https://www.nature.com/articles/s41592-024-02421-4
Singh, A. (2024). LLMs predict protein phases. Nature.
https://doi.org/10.1038/s41592-024-02421-4
LLMs predict protein phases | Nature Methods
September 10, 2024SCHG | Schwab U.S. Large-Cap Growth ETF | Schwab Asset Management
September 8, 2024Epigenetics: How Environment Shapes Our Genes Reprint, Francis, Richard C. – Amazon.com
September 8, 2024Neuromarketing: What You Need to Know
September 8, 2024Some thoughts on neuromarketing.
I’d like to highlight
an article on neuromarketing by Eben Harrell. (This article is also related to content in the recent book Nita Farahany). The article talks about the emerging practice of neuromarketing, that is, ascertaining a person’s interest in buying a product or service through various neuroscience techniques. Such techniques include functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) or an
electroencephalogram (EEG).
The fundamental premise behind neuromarketing is to more directly ascertain what is going on in someone’s brain. With traditional marketing approaches, like surveys, individuals’ responses are not always an accurate reflection of what is going on in their minds. This can be simply due to forgetting, but it can also be due to people feeling ashamed or uninterested in revealing their true motivations.
Potentially, neuromarketing techniques can determine whether people’s brains are stimulated by things that they don’t want to reveal. An example would be putting a product in front of a person, for instance, a sweet or salty food that they don’t want to admit they want to eat, and then visualizing in an fMRI that their minds are, in fact, stimulated by the product. Regarding the techniques, fMRI is thought of as a more accurate approach and gives a better sense of which area of the brain is activated, but it requires much more cumbersome equipment in comparison to EEG.
A more controversial aspect of neuromarketing goes beyond observing and directly tries to implant or influence people’s thinking subconsciously. The idea of subconscious suggestion has been around for a long time. However, incorporating specific neuroscience interventions goes further, such as putting ideas in people’s dreams or, instead of just monitoring the brain through something implanted on the scalp, actively trying to influence it, for instance, through transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS).
Neuromarketing techniques, particularly those that involve directly influencing the brain but even those that just observe it, are ethically fraught, and privacy implications and issues related to free will and choice must be considered. (These are discussed in detail in Farahany (’23).) A number of the ethical issues associated with neuromarketing seem innocuous. For example, Harrell’s article indicates that research has shown that an EEG or fMRI is better able to determine what movie a person likes than focus groups or surveys. However, when one inquires instead about political preferences or party affiliation, this becomes more ethically fraught. There is a spectrum from simply looking at someone’s eye gaze or attention and trying to gauge the degree to which they are interested in something, all the way to putting them into an fMRI machine. It is difficult to know where the ethical line is crossed.
Harrell’s article also alludes to the integration of neuro-sensing devices with other devices. One can imagine a frightening scenario where the ECG in one’s Apple Watch (or maybe an EEG in future iGlasses) is connected to a neuromarketing campaign, and as one watched television or looked at products, various readings from this would be correlated. Finally, the idea of directly manipulating one’s brain with TMS or even ingested chemicals is worrisome.
Overall, I think that there is a lot of promise in neuromarketing. In a sense, it’s a natural extension of the marketer trying to ascertain exactly what the consumer wants, improving upon other marketing techniques that use only indirect proxies of what is going on in the mind. However, it crosses over into certain ethical gray zones that must be taken into account.
References
The Battle for Your Brain: Defending the Right to Think Freely in the Age of Neurotechnology , Farahany, Nita A (2023).
https://www.amazon.com/Battle-Your-Brain-Defending-Neurotechnology-ebook/dp/B09Y45MY2VLinks to an external site.
Neuromarketing: What You Need to Know
https://hbr.org/2019/01/neuromarketing-what-you-need-to-knowLinks to an external site.
Eben Harrell (2019)
WMT-v-HD-n-LOW
September 8, 2024I recently came across an article on CNN discussing the decline of category killers, and it piqued my interest. It seems that Home Depot and Lowe’s are among the few remaining successful category killers, holding their own against industry giants like Walmart and Amazon. Intrigued by this phenomenon, I delved into some basic financial ratios to see if they could shed light on why this might be the case.
Below, you’ll find a table of ratios for the year 2020. While it’s challenging to interpret these numbers in light of Walmart’s vast product selection, some patterns emerge. For instance, Walmart appears to turn over its inventory more rapidly than either Home Depot or Lowe’s, and it carries significantly less debt. On the other hand, both Home Depot and Lowe’s demonstrated great success in terms of various profitability measures, in contrast to Walmart.
Though these observations don’t offer a definitive solution, they provide an interesting perspective on the competitive landscape among these retailers.
Other reference
What Bed Bath & Beyond, Toys ‘R’ Us and RadioShack have in common | CNN Business
https://www.cnn.com/2023/04/29/business/bed-bath-beyond-toys-r-us-category-killer-retail/index.html
dm811-L4–WMT-v-HD-n-LOW.xlsx
Dragons and Sharks on a Beach Near You: The Story of the Great Lego Spill – The New York Times
September 8, 2024How to Eat for a Long and Healthy Life – The New York Times
September 8, 2024QT:{{”
Prioritize protein, especially from plants.
Research suggests that those who consume more protein tend to live longer and stay stronger and healthier later in life than those who consume less.
…
Dr. Houston and other experts have recommended that those 65 and older consume at least 0.45 to 0.54 grams of protein per pound of body weight per day. For a 150-pound adult, this translates to about 68 to 81 grams of protein. To help your body better absorb and use protein, try to distribute it across meals throughout the day, Dr. Houston said.
….
Incorporate bone-strengthening nutrients.
In addition to protein, be sure to get enough calcium and vitamin D to support your bone health as you age, Dr. Roberts said.
…
Pump up the polyphenols.
…
Researchers have also linked other polyphenol-rich foods like berries, dark leafy green vegetables, avocados and extra virgin olive oil to health benefits, including a longer life and improved brain health. Focus on healthy fats.
Diets that are high in unsaturated fats, found in olive oil and most other plant oils, nuts, seeds, and avocados, have been linked with lower mortality, Dr. Hu and his colleagues have found. Alternatively, diets that are rich in saturated fats, which are found in red and processed meats, seem to have the opposite effect.
“}}
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/02/well/eat/foods-longevity-aging.html
Are Some Ultraprocessed Foods Worse Than Others? – The New York Times
September 8, 2024QT:{{”
First, you can’t go wrong with consuming mostly unprocessed or minimally processed foods, like fruits, vegetables, legumes, nuts and whole grains, Dr. Vadiveloo said. ….
Second, processed meats and sugary drinks have consistently been linked to poor health, Dr. Mattei said, so reducing or eliminating those foods from your diet should be a priority.
“}}
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/05/well/eat/ultraprocessed-foods-types-unhealthy-study.html
A Frenzied Summer Leads to a Tourism Backlash in Europe – The New York Times
September 8, 2024Santorini, Athens, Lisbon(!), Amsterdam but not London
A Frenzied Summer Leads to a Tourism Backlash in Europe – The New York Times
https://www.nytimes.com/2024/09/02/travel/europe-tourism-backlash.html
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