What I Read This Week (2/2/25)
Carl Jung on the Devil, Nvidia’s Free Courses, Executive Order for School Choice, Fed Holds Rates Steady, AI Arms Race Begins, Neuralink’s Patient Controlling Robotic Arm, Getting My Book in a Library
Every week, I like to share what caught my attention. This is from 1/26/25 to 2/2/25.
Old Idea💡
Wisdom from Carl Jung
“…the medieval description of the devil as simia dei (the ape of God), and in his characterization in folklore as the “simpleton” who is “fooled” or “cheated.”
Carl Jung (Archetypes and the Collective Unconcious)
In Archetypes and the Collective Unconscious, Carl Jung discusses the medieval description of the devil as simia dei—the ape of God.
What does that even mean?
In medieval thought, Simia dei suggested that evil doesn’t create anything new. Instead, it imitates, mocks, and distorts what is good and true. It’s like an ape trying to mimic human actions—it might get the motions right, but something is missing.
In this sense, the devil is seen as an imitator of God, twisting what is pure into something deceptive.
But here’s where it gets even more interesting: folklore often paints the devil not as some mastermind but as a simpleton—a fool who’s easily tricked or cheated. I see it more as someone who is posing as a simpleton pretending to be fooled and cheated. This flips the whole narrative.
Instead of an all-powerful force, evil is portrayed as clumsy, bumbling, and ultimately self-defeating. It might look powerful on the surface, but dig a little deeper, and we see it’s just a poor imitation.
I see this as a reminder that while negativity or harmful forces might seem overwhelming, they don’t have the same depth or lasting power as what’s good and true.
Evil can mimic and fool—but in the end, they’re hollow.
New Ideas 🌟
Nvidia’s Free Courses on AI & Machine Learning
In today’s world, knowledge is everywhere, and Nvidia is ensuring it. Through its Deep Learning Institute (DLI), it offers free, self-paced courses on everything from AI fundamentals to advanced machine learning.
The coolest part if that these resources are available to anyone with an internet connection.
High-level education requires tuition, and elite institutions are no longer a necessity. With just a few hours and a willingness to learn, we can gain valuable skills that can reshape our careers. Some courses even offer certificates to showcase what we learned.
“Today, not knowing something, ignorance, is a choice.”
Christopher S. Mukiibi (The Learning Compass)
In a world where information is everywhere, success belongs to those who take advantage of it.
You can check out the courses here!
Trump Signs Executive Order for School Choice
Public schools are undergoing a cultural shift that many people find concerning. As access to knowledge and information becomes increasingly decentralized, the traditional role of educational institutions as gatekeepers is being questioned. This shift has sparked a growing interest in independent learning models, with some families choosing to homeschool or develop personalized curricula.
While public education remains the best option for many, there's a rising belief that alternative methods can outperform traditional schools. For some, this is true—but it's essential to recognize that the ability to opt out of public education is often a luxury belief, accessible primarily to those with the resources and time to support such endeavors.
Here's a summary of President Trump's Executive Order (EO) on school choice:
What it Does: The EO gives parents more power to choose their children's schools. Families can choose from public, private, or religious schools that best suit their children's needs.
Federal Money: Trump wants the Department of Education to show states how they can use federal money to support these choices. This includes money that usually goes to public schools being used for vouchers or charter schools.
Special Groups: There's a plan for military and Native American families to use government money for their preferred schools, too.
Health and Human Services: This department will investigate using child and family grants to fund different schooling options, such as private or faith-based schools.
Challenges: Some people worry that this order might not be fully legal because changing how money is spent needs Congress's approval. There's also a big debate about whether this helps or hurts public schools.
Why Now? According to recent tests, Trump signed this order as students are falling behind in reading and math. He says school choice could help fix this.
The Debate: Supporters believe this will give every child the chance for a great education. Critics fear it might mean less money for public schools, which educate most kids.
This EO shows that Trump wants to change how education works in America, focusing on parents' rights to choose. However, there is disagreement about how beneficial this change will be for everyone.
Regardless of political beliefs, I think it is essential for everyone to pay attention to what is happening in education. We are spending more money than ever, even outpacing inflation, and our performance is getting worse and worse.
In many areas, we see markets where consumers spend more but receive less. Unfortunately, this pattern is emerging in education, too. But our children’s education isn’t just another market—it’s their future. We must improve our public schools and embrace healthy competition to address these challenges. Parents deserve reasonable alternatives to ensure their children receive the education they need and deserve.
Neuralink’s Patient Controlling a Robotic Arm with His Thoughts
Neuralink is a company focused on developing brain-computer interface (BCI) technology. Its goal is to create devices that connect the human brain directly to computers, allowing seamless communication between the two. The idea is to help people with neurological conditions and, eventually, enhance human capabilities.
Currently, Neuralink has a patient who can control a robotic arm with ONLY his mind.
Most people don’t realize how huge this is: Neuralink’s patient moves a robotic arm just by thinking about it.
No joystick. No muscle sensors. Just pure thoughts.
Here’s how it works: The implant reads signals from the motor cortex, the part of the brain that controls movement. Then, these signals are sent wirelessly to the robotic arm, translating them into actual motion.
And this is just the start. Imagine controlling full-sized robots or exoskeletons with your mind! Think about restoring lost motor functions for people who’ve had strokes or spinal injuries. Add pressure sensors, and you’re not just moving the arm—you can actually feel with it. You’d regain the sense of touch.
It’s mind-blowing. And right now, no one else is even close to doing what Neuralink is doing.
You can see more about it here!
What I See In Markets 📈
The Fed Holds Steady: What It Means for Us
During Wednesday's meeting, the Federal Reserve decided to keep the federal funds rate unchanged at 4.25-4.50%. Fed Chair Jerome Powell clarified that they’re "in no hurry" to cut rates.
