Mark & Priscilla get Meta

Their foundation just acquired a search engine that researches research. Woah. [The Hustle] Tues, Jan 24 Mark Z. and Priscilla C. make their first move When Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan started the [Chan Zuckerberg Initiative] (CZI) just over a year ago, they pledged to spend $3B over the next decade to “cure all disease.” Yesterday, the philanthropic organization [made its first acquisition] to help accomplish that goal -- buying [Meta], a “science search engine” that makes it easier to find and keep track of the latest academic research. How does Meta work? Meta indexes all the scientific research available then uses AI to read everything and spit out the important stuff you need to know from sources you can trust… as opposed to whatever comes up first on Google or Bing (gotta be at least one Bing user out there). CZI intends to improve the overall product before making it free for everyone in the coming months. Who will this benefit? First and foremost, this helps scientists, who are currently overwhelmed by information. Not only are they expected to stay up to date on more research than is humanly possible (scientists publish 2,000-4,000 new papers per day about biomedicine alone!), but there’s no easy way to search or aggregate any of it. So, Meta will ease that burden dramatically. In addition, here are 2 other groups who will benefit: - Universities and foundations: By making it super easy to spot trends and get in touch with authors, funding organizations can make better decisions on what research to back and where to put their resources. - Students: No more Googling scientific terms and citing some research paper from search results page #9 that may or may not be #fakenews. The perks of being an LLC When Marky Mark and Priscilla-y Priscilla (doesn’t really work for her name, does it?) decided to make CZI an LLC, they took some heat for “diverging from the traditional structure of a charity.” However, the main reason they went the LLC route was that it allows them to acquire for-profit companies like Meta, make their technology accessible to everyone, and put the money it earns back towards its cause. So it looks like it’s gonna start paying off (literally). [Knowledge is power] The curious case of the traffic-cam If you’ve ever gotten a traffic-cam ticket, the procedure is usually pretty straightforward: It comes in the mail, and you pay it -- no questions asked. Well, when associate law professor Adam MacLeod received a traffic-cam ticket with a signed affidavit and a photo of his car at the scene of the crime, [he started asking questions]. And he found himself down a legal rabbit hole that made him doubt the legitimacy of the whole operation. Because the thing is, he wasn’t driving at the time MacLeod had presumably loaned the car to a friend or family member (he doesn’t disclose their identity) and had a legitimate alibi of a faculty meeting during the incident. Yet, there his name was on the affidavit. So, he decided to fight. “It’s the principle, Diane!” we imagine MacLeod yelling from his smoked-filled study, his family begging him to “just drop it.” But nobody messes with MacLeod After being found guilty in Municipal Court, MacLeod appealed to the county-level Circuit Court, where he faced off against the police officer who signed the affidavit. The officer explained that a mysterious third party corporation called [American Traffic Solutions] operates the camera system, and gets paid for suggesting which photographs to enforce action (against the vehicle’s owner, not the driver). Ultimately, MacLeod got the officer to admit that he had signed the affidavit asserting that MacLeod had violated traffic laws, without having any photographic evidence of him driving, not being present at the scene of the crime, nor knowing where MacLeod was at the time of the violation. Case dismissed. So sure, he beat the law… But this guy made a mountain out of a molehill, right? MacLeod definitely strikes us as the type to pull out his pocket constitution at parties, but he’s got a point. Traffic cams expedite the legal process by providing evidence of violations without eyewitnesses, which, in some ways is great; it saves resources on routine traffic stops, so police can spend their time keeping us safe from dog-nappers, cat burglars, and people-stabbers. However, they don’t always produce evidence of the actual person who committed the crime, which puts the responsibility on the car owner to defend themselves or take responsibility for whatever traffic crimes their irresponsible acquaintances commit. [Yellow means floor it] Tech leaders need to stop watching The Walking Dead According to The New Yorker, some Silicon Valley leaders are legitimately [preparing for the end of the world]. And we’re not talking about stashing water bottles, crackers, and the latest editions of Us Weekly in a cabinet above the refrigerator. It’s much more serious -- and bizarre -- than that. Take Steve Huffman, for instance… The CEO of Reddit recently [underwent vision correction surgery] to “improve his odds of surviving a disaster, whether natural or man-made.” “If the