Sunday Special

We might have finally passed peak obesity. Weight loss drugs like Ozempic are gaining traction, even among those who don’t need it. And space had a big week: One rocket left the planet in search of life, while another returned home — only to be caught by a pair of giant metallic chopsticks.

P.S. This is our first Sunday Special email. I’ve created it to help you discover the latest scientific and technological breakthroughs beyond AI. Please share your feedback at the bottom of today’s email to help me create better emails for you!

SCIENCE SUNDAY

The biggest scientific discoveries and breakthroughs this week

One Step Closer to Mars: SpaceX pulled off an unprecedented feat of engineering by catching a descending rocket with giant metallic mechanical arms.

Peak Obesity: US obesity rates are falling for the first time in decades as weight loss drugs like Ozempic show sustained weight loss in patients over long periods (pictured above). Scientists expect the trend to continue this year.

Irresistible Pull: China has built the world’s most powerful resistive magnet, which can produce a magnetic field that is more than 800,000 times stronger than Earth’s.

Is Anyone Out There? NASA launched a probe to search for life on Jupiter’s moon Europa. The vast saltwater ocean deep beneath the moon’s icy crust could represent our best hope for finding extraterrestrial life in our solar system.

Fighting Chance: A new therapy using donor cells sends autoimmune diseases into remission. The treatment’s success in three people raises hopes for mass production of these therapies moving forward.

NEW TECH

Our favorite new tech gadgets this week

1. Moonwalkers Aero: The odd and funky looking footwear from ShiftAI lets you walk faster, hitting top speeds of 7.0 mph with an average range of 7 miles. They’re rather pricey though, and I’m not sure how big the market for 4.2 lbs shoes is. Still, a cool concept that has potential.

2. Throne Gut Health Tracker: Has to be the weirdest gadget I’ve come across lately. The device attaches to your toilet to analyze your poop and measure the quality of your gut health and hydration. The device provides tailored dietary recommendations based on its measurements.

3. Creator Board: If you’re the type of person who doesn’t mind splashing out to get the coolest looking keyboard in the office, this might be just the thing for you. The Creator Board is a modular keyboard that comes with a long list of customizable keys and knobs to fit your workflow.

4. Oura Ring 4: The new Oura Ring is out and it helps you track your health and fitness metrics with a more accurate ring that comes with new sensors and battery life that can last for up to 8 days. Personally, I prefer my Whoop band but I am tempted by the Oura’s longer battery life.

SOCIAL SIGNALS

What’s trending in Tech on socials this week

Grinding: Has anyone been more productive than Elon this week? On top of unveiling robotic taxis and catching rockets, the SpaceX founder somehow found time to play Diablo and share tips on X.

Wait, What? There’s a restaurant called Ethos that claims to be the top restaurant in Chicago and has 72k followers on Instagram. But closer inspection reveals the pictures are AI-generated and the thousands of followers liking the photos have no clue.

Don’t Believe Your Ears: Wharton Professor Ethan Mollick was able to generate a perfect clone of his voice with a 10 second recording, recommends being skeptical about any audio clips you hear on the internet moving forward.

Sick Burn: Geoffrey Hinton says he’s proud that one of his students fired Sam Altman after winning the Nobel Prize.

One More Time: In case you can’t get enough of it, here’s one more stunning view of the SpaceX chopstick rocket catch.

ONLY GOOD NEWS

A healthy dose of optimism to kickstart your week

Clear Sight: India and Pakistan announced the elimination of Trachoma last week, one of the leading causes of blindness globally.

Wicked, Bruv: Britain becomes the first G7 nation to end coal-fired power generation.

Let There Be Light: Since 1975, the price of solar photovoltaic (PV) panels has been shrinking around 12% per year. It’s on track to become the cheapest source of energy within the next decade.

Beak Kind: A Chicago real estate company has shelled out $1.2 million for a sophisticated suite of decals that will deter birds from crashing into glass windows.

Hidden Gift: A project training blind women to detect breast cancer is saving lives,​ and offering them meaningful work.

MEME OF THE WEEK

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Until next time,

Zain and the Superhuman AI team