Notes From The Progress Studies Conference

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Salutations, Olio aficionados! 👋

Midweek greetings to all, as we unveil the 111th chapter of Weekly Olio—a delightful concoction of laughter, insight, and a sprinkle of mystery. Within these pages, you'll discover a handpicked selection of fascinating finds from the vast realms of the internet.

Keep your eyes peeled for this week’s Publisher’s Parmesan, arriving this Sunday!

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The Quote󠀢 💭

The Tweet 🐦

This tweet suggests that global leadership is not based on merit. Getting into a top college often depends more on the choices of parents than the kids themselves. While talented parents might have talented kids, the talent isn't as unevenly spread as it seems. Education at elite schools might be better, but not drastically so compared to other top schools like Yale or MIT. The real advantage is the network you build, meeting influential people who can help you throughout your career. This situation also means that many smart kids without the right background miss out on opportunities.

The Infographic 💹

Eye-opening chart, just in 2011 German GDP was about twice as big as GDP of California, now they are about the same. Germany is a country with industry from last century, grotesque overregulation, desolate infrastructure, lack of innovation and green paranoia. Pity to watch.

The Short Read 📝

Technical Expertise Has Become Paramount For Young Talent at VC Firms - by Ben Bergman and Melia Russell

Ben Bergman is a senior correspondent at Insider Inc., where he investigates the tech industry with a focus on venture capital and startups.

Melia Russell is a tech correspondent for Insider, based in New England. She writes news and features about startups and venture capital, focused on business-software companies, the funding deals that investors are clamoring to get into, and corporate culture.

Venture capitalists (VCs) are more and more interested in finding people who have strong technical skills, especially in artificial intelligence (AI). They often compete with popular AI companies to hire the best people. However, VC firms can't offer as much money as companies like OpenAI. Read more…

The Long Read 📜

Notes From The Progress Studies Conference - by Scott Alexander

Scott Alexander is the pen-name of LessWrong-rationalist blogger and psychiatrist Scott Alexander Siskind. Alexander began writing on LessWrong under the name Yvain, and then branched out into his own blog, Slate Star Codex (a near-anagram of "Scott Alexander"). SSC became one of the top-tier blogs for LessWrong-style rationalists, this and his related Tumblr being linchpins of the LessWrong Diaspora. His current blog is now Astral Codex Ten.

Progress is positive. According to Steven Pinker, many things are improving over time. We have more money, better health, more safety, and more education than people in the past. While changes in society and how wealth is shared can have small effects, most of our good situation today is due to basic economic growth. Read more…

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That’s all for this week. If you enjoyed this edition, we’d really appreciate if you shared it with a friend, family member or colleague.

We’ll be back in your inbox 2 PM IST next Wednesday. Till then, have a productive week!

Peeyush and Mohit

Disclaimer: The views, thoughts, and opinions expressed in the text belong solely to the author, and not necessarily to the author's employer, organization, committee or other group or individual.