “build something where a tiny team can create enormous leverage.”
Insight — Sex + Oxytocin = Faster Healing?
Turns out oxytocin spray alone doesn’t improve wound healing , and neither does a daily “you’re wonderful” chat. But put the two together plus actual intimacy — hugging, touching, sex — and wounds healed a bit faster while stress dropped.
TL;DR: Your skin apparently listens to your love life.
If you think someone else might be interested in this type of information please forward the link/QR code.