Congress has to disclose all of their trades. “Big legislative events (such as the Infrastructure Bill getting passed by the Senate) were often preceded by politicians trading in the sectors affected. There were tons of unusual trades where politicians made millions of dollars.” | learn more

How to grow weed in your AeroGarden. “Miracle-Gro AeroGarden™ is an exciting hydroponic system. You can grow fresh herbs, lettuce, year-round, in the comfort of your home. You may be wondering: Is it possible to grow weed in an AeroGarden? And is it worth it? The short answer is Yes.” | learn more

How to hug, according to science. “Love them or hate them, hugs are part of Western culture. They don’t just confer emotional closeness, they’ve been shown to improve our mental and physical health. But hugging is not as straightforward as it may seem. Where do your arms go? How long is too long? Never fear, science has your … back.” | learn more

Foxtrot’s ‘convenience store of the future’ is coming to a location near you. One of my favorite startup brands from Chicago is expanding rapidly after raising $100 million. I’m excited for them to open in Austin! | learn more

Has Y Combinator’s new deal changed the early stage investing game? The famed startup accelerator is carving out an extra $375k for each company in its program on favorable terms. “Professional early-stage investors around the world may see their offers lose luster, possibly changing how the youngest startups that take part in Y Combinator interact with external capital.” | learn more

You never get a second chance at a first impression. “First impressions are everything for founders. We rarely have time to overcome first impressions when fundraising. Even though the outcome is not transactional, interactions can be.” | learn more

Tactical guide to virtual coworking. Haven’t tried any of these ideas yet. If you beat me to it, let me know! “Whether you’re looking to feel more connected to your team or move more quickly with your work, virtual coworking can help. It’s a great way for remote and hybrid teams to spark casual chats and recreate the magic of working side by side in the office—no matter what apps you’re using.” | learn more

The new trend in healthcare: do-it-yourself. “Frustrated with an overburdened health system, more consumers are turning to gadgets, home kits, apps and monitors for tasks and tests previously handled by trained medical workers. They are monitoring their own blood pressure, conducting EKGs, tracking blood sugar and cholesterol levels, and pricking their own fingers for blood tests normally done at the doctor’s.” | learn more

A journalist is one of America’s “Top Doctors.” Not really, of course. “I don’t have a medical degree, and I’m not a physician. … I spoke to a cheerful saleswoman named Anne at a company on New York’s Long Island that hands out the Top Doctor Awards. For some reason, she believed I was a physician and, even better, worthy of one of their awards.” | learn more

How Shein beat Amazon at its own game — and reinvented fast fashion. Here’s a crazy stat: “In June, the company accounted for 28% of all fast fashion sales in the U.S. — almost as much as both H&M and Zara combined.” | learn more

Crypto kicks and the metaverse. “Web3 and DTC are natural partners and Nike will be of the first major retailers to iterate around Web3 principles. It’s not just a new revenue stream: it’s community and status.” | learn more

New imaging technique offers unprecedented view of cells, inside and out. “The microscopic world of cells and bacteria is incredibly important to understand, but tricky to study in detail, especially without harming the subjects. Researchers at EPFL have now developed a new microscopy technique that combines two existing ones, allowing scientists to build high-definition 3D images of cells inside and out.” | learn more

Microrobot fish swims through the body to vomit drugs on cancer. “A new microrobot fish could one day swim through the body with a mouthful of drugs, and automatically spit them up when it encounters cancer cells” | learn more

Regrowing cartilage in a damaged knee gets closer to fixing arthritis. “UConn bioengineers successfully regrew cartilage in a rabbit’s knee, a promising hop toward healing joints in humans, they report in the January 12 issue of Science Translational Medicine.” | learn more

The great organic-food fraud. “There’s no way to confirm that a crop was grown organically. Randy Constant exploited our trust in the labels—and made a fortune.” | learn more

Nebraska retiree uses Earth’s heat to grow oranges in snow. “Winter temperatures in Alliance, Nebraska can drop to -20°F (the record low is -40°F/C), but retired mailman Russ Finch grows oranges in his backyard greenhouse without paying for heat.” | learn more

12 exciting engineering milestones to look for in 2022. Read this for inspiration. People all over the world are still building. “An electric aircraft race, a new dark-matter detector, and a permanent Chinese space station await.” | learn more

Prime time in crypto. “This week, we take a closer look at the prime brokerage business model and its application in crypto. [In November 2021], the aggregate value of the world’s crypto assets flew through $3 trillion for the very first time. Institutional interest is rising and an effective prime brokerage solution could be the way to unlock it.” | learn more

How NFTs create value. Harvard Business Review discusses one of the hottest markets of last year. “Amidst a flood of new ventures, however, it can be hard to tell which are creating value and which are just riding the hype. The companies that have been most successful on this new frontier have a few things in common…” | learn more

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