WeekWise LIV
#54 WW: Ukraine to Launch NATO’s Long-Range Missiles on Russian Territory, How will DOGE Address Government Spending, and ChatGPT-4 Outperforms Physicians in Diagnosing Medical Cases.
Hey! 👋
I'm Adolfo Güell, and every week, I spend countless hours selecting curated content—whether it's posts, news, or podcasts—centered around my passions: technology, macroeconomics, innovation, and more. This newsletter is my way of sharing the top-notch content I've come across.
I hope this weekly newsletter introduces you to exciting new content and talented creators.
If you have any questions or comments, don't hesitate to contact me at adolfoguell@substack.com.
My top picks 🔝
Some news about the Ukraine war: The Biden administration has authorized Ukraine to use U.S.-supplied long-range weapons, such as ATACMS (Army Tactical Missile Systems), against Russian military targets. This marks the first instance of such approval and aligns with ongoing U.S. support for Ukraine in defending against the Russian invasion. However, I find it concerning how a President, who lost the election a few weeks ago, can still make such an important and influential decision that affects billions of people.
Ukraine has already fired a series of ATACMS missiles into Russia, marking the first attack using U.S.-made long-range weapons during the ongoing conflict. Seven missiles targeted a weapons depot near Karachev in Russia's Bryansk region, with Russia claiming to have intercepted five mid-flight. Moreover, there are reports suggesting that North Korean troops are being deployed to the front lines of the Ukraine war.
To summarize, it seems this war is escalating, and the reality is that the odds of us being on the brink of World War III are not zero but actually seem increasingly probable. I find this deeply concerning.
Source: The U.S. confirms Ukraine fired long-range ATACMS into Russia for the 1st time [NPR] & North Korea troops have joined Ukraine war battles as part of Russian units, Seoul says [Reuters]
Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy, the entrepreneurs set to lead the DOGE department under Trump’s administration, have unveiled a strategy to streamline government operations, reduce spending, and cut through bureaucracy. Their approach focuses on five key initiatives:
Eliminating unauthorized regulations: They aim to roll back regulations not explicitly approved by Congress, leveraging recent Supreme Court rulings as legal justification.
Reducing the federal workforce: Instead of targeting specific employees, they plan to shrink the number of federal workers through workforce reductions, utilizing existing "reduction in force" provisions to bypass civil service protections.
Halting unauthorized spending: They will put a stop to federal expenditures that lack Congressional approval, which they estimate total more than $500B annually.
Boosting procurement efficiency: Large-scale audits of outdated contracts will be conducted to drive cost savings in government procurement processes.
Addressing defense waste: With the Department of Defense managing a budget exceeding $800B and failing its seventh straight audit, they will focus on cutting inefficiencies in this critical area.
Their goal is to enact these reforms using presidential powers authorized under current laws, avoiding the need for new Congressional legislation, and aim to have the changes fully implemented by July 4, 2026.
Source: Elon Musk and Vivek Ramaswamy float ending remote work for federal employees and 'large-scale firings' [NBC] & What I Read This Week [Chamath Palihapitiya]
Can AI Diagnose Better Than Doctors? A recent study suggests it might. ChatGPT-4 outperformed physicians in diagnosing challenging medical cases, even when those doctors had access to the same tool.
The study, published in JAMA Network Open, tested 50 doctors on six complex cases. The results? ChatGPT scored an impressive 90%, while doctors relying on ChatGPT scored 76% and those using traditional methods managed just 74%.
The findings shed light on key challenges in integrating AI into medicine:
Human Bias: Many doctors stuck with their initial diagnoses, even when the chatbot provided more accurate alternatives.
Underutilization: Physicians often asked ChatGPT narrow, targeted questions, missing its ability to analyze entire case histories.
Trust Gap: Despite ChatGPT’s success, skepticism persists about using A.I. in clinical settings.
Unlike older AI diagnostic tools, ChatGPT doesn’t mimic human reasoning. Instead, it uses advanced language prediction to deliver quick, accurate insights. But its effectiveness depends on how well it’s understood and applied.
This study underscores the potential for AI to transform diagnostics — if healthcare professionals can overcome bias, improve training, and learn to trust the tech.
Source: A.I. Chatbots Defeated Doctors at Diagnosing Illness [The New York Times] & Study Finds ChatGPT Outperforms Doctors at Diagnosing Illness [Chubby on X]
Some other reads I enjoyed…
When muscles work out, they help neurons to grow, a new study shows [MIT Review]
Gamblers Pay 400% Loan Rates to Fund Betting Frenzy in Brazil [Bloomberg]
The race to commercialise nuclear-powered batteries [Royal Society of Chemistry]
Los Angeles Times Owner Goes on Fox News to Outline New Approach: “We Need Views From Both Sides” [The Hollywood Reporter]
Jews and gay people should hide identity in ‘Arab neighbourhoods’, says Berlin police chief [The Telegraph]
Elon Musk’s xAI raising up to $6 billion to purchase 100,000 Nvidia chips for Memphis data center [CNBC]
Justice Department reportedly pushing Google to spin off Chrome [TechCrunch]
What is happening in China? [The Kobeissi Letter on X]
Wealthy Norwegians flee to Switzerland to evade high wealth taxes, with their bankers following [Fortune]
[PODCAST] Ryan Petersen on My First Million