WSJ reviews “Speak, Memorably”: “Presenting may feel like a necessary evil, but as with any skill, “the more you prep and practice, the better you get,” Mr. McGowan writes. Perhaps you’ll dazzle your audience, but even if the net result of someone reading this book is that the fourth meeting of the afternoon is less boring, that would still make the world a better place…Filler words such as ‘um’ and ‘like’ can ruin efforts to connect with an audience. To kick the habit, record yourself—and cringe.”
Mark Zuckerberg: “In some ways this will be a new era for humanity, but in others it’s just a continuation of historical trends. As recently as 200 years ago, 90% of people were farmers growing food to survive. Advances in technology have steadily freed much of humanity to focus less on subsistence and more on the pursuits we choose. At each step, people have used our newfound productivity to achieve more than was previously possible, pushing the frontiers of science and health, as well as spending more time on creativity, culture, relationships, and enjoying life. I am extremely optimistic that superintelligence will help humanity accelerate our pace of progress. But perhaps even more important is that superintelligence has the potential to begin a new era of personal empowerment where people will have greater agency to improve the world in the directions they choose.”
FT: “Sensodyne, the toothpaste first marketed in 1961 to reduce the pain of sensitive teeth, is among premium brands on sale in pharmacies and drug stores around the world. But if you live in an Indian village, Sensodyne is surprisingly cheap. Sachets of Sensodyne for about a week’s use are now on sale for 20 rupees (about 17p) in 10,000 villages. Having been offered chilled water to test for dental sensitivity by Haleon, the UK consumer health group that owns the brand, many are trying it out. Thanks to its population of 1.4bn and rapid growth, India is now the second biggest market in the world after the US for Sensodyne, which has annual sales of about £2bn. It is not the only Haleon product being sold there in sample-like packs: Indians can buy 10-rupee sachets of Centrum vitamin powder, and Eno indigestion tablets.”
Sherwood: “As it turns out, despite the fact that 56% of Roblox’s customer base is age 16 or younger and 20% of them are under the age of 9, the company wasn’t even founded with kids in mind. “When we started Roblox, the vision — the long-term vision — was: to what extent could we simulate 3D reality? It takes incredible technical innovation to get there. It’s very different than downloading a game. It’s very different than streaming video. It’s the fabric of the metaverse,” Baszucki told me. In the meantime, “It just so happens, games overlap a lot with reality simulators.””
