Thread by Aleksandr Volodarsky
- Tweet
- Dec 29, 2022
- #Technology
Thread
WHAT A YEAR for tech.
Everything feels like one step from burning to the ground, but I'm more excited about the future than ever before.
The 10 most important tech events and breakthroughs of 2022:
Everything feels like one step from burning to the ground, but I'm more excited about the future than ever before.
The 10 most important tech events and breakthroughs of 2022:
1/ The AI eruption
• Text-to-image (DALL-E 2) and text-to-video (Synthesis) tools went mainstream.
• Language models (like ChatGPT and Cicero) launched, which are already being used for writing/debugging code, creating a marketing plan, and more.
• Text-to-image (DALL-E 2) and text-to-video (Synthesis) tools went mainstream.
• Language models (like ChatGPT and Cicero) launched, which are already being used for writing/debugging code, creating a marketing plan, and more.
• AI for proteins: DeepMind launched AphaFold2, which can predict the shape of proteins with nearly 100% accuracy.
It's helping research on cancer, antibiotic resistance, and other diseases.
Here are other ways startups are using AI:
It's helping research on cancer, antibiotic resistance, and other diseases.
Here are other ways startups are using AI:
2/ Biotech boom
• Yale researchers reverse death in pigs.
• Scientists grew an embryo without a sperm, egg, or womb.
• An immunotherapy cured cancer in all patients for the 1st time in history.
@DKThomp deep dives on each of them:
www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/archive/2022/12/technology-medicine-law-ai-10-breakthroughs-2022/6723...
• Yale researchers reverse death in pigs.
• Scientists grew an embryo without a sperm, egg, or womb.
• An immunotherapy cured cancer in all patients for the 1st time in history.
@DKThomp deep dives on each of them:
www.theatlantic.com/newsletters/archive/2022/12/technology-medicine-law-ai-10-breakthroughs-2022/6723...
3/ Ethereum switched to proof of stake
Ethereum, the world's 2nd-largest cryptocurrency, transitioned from PoW to PoS.
Why is this a big deal?
• It now uses 99.9% less energy.
• It reduced worldwide electricity consumption by 0.2%.
• It increased the transaction speed.
Ethereum, the world's 2nd-largest cryptocurrency, transitioned from PoW to PoS.
Why is this a big deal?
• It now uses 99.9% less energy.
• It reduced worldwide electricity consumption by 0.2%.
• It increased the transaction speed.
4/ Nuclear fusion
For the 1st time, a reaction generated more energy than it consumed.
This could produce:
• Clean energy, reducing climate crises: floods, droughts, & more.
• 24/7 energy with less hazardous waste.
• 4M times more energy than oil/coal.
For the 1st time, a reaction generated more energy than it consumed.
This could produce:
• Clean energy, reducing climate crises: floods, droughts, & more.
• 24/7 energy with less hazardous waste.
• 4M times more energy than oil/coal.
5/ Crypto had a forgettable year
• Crypto assets lost $2.5 trillion in value.
• So-called stable coins like LUNA blew up (losing $60B in value) and bankrupted their investors.
• FTX was charged with fraud and went bust.
• NFT trading volume crashed by 97%.
• Crypto assets lost $2.5 trillion in value.
• So-called stable coins like LUNA blew up (losing $60B in value) and bankrupted their investors.
• FTX was charged with fraud and went bust.
• NFT trading volume crashed by 97%.
6/ The James Webb Telescope
In July, NASA's telescope gave us the oldest-ever (13.1B years old) image of the universe.
It will study the earliest stars and galaxies, & help us understand the universe's beginning & find planets that can host life.
In July, NASA's telescope gave us the oldest-ever (13.1B years old) image of the universe.
It will study the earliest stars and galaxies, & help us understand the universe's beginning & find planets that can host life.
7/ The year of M&A
• Microsoft acquired Activation Blizzard for $68.7B & became the 3rd-largest gaming company by revenue.
• Broadcom, a semiconductor giant, acquired VMware for $61B.
• Oracle acquired Cerner for $28.3B to capitalize on the heath-tech boom.
• Microsoft acquired Activation Blizzard for $68.7B & became the 3rd-largest gaming company by revenue.
• Broadcom, a semiconductor giant, acquired VMware for $61B.
• Oracle acquired Cerner for $28.3B to capitalize on the heath-tech boom.
• Elon acquired twitter for $44B.
• Adobe acquired Figma for $20B, increasing its pricing power and user base and eliminating the increasing competition.
Goldman Sachs predicts 2023 will likely see more cash-rich companies acquiring startups.
• Adobe acquired Figma for $20B, increasing its pricing power and user base and eliminating the increasing competition.
Goldman Sachs predicts 2023 will likely see more cash-rich companies acquiring startups.
8/ Carbon removal
• The Orca, the world's largest carbon removal factory, opened.
It will remove 4K metrics of CO2 from the atmosphere each year to limit global warming.
• Stripe, Alphabet, Meta, and others jointly launched Frontier and will spend $925M to remove CO2.
• The Orca, the world's largest carbon removal factory, opened.
It will remove 4K metrics of CO2 from the atmosphere each year to limit global warming.
• Stripe, Alphabet, Meta, and others jointly launched Frontier and will spend $925M to remove CO2.
9/ Record lay-offs
With the tech slow-down, 1K+ companies laid off 150K+ employees:
• Meta: 11K
• Amazon: 10K
• Twitter: 5K
• Stripe, Coinbase, & Microsoft: 1-2K employees each.
It will likely get worse before things normalize.
With the tech slow-down, 1K+ companies laid off 150K+ employees:
• Meta: 11K
• Amazon: 10K
• Twitter: 5K
• Stripe, Coinbase, & Microsoft: 1-2K employees each.
It will likely get worse before things normalize.
10/ Scientists grew plants in soil from the moon for the 1st time
Why is this important?
• NASA can now use resources on the Moon and Mars to develop food sources for astronauts living in deep space.
• It can also find ways to grow plants in food-scarce areas on Earth.
Why is this important?
• NASA can now use resources on the Moon and Mars to develop food sources for astronauts living in deep space.
• It can also find ways to grow plants in food-scarce areas on Earth.
2023 will be awesome.
If you are building something and hiring engineers, send me a DM.
I run a marketplace of vetted engineers in Europe and Latam and will be happy to give you a 15% discount for the first 4 weeks of work.
If you are building something and hiring engineers, send me a DM.
I run a marketplace of vetted engineers in Europe and Latam and will be happy to give you a 15% discount for the first 4 weeks of work.
If not:
1. Follow me @volodarik. I share everything on the way to growing a marketplace of engineers to $100m/y. People say it's fun to watch.
2. RT the tweet below to share this thread with your audience.
1. Follow me @volodarik. I share everything on the way to growing a marketplace of engineers to $100m/y. People say it's fun to watch.
2. RT the tweet below to share this thread with your audience.
Mentions
See All
Jordan B Peterson @jordanbpeterson
·
Dec 30, 2022
An interesting thread...