The app that can tell you what babies are trying to say
The latest news from Scandinavia and some stuff about running.
Hello!
I ran a long way yesterday, 48 miles along the river from Oxford to Henley. The question people have asked the most over the past few weeks is “Why?” and inevitably I found myself pondering this as I plodded along.
Initially, I wondered if the obsession with big challenges is a consequence of social media. Whether it's the ‘Hardest Geezer’ who is running the length of Africa or Jon May, who claims to have drunk 2000 pints in 200 days, social media encourages constant oneupmanship.
But then looking at the rag-tag group that set off yesterday morning, who were for the most part well outside the age bracket of Instagram obsession, it seemed that wasn’t the answer.
Participation in ultramarathons has grown nearly 400% in the past ten years. It seems plausible this is just a knock-on effect from the growth in the popularity of running more generally. There’s always going to be a proportionate growth in the subset of people who decide to take things too far.
Run Forrest run,
Hugo
Chief Runner
The Business of Stuff
The Stuff
Denmark is really reliant on pharmaceuticals 🇩🇰 - while it’s nice to have strong companies in your country, it can be a bit dodgy if you become too reliant on them. Finland spent nearly a decade recovering from the decline of Nokia. Denmark needs to be aware of the same risks as pharmaceuticals comprise 89% of the growth of their economy, this is largely thanks to the success of diet drugs like Ozempic.
Nokia axing up to 14,000 jobs due to a slowdown in sales 📵 - the telecoms manufacturer sold its handset business to Microsoft a while ago but it is still a big player in the telecoms equipment space. Nokia has benefited from Huawei being banned everywhere but demand for 5G gear has been dropping as operators cut spending due to inflation and a rising cost base.
Never forget to dangle a bale of hay when repairing bridges 🌉 - at least not if you’re in London. People were bemused this week to see a bale of hay dangling from the Millenium Bridge as required by a bylaw when work is underway to warn passing boats that the headroom is reduced.
Amazon humanoid robots and drones 🤖 - humans are a mere chink in the armour of the retailer’s business model. They need things like sleep and have rights and stuff. That’s why they are starting to use drones to deliver pharmaceuticals and robots with arms and legs in their warehouses. Take that, humanity.
Sir Jim Ratcliffe to take over Manchester United ⚽ - Britain’s second richest man (although not of course domiciled in Britain) made his money through a winning combination of petrochemicals and financing. He is adding Man U to his collection of toys (which already includes a private jet and megayacht with an underwater-viewing wine cellar).
The workplace is becoming more informal 👟 - I mean I’m not sure this is news but just to confirm that it’s fine to wear trainers to work. The trainer market is expected to more than double by 2031 and that is largely thanks to the fact that people are wearing them in what have traditionally been more formal environments. A tucked-in shirt and uncomfortable shoes can ruin one’s Tuesday so I’m all for it.
Solomon has given up DJing 🎧 - that’s David Solomon, not Solomun, afterparty legend. The CEO of Goldman Sachs has ended his second career as a DJ. People don’t like to see their bankers having too much fun and the Goldman board hasn’t been loving all the attention he’s been getting.
Docastaway will abandon you on an island for €180 per night 🏝️ - if you’ve ever watched a castaway-type film and thought “I could do better than that”, well now you can put your money where your mouth is. Docastaway will drop you on an island and leave you to fend for yourself including finding your own food and building your own shelter. What a business model.
Apple targeting cinema instead of streaming - Killers of the Flower Moon is different to its previous film releases as it will be cinema-first. They’re trying this approach after watching the success of Top Gun: Maverick in the cinema. Cinema owners are of course thrilled about this and it’s an interesting move back in the direction of the traditional film industry.
Cappella uses AI to translate baby babble 👶 - the application will be able to identify what mini-humans are after like a sort of Shazam. It won’t understand specific requests like “beef bourguignon” or “Tusk by Fleetwood Mac” but generally if they are hungry etc. There’s a waitlist to join but weirdly they’re selling t-shirts on their website in the meantime.
Quote of the week
“Who’s gonna carry the boats?” - David Goggins