I am working manically on a few things, so my time for commentary is very scarce at the moment. I am implementing building blocks for much deeper research.
S2N Spotlight
About 5 or 6 years ago, I went through a period where I wanted to maintain a computer network, learn more about how the blockchain worked, and contribute in a positive way. The problem was I had no idea about networks and server farms, but I wanted to learn, and knowing nothing about a subject has never stopped me before. I raced out to buy a computer that I could run 24/7. It was an al cheapo; I managed to burn through 2 on this little adventure.
After a few round-the-clock sessions, I managed to get my rig connected to the Gridcoin blockchain that rewards scientific research. At the time, I wanted to be involved in assisting with computational power to model protein folding as part of a medical research initiative.
The complexity of simulating protein folding is such that it requires substantial computational power to even model short sequences or small proteins. Historically, protein folding was considered a problem of exponential complexity due to the vast number of possible configurations a protein could take (a challenge often referred to as the “protein folding problem”).
Modern advances in algorithms, AI, and parallel computing have reduced this complexity, but large-scale simulations still require immense computational resources. For example, calculating the folding of even small proteins can take months on traditional computers. My contribution was infinitesimally tiny.
In today’s Wall Street Journal, I read that the Nobel Prize for Chemistry was awarded to 3 scientists who cracked the code of Proteins. When I was playing my little part in the expansion of scientific knowledge, the breakthroughs we are seeing today with the power of computer chips were thought to be decades away.
“Proteins are the molecules that enable life,” said Heiner Linke, chair of the Nobel Committee for Chemistry. “To understand how life works, we first need to understand the shape of proteins.”
While I stand in awe of man’s ability to pioneer new frontiers and succeed, I also want to share another side of the same coin. The Nobel winner of this year’s Physics Award is one of the main pioneers in the field of AI and one of its loudest voices as to the potential threat that it represents for mankind. He is of the belief that these machines can comprehend the data beyond the simple belief that they simply use brute force through billions of calculations. I am not wishing to be negative just ever alert.
As a tribute to the Nobel Laurette’s and my protein folding days, I had eggs for breakfast, chicken for lunch, and steak for dinner with protein shakes in between meals. 🍳🍗🥩
S2N Observations
The Shanghai Composite Index played catchup with the Hang Seng on the way down while the US made new all time highs with the SP500.
The 10-year Treasury yield is now trading above 4%; keep an eye on that. We have CPI numbers out today.
Performance Review
For those who are new to the letter, the shading is Z-Score adjusted so that only moves bigger than usual for the symbol are highlighted.