Statistically we are mostly red blood cells and platelets (count: 80-90%) and they don't even have a nucleus. #BiologyIsWild #CellBiology

There is no one way to read academic papers. Scientist value different sections of papers. I personally check figure legends and last paragraphs of Introduction and discussion.

Waiting for the Barbarians

Looking Back: People in 1995 were full of hope and awe making predictions sometimes naive, sometimes visionary.

It reminds us that the future is unpredictable, especially with the exponential development of technology. As Alan Kay said, "The best way to predict the future is to invent it." 🚀
7/8

Prediction: They envisioned VR holidays by 2024, with 40-minute shuttles to "Indo Disney" and AI assistants as holographic heads.

Reality: VR and smart speakers are real, but ultra-fast travel is still sci-fi.
6/8

Prediction: The show also imagined microchips implanted in arms for payments.

Reality: Biometrics like facial recognition and contactless payments dominate. Microchip technology exists but hasn’t become mainstream.
5/8

Prediction: Robots would perform surgeries by 2004, controlled remotely with “spatial gloves.”

Reality: Robots like Da Vinci assist surgeons today, but hologram patients? Not yet! That part remains science fiction.
4/8

Prediction: The show predicted widespread asteroid mining industry to address shortage of resources on earth.

Reality: No asteroid mining yet, but the commercial space industry is beginning to take shape, and the technology is being developed.
3/8

Prediction: I As the internet was only taking off, they predicted a "supernet," a corporate-controlled web sparking hacks and riots by 2005.

Reality: No riots, and the internet remains open. Yet, hackers and cybercrimes have led to advances in cybersecurity and the rise of cryptocurrencies.
2/8

As Winston Churchill said "The farther back you can look, the farther forward you are likely to see." What did 1995 think 2025 would look like? In 1995, BBC's Tomorrow's World made bold predictions featuring scientists like Stephen Hawking.

Did they get it right? Let’s explore! 🧵
1/8

AI apps dominated 2024, there are more vertical AIs coming in 2025.

Check #a16z list of 2024 Apps.

#GenAI
#Productivity
#Creativity

Many people will welcome 2025 with joy, while as many as 62 million (the population size of Italy) lost their lives, and many more mourn their loss.

Ageing is the most silent and most gruesome killer. Let’s make fighting ageing, suffering, and death humanity’s top priority. #NewYearResolution

Surprisingly, 19th-century presidents often lived shorter lives than some from the 18th. Possible reasons: industrial pollution, denser disease spread, and Civil War stress.

However, the sample size is small and may be skewed by survivorship bias.

4/5

Jimmy Carter was the first centenarian US president, having turned 100 years old last October. Living exactly 36,614 days, he is the longest-living president in US history.

The question is: How does the life expectancy of US presidents compare to that of average Americans?
🧵1/5