1. Are Wearable Photoplethysmogram-Based Heart Rate Variability Measures Equivalent to Electrocardiogram? A Simulation Studyby Dewig et al. (2024). Wearables measure heart rate variability via the pulseinstead of the heart’s electrical signals. Apple’s system fairs particularly well in comparison to clinical methods, and a person’s pulse arrival time variability is significant for good wearable results.
  2. GSM-Symbolic: Understanding the Limitations of Mathematical Reasoning in Large Language Models by Tuzel, Bengio, and Farajtabar (2024) at Apple. The preprint examined how well LLMs handle math reasoning and identified weaknesses in current evaluation methods. Current LLMs’ performance varies greatly depending on question wording and complexity, struggling with slight increases in difficulty, or irrelevant information. This is further evidence that LLMs rely more on pattern recognition than true logical reasoning, especially when tackling simple math problems.
  3. Machines of Loving Grace by Dario Amodei, CEO of Anthropic. Anthropic is often seen as AI-pessimist due to their focus on risks. But Amodei also argues that AI’s potential upside is being underestimated by most people, and that powerful artificial intelligence (AI) could fundamentally transform the world for the better, significantly accelerating progress in key areas such as biology, neuroscience, economic development, peace, and governance.
  4. Does Intermittent Fasting Improve Appetite Control?by Eric Trexler at Mass Research, reviewing The Effect of Intermittent Fasting on Appetite: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis by Elsworth et al. (2023). Intermittent fasting strategies like alternate-day fasting, the 5:2 diet, and time-restricted eating offer simpler alternatives to traditional calorie-restricted diets by focusing on when, rather than what, you eat. While studies show these methods can lead to modest weight loss and appetite control, there is no clear superiority of these methods – perhaps because how well it works differs vastly between individuals.
  5. A Masterclass in User Activation Headspace Case Study at Built for Mars. A look at the different methods used to increase user activation.
  6. Why So Few Matt Levines? By Gwern. I have been reading Matt Levine’s newsletter for years now and have not found any other writer I enjoy quite as much. Gwern investigates what maxes Matt Levine’s work so exceptional. “ […] you need areas which fulfill a stringent set of conditions for such an educational newsletter, and you need a very unusual sort of individual, someone who is expert in the area and has preferably gotten their hands dirty, who is good enough to work professionally in it, but who also is capable of explaining it well, at a beginner level, many times, endlessly without burning out or getting bored […]”.
  7. GLP-1s Like Ozempic Are Among The Most Important Drug Breakthroughs Ever at The Economist. GLP-1 drugs, which were originally developed for diabetes, are showing signs of other benefits from reducing inflammation to treating Alzheimer’s and addiction. “Many people at risk of heart disease or diabetes may be carrying extra weight, have high blood pressure, or have too much sugar or unhealthy fats in their blood. Drugs exist to tackle each of these problems individually, but glp-1 agonists behave like a molecular Swiss Army knife.”