Good Morning!

Did you know that humans lose approximately 200 million skin cells every hour, as discovered by scientists at Imperial College London. These cells contributes to indoor dust! If this freaks you out, here’s what you can do about it: The American Chemical Society reports that a skin oil called squalanene, can reduce indoor ozone levels by up to 15%!

World News

A ‘Tree-mendous’ Love Story

Renowned photojournalist Sebastião Salgado, driven by a vision in 2001, transformed his family property in Minas Gerais into a thriving, biodiverse area by planting 20 million (!!!) trees together with his wife Lélia and volunteers across 1,500 acres over two decades.

His journey from documenting global tragedies to reforesting his desolate land led to the creation of the Instituto Terra, focused on environmental restoration in Brazil's threatened Atlantic Forest biome. The property, now titled Private Reserve of Natural Heritage Bulcão Farm, hosts a variety of returning animal species. They are also open to interested supporters that might want to contribute to Salgado's conservation efforts through his website. What an incredible story!!

Economy

AI Chips and AI Factories

Amazon's cloud division, AWS, recently announced the introduction of new chips designed for building and running artificial intelligence applications. In addition to its own Amazon-branded offerings, AWS plans to provide access to Nvidia's latest chips, showcasing a diverse range of cost-effective options.

The demand for Nvidia GPUs has surged, particularly after OpenAI's launch of the ChatGPT chatbot last year.

AWS’s strategy of developing its own chips while also offering Nvidia's latest offerings could strengthen its position against Microsoft, its main competitor in cloud computing. Microsoft recently unveiled its first ai chip, the Maia 100, and announced that its Azure cloud service would include Nvidia GPUs.

Additionally, in October, Nvidia and iPhone manufacturer Foxconn announced a joint effort to build “ai factories” which will use Nvidia GPUs to aggregate and refine vast amounts of data. This data will go into the development of self-driving cars, autonomous vehicles, industrial robotics, and more. With the main focus seeming to be on EVs (electric vehicles), who’s controls units will be built by Foxconn using Nvidia tech.

While there are potentially scary things in the future with ai, the positive potential for ai used correctly are astronomical. These new chips designed specifically for ai applications will hopefully continue to open up new possibilities in medicine, architecture, and much more.

Sports

Daddy's Little Shredder: The Adorable Journey of a 5-Year-Old Skater Girl

Check out this video of a dad teaching his (very talented) 5 year old daughter how to skateboard!

@skater_girl_dani

Then and now ❤️ Started at 2, Dani is now 5 #sk8tok #vibin #skatergirldani #fyp #4upageシ #foryou #parati

Culture

Michael Jackson’s “Thriller 40” Documentary

In "Thriller 40," director Nelson George opts for a celebration of Michael Jackson's musical brilliance and the iconic album rather than delving into the complexities of his legacy. The documentary sidesteps discussions about separating art from the artist, choosing instead to spotlight Jackson's influence on the music industry, featuring interviews with Usher, Mary J. Blige, and Will.I.Am, who hails "Thriller" as the "ultimate blueprint to modern pop music."

George, the author of "Thriller: The Musical Life of Michael Jackson," skillfully captures the impact of "Thriller" in integrating MTV and its lasting influence. The film briefly covers The Jackson 5 to emphasize that Jackson's solo success was not a foregone conclusion. It highlights the 1983 Motown anniversary show as an electrifying moment and shares anecdotes, rare interviews, and behind-the-scenes footage of the songs and music videos.

Despite the captivating celebration of Jackson's talent, the documentary acknowledges the controversies that have clouded his memory, recognizing the challenge many face in separating his art from personal life. "Thriller 40" successfully directs attention back to the music and Jackson's prowess as a performer, allowing viewers to decide how much the rest of his story affects their perception, depending on their level of fandom.

If you have any uplifting stories and experience you might want to share, send those over to [email protected] for the chance to be featured.

Mind Stretchers

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The strongest people cannot hold me for more than 5 minutes even though I am the lightest thing. What am I?

Answers to yesterday’s Mind Stretchers:
The number 8.