world ends -- and not even if the world ends, but if we have trouble -- getting contacts or glasses is going to be a huge pain in the ass,” he said. “Without them, I’m f*cked.” Again, this is not The Onion. This is real. Here are 2 more examples: Marvin Liao, a partner at 500 Startups, bought weapons and took up archery. Antonio Garcia Martinez, a former FB executive, bought 5 acres on a remote island, set it up with generators, and purchased thousands of rounds of ammunition. Why they buggin’? Apparently, the main reason tech leaders are so worried is due to “our growing dependence on technology.” In other words, they’re frightened by the very thing they helped create. The irony there is almost laughable. That said, perhaps these people know something we don’t? Huffman’s getting freakin’ eyeball surgery, Elon Musk won’t stop going on about how we’re [living in a simulation]… makes you wonder if we all missed some e-course on the rapture (or just didn’t get invited to it). [2 tix to the rapture, please] Google struggles to find its voice After 5 long, updateless years, Google is finally giving its phone replacement service, Google Voice, some love. [The goal of Google Voice] is to create “one number for life” via a single phone number tied to its user, rather than a device or location. Which is ironic, considering the ever-growing number of messaging apps it seems to be developing on its platform. But before we get into that... Here’s what’s changing with Voice: The update will feature [a more intuitive design] with group chat, threaded conversations, voicemail transcription, and the ability to respond to messages in the notification panel. Groundbreaking stuff here, people. Basically, they’re playing catch up with iMessage -- and pretty much every other modern chat app out there right now. But, Google says it’s not going to let voice fall by the wayside again and that users can expect regular updates going forward. So wait, we’re a little confused Where does Google want us to chat? They already have Google Messenger, Hangouts, Allo ([their new AI-powered app])… and now Voice. Or more realistically, [as WIRED suggests], on “WhatsApp or Facebook Messenger, where all your friends are anyway.” Maybe there’s some master plan in the works here, but it seems like their product teams aren’t talking to each other -- probably because they’re all on different apps. [Allo? Anybody there?] a few good reads The Great Unbundling ([Stratechery]) The internet has changed the media business forever. We all know this. However, as Ben Thompson explains, the impact of the internet -- and the outlook for the future -- differs quite a lot depending on what part of the media industry you look at. Why Paper is the Real “Killer App” ([BBC]) With apps taking over our lives, a growing number of people are yearning for (and choosing) simpler, technology-free tools. Not only is this healthier, but it’s also crucial to one’s success in many situations. Brazil: A Look Into Latin America’s Largest Startup Ecosystem ([TechCrunch]) With a population of over 200m people, Brazil is bursting at the seams with potential. Sure, there are some challenges, too (antiquated labor laws, economic turmoil), but definitely a startup scene to keep an eye on. San Francisco Asks: Where Have All the Children Gone? ([New York Times]) Among the largest 100 cities in America, San Fran has the lowest percentage of children, and some folks believe that “it’s starting to feel like a no-kids type of city.” This edition of The Hustle was brought to you by Time to ditch the spandex Unless you’re a fitness instructor, you’re probably not wearing spandex to work. And if you are, we (along with your coworkers) are begging you to reconsider. But hey, we get it, the commuter life doesn’t play well with the typical business casual -- if we had a nickel for every time we blew out the crotch of our khakis we’d have about 20 cents. Lucky for you, it’s 2017 and thanks to new fabric technology, you can now buy pants with seams that also transition seamlessly from the bike to the boardroom. Because Taylor Stitch doesn’t stink… Literally, the clothes in their new [men] and [women’s] CIVIC collections are stylish and smell resistant. No joke, their co-founder Mike biked 12 miles, chopped wood, and cooked bacon (otherwise known as a “Ron Swanson triathlon”) in their new Merino fiber t-shirt -- then he wore it to work for 12 days. And guess what people? It didn’t stink. Doesn’t seem natural does it? But amazingly, it is. [Taylor Stitch’s entire commuter line], from chinos to chambrays, is made from a custom Merino-based fabric that is naturally renewable, biodegradable, flexible, and practically odor-proof. So go ahead, [take their collection for a spin] and support sustainable travel and style. Or don’t. And smell bad. [SUBSCRIBE] [JOBS] [ADVERTISE] [AMBASSADORS] [EVENTS] [Kendall "Let me clear my throat" Baker] WRITER Lindsey Quinn A MOVIE THAT LIVES UP TO THE PREVIEWS John Havel BACKSEAT EDITOR Oren Jewison PATERNITY SUIT RESEARCHER You opted in by [signing up], entering a [giveaway], or through [divine intervention]. 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