There are two main reasons for no rate cuts:
Inflation is still stubborn. While it’s come down from last year, inflation isn’t exactly where the Fed wants it. Consumer prices rose 2.3% in Q4 2024, up from 1.5% in Q3. Even though annual inflation dropped from 3.8% in 2023 to 2.5% in 2024, that recent uptick has the Fed cautious.
The labor market is holding up. Unemployment is steady at 4.1%, and while companies have slowed hiring, there’s no sign of a major downturn. Powell described the labor market as "healthy," suggesting there’s no immediate pressure to ease rates to stimulate jobs.
Powell gave a tone of cautious optimism.
With annual GDP growth at 2.8% and inflation trending lower, Powell called the economy in a "good place." However, he wants more consistent progress on inflation before raising interest rates.
Market Reactions?
The markets took the Fed’s decision in stride—no surprises here. This meeting never expected rate cuts so that the steady hand won’t shake up stocks or bonds much.
Trump’s Pressure: A Non-Issue
President Trump has been vocal about cutting rates, but remembering that he has no direct power here is worth remembering. The Federal Reserve operates independently—despite its name, it’s not a federal agency, and it doesn’t have reserves in the way people might think.
Looking Ahead: Two Cuts on the Horizon
While the Fed isn’t rushing, two rate cuts are scheduled for later this year. The timing will depend on how inflation and the labor market evolve. For now, the Fed is watching and waiting.
The AI Arms Race Begins: DeepSeek, Qwen, Nvidia & What This Means for the US
Alibaba has released "Qwen," a powerful new AI model that writes, generates images and videos, and performs web searches. But Qwen isn’t just another AI tool—it’s outperforming heavyweights like DeepSeek, ChatGPT-o1, and Claude Sonnet.
This marks a bold new phase in the AI arms race, with technology advancing faster than ever. You can read more about Qwen here!
But Qwen isn’t the only AI model that is making waves.
DeepSeek has also made waves in AI with its full R1 model, an open reasoning large language model (LLM). It’s being compared to top U.S. models like OpenAI’s o1, which shows similar performance in math, coding, and reasoning tasks but at a fraction of the cost. Here’s why people are losing their minds:
Cheaper: DeepSeek reportedly spent just $6 million to train their model, a staggering contrast to the massive budgets of companies like OpenAI, Google, and Meta. This cost-effectiveness is one of the most talked-about features, signaling a shift in how AI can be developed and deployed.
Open Source: DeepSeek's open-source nature adds to its disruptive potential. Developers worldwide can freely build on its architecture, speeding up innovation worldwide. Although this is great for consumers, companies that open-source their state-of-the-art products are typically doing so to catch up to leading companies. So, I see the open-source move as a sign that the US is still in the top position in AI, but the heat is definitely on.
Chain of Thought Technology: Like ChatGPT-o1, DeepSeek uses "chain of thought" technology, pushing AI to new heights in reasoning and complex problem-solving. As these models evolve, they open up new possibilities—from automating intricate workflows to enhancing creative projects.
These Chinese AI models show that China is not far behind the US in the AI race and is posing much more competition than previously thought.
Market Shockwaves
Individually, Qwen and DeepSeek would have made headlines. But together, they sent shockwaves through the markets. On January 27, 2025, after DeepSeek's capabilities were announced, the Nasdaq Composite Index dropped by 3.1%, marking one of its sharpest declines in recent history.
Nvidia’s market cap plunged by nearly $600 billion in a single day—the largest one-day loss for any company in Wall Street history. Other AI and semiconductor giants like Broadcom, AMD, and ASML also faced significant losses.
The panic stemmed from fears that DeepSeek’s cost-efficient model could threaten U.S. firms’ massive AI investments, particularly in expensive, high-end chips used for training. However, markets began to stabilize the next day, with Nvidia recovering some of its losses, hinting at a partial rebound.
Despite Nvidia’s historic loss, this might be more of an emotional reaction than a rational one. AI isn’t just about large language models (LLMs), and DeepSeek still relies on Nvidia chips. Although Nvidia cannot sell chips directly to China, allegedly, Chinese companies use shell companies in Singapore to make the purchases. You can read more about that here.
This market dip could be an opportunity for savvy investors who recognize that AI infrastructure demands will continue growing, regardless of short-term market jitters.
I will be looking to add more Nvidia because of this.
Where AI Value Lies
AI can be thought of as refrigeration—a revolutionary technology. But it was not the inventors of refrigeration that profited most, but companies like Coca-Cola that used it to transform their business.
The "Coca-Cola" of AI hasn’t shown up yet. The current surge in AI competition suggests that AI is moving towards becoming a commodity rather than a unique service.
Personal Update 💙
Sharing My Book & Getting it in a Library
This week, I shared The Learning Compass at a staff meeting. To be honest, I was reluctant. A few coworkers put me on the spot, and I couldn’t cower out—even though I wanted to. But then I thought, I worked so hard on this book, it would be insane not to say anything.
Despite the incredible love and support, it felt uncomfortable, and I wanted to figure out why.
After reflecting, I realized I feared being seen as a “know-it-all” or “trying too hard.” But really, I’m just trying to do the most good with what I have. If someone wants to judge me for that, what does that say about them? It's funny how easy it is to forget that.
The best part? A coworker messaged me, saying she wanted to buy multiple copies of my book and put two in the library for students. How incredible is that? So many students have asked me for copies, but it costs too much to print them myself. Seeing this kind of support is amazing.
I’m genuinely grateful and blessed to have such a supportive work environment. I was afraid sharing my book would come off as “self-indulgent” or something, but it’s been the exact opposite, and I’m thankful I have a community of people who won’t let me forget it.