Top Reads: January 2025
AI breakthroughs, ocean discoveries and galactic perspectives
Every month, I curate the best content in tech and social impact – with a few takes here and there. My goal is to help us process the fascinating, resilient and beautiful world we share.
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Okay, back to your regularly scheduled programming…
1. Tap into the “Hemingway effect” to finish what you start
Big Think | 6 minutes
There are creative and scientifically proven ways to set your brain up for success. Research pioneers Bluma Zeigarnik and Maria Arsenjevna Rickers-Ovsiankina inspired these tactics, which where later popularized by the prolific writer.
“Because Hemingway left his work at an interesting moment, it became easier to return to his typewriter the next day. Think of it like a TV show cliffhanger. If you are interested in the story, you’re more likely to return to the show next season. Hemingway essentially incorporated self-made cliffhangers into his productivity schedule to maintain his desire to see things through.”
2. A guide to AI prototyping for product managers
Lenny’s Newsletter | 7 minutes
The world of software development is changing fast. These magical tools may provide amazing shortcuts, but should still complement intentional customer discovery and validation. Fall in love with the problem, not the solution!
“AI prototyping is changing the way product teams work. Instead of spending weeks or months waiting for a feature to ship, you can build a prototype and get immediate feedback. Ship an internal tool in a day and see if it actually solves a problem. Sketch a mockup on a whiteboard and turn it into an app the same day.”
3. Why building big AIs costs billions – and how Chinese startup DeepSeek dramatically changed the calculus
The Conversation | 5 minutes
This overview of machine learning provides more context on why DeepSeek’s breakthrough has Silicon Valley and Wall Street on their heels. Scrappy startups with major constraints can innovate fast. And yes, game-changing startups can come from anywhere.
“The reduction in costs was not due to a single magic bullet. It was a combination of many smart engineering choices including using fewer bits to represent model weights, innovation in the neural network architecture, and reducing communication overhead as data is passed around between GPUs.”
4. Brain-computer interface developed in China decodes thought real-time
Interesting Engineering | 5 minutes
This milestone is a big step towards assistive brain computer interfaces. This will start with medical miracles and slowly reach the tech elite.
“The patient could also control smart home and wheelchair systems, significantly enhancing her daily life capabilities. While this was impressive, what was more noteworthy was that the new BCI could decipher speech from the same brain signals… The company also released a video showing that the patient’s brain could directly control robotic hands to grasp an apple and a pear and perform sign language for ‘Happy New Year, 2025’.”
5. The Energy Transition in 2025: What to Watch For
RMI | 9 minutes
The renewable revolution is inevitable, but the question is how fast societies will confront these cultural and political challenges.
“Cleantech uptake is more widespread than ever. Renewable energy additions grew 17 percent with a record ~600 GW of solar, ~125 GW of wind, and near-doubling of grid storage installations to ~170 GWh in 2024. Renewables now outpace fossil electricity investment by 10 to 1, with more investment in solar than all other power sources combined. As a result, renewables are poised to overtake coal as the leading power source in 2025. This progress is truly global. As a share of electricity, solar and wind is scaling twice as fast in the Global South as in the Global North. Countries like Pakistan and Namibia have used Chinese solar exports to nearly double their total electricity capacity in just two years.”
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6. The business case for saving coral reefs
Grist | 6 minutes
Coral reefs should be considered natural infrastructure – and eligible for federal programs to protect coastal development.
“If coral reefs are effectively high-performance seawalls, they should be maintained and strengthened with federal disaster funds — purses tens to hundreds of times larger than conservation budgets. Their math has already inspired pilot projects funded by FEMA, the Department of Defense, and insurance giants Swiss Re and Munich Re, each based on the logic that if we won’t protect corals for their sake, we’d better do it for ours.”
7. Octopuses and their relatives are a new animal welfare frontier − here’s what scientists know about consciousness in these unique creatures
The Conversation | 5 minutes
These marine animals are intelligent beyond what we know. The alien life many are searching for lives here, in our oceans.
“The hallmark of intelligent behavior, however, is learning and memory – and there is plenty of evidence that some octopuses and cuttlefish learn in a way that is comparable to learning in vertebrates. The common cuttlefish (Sepia officinalis), as well as the common octopus (Octopus vulgaris) and the day octopus (Octopus cyanea), can all form simple associations, such as learning which image on a screen predicts that food will appear.”
8. Is seaweed the next kale?
The Hustle | 6 minutes
Kelp is a sustainable product that may have multiple markets, but it’s early days.
“The seaweed industry is projected to reach $85B globally in 2028, and has expanded into unexpected territories – companies are using seaweed extracts in everything from plant-based meat alternatives to natural skincare products, while others process kelp into sustainable packaging materials.”
9. Why America is in an alcohol recession
The Hustle | 6 minutes
This trend has been apparent in my circles. It’s not just dry January anymore.
“People have been drinking and going out less as they reconsider their alcohol habits. Last year, Gallup found 45% of Americans considered drinking in moderation — defined as one-to-two drinks per day — as damaging to health. That’s roughly twice the share who did in the mid-2000s.”
10. From new commercial Moon landers to asteroid investigations, expect a slate of exciting space missions in 2025
The Conversation | 5 minutes
The year ahead will feature new missions to multiple celestial bodies and testing of new space technologies.
“2025 promises to be a groundbreaking year for space exploration. With NASA’s ambitious missions and significant contributions from other countries, we are set to make remarkable strides in humanity’s understanding of the universe.”
Bonus: I poured all the galaxies in the Universe into a pool
Epic Spaceman | 15 minutes
This fascinating video offers new perspectives on the sheer scale of the universe.
Nerd Notes
To Be Taught, If Fortunate imagines a future when space explorers transform themselves on trips to discover new worlds. This thoughtful novella is a meditation for those who look to the stars from our fragile world.
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‘Til next month,
Garrett
