Crispr Burgers and Dr. Roboto

Welcome to the Morning Bro, your daily dose of inspiration and motivation to kickstart your Friday. Just like a fresh haircut, this newsletter will leave you feeling rejuvenated and ready to tackle the day. So, grab a cup of coffee and let's get after it, Bro!

In Today's Morning 6 - 9:

• Dr. Roboto

• Blue Bird and Biz

• Cultural Catch Ups

• BRO-Tastic Memes

More AI and Tech Updates

Two AI programs have successfully passed the U.S. Medical Licensing Examination (USMLE). The papers highlight different approaches to using large language models to take the USMLE and suggest that large language models may have the potential to assist with medical education and potentially, clinical decision-making. I guess this is still better than me googling my symptoms.

Boston Dynamics has released a new demo of its humanoid robot, Atlas, which can now run, jump and grab and throw objects using its claw-like gripper. The gripper was designed for heavy lifting tasks and was demonstrated in a Super Bowl commercial where Atlas held a keg over its head. Let's give the robot thumbs, good idea.

CatfishGATOR. This is next-level biohacking here. Scientists at MIT took an alligator gene and CRISPR'd it into some catfish, making them basically disease-proof. The catfish farming industry is huge, so this could be a major win for sustainability and production efficiency. Just gotta get the green light from the regulators. WHAT IS THE WORST THAT CAN HAPPEN??

According to LinkedIn, San Francisco has seen the second-biggest worker population gain of any area in the United States over the last 12 months, people largely came from Los Angeles, Dallas-Fort Worth, and Washington DC, and the move back to San Francisco also represents a solidification of remote work policies, where many companies have come down on the side of hybrid work, meaning people are still expected to work in the office some of the time. I want SF to become cool again like it was when Full House was a thing.

Netflix is hiring a flight attendant for one of its private jets, with the successful applicant being paid as much as $385,000 per year. The role requires candidates with “independent judgment, discretion and outstanding customer service skills” and with the ability to “operate with little direction and a lot of self-motivation.”

Blue Bird & Biz

Twitter has reportedly been hit by a 40% drop in revenue after more than 500 clients paused their spending, likely due to concerns about an increase in hate speech on the platform after its acquisition by Elon Musk, who is a self-described “free speech absolutist”. The company has also been alarmed by a spate of impersonator accounts that flourished on the site after a botched relaunch of its blue tick scheme for verified users.

In-N-Out, a California-based fast food chain known for its loyal following and high-quality food, has announced plans to expand east and open its first stores in the Nashville area by 2026. The company's expansion, while meeting demands for new locations, is risky as In-N-Out has historically fiercely opposed the change and jealously guarded its brand by maintaining high-quality ingredients, and service and limiting its locations.

CRISPR technology is being tested as a way to change existing genetic code by inserting new chunks of DNA or even entire genes into a person's genome, potentially helping to treat many more conditions, not all of them genetic. In July 2022, Verve Therapeutics launched a trial of a CRISPR-based therapy that alters genetic code to permanently lower cholesterol levels, the first recipient of which is a volunteer in New Zealand. Why eat healthy and exercise when you can just down 4 in-N-out burgers and get your genes fixed?

Cultural Catch ups

Comet ZTF is a green comet that is approaching Earth for the first time in 50,000 years. It is expected to pass the closest to Earth on February 2nd and be visible in the Northern Hemisphere just before dawn in late January and in the Southern Hemisphere in early February. To maximize the chances of seeing it, it is recommended to view it on a cloudless night in a location far from city lights and when the moon is dim or below the horizon. A telescope or binoculars may be needed to spot it, but it may also be visible to the naked eye under dark skies.

A study of the clinical trials of the Pfizer and Moderna COVID-19 vaccines found that the vaccines had a higher risk of serious side effects compared to a control group. The Pfizer vaccine had a 36% higher risk and the Moderna vaccine had a 6% higher risk of serious side effects. Here is a Twitter meme to help sum up the current trend:

Alec Baldwin has been charged with involuntary manslaughter for the on-set shooting during the filming of Rust that killed 42-year-old cinematographer Halyna Hutchins. Baldwin, who was producing and starring in the Western film Rust, was also charged with two counts of involuntary manslaughter, along with armorer Hannah Gutierrez Reed.

Someone Scammed Usain Bolt out of $12,000,000. Usain Bolt, Jamaican Olympic sprinter, lost $12 million in savings to a scam, with only $12,000 remaining in his account, according to his lawyer.

Bro-Tastic Memes

Thank you for reading, but more importantly, thank you for being you. We hope you found this edition informative and enjoyable. Be sure to follow us on social media for even more Culture, Tech, and Business insights and updates @TheMorningBro