#64 | Adventures in VR, Comedy, Art and Education Hacks

Jan 17, 2024

My irregular newsletter on work and play. Unsubscribe at the bottom. LinkedIn - X

It’s 2024! I hope your year is starting strong. I’ve gotten myself a new toy (pictured below) and look back at what was done in 2023, what’s coming in 2024, and some recent things.

1. WORK

2023 Recap

The SOSV Climate Tech Summit attracted close to 10,000 participants.
Our 3 virtual VC/Startup matchmaking events on Health / Climate / Industry were very successful, leading to a cumulative ±5,000 meetings.
Here is a link you’d like to pre-register for future events (it’s free).

2. EXPERIENCES

VR Adventures

I bought the new AR/VR device from Meta and I like it.

The VR image is crisp, the sound pretty good, and the AR (using passthrough with cameras) is pixellated but interesting. The most impressive moments were the room scanning (it’s really smooth), and the navigation with hands only.

My favorites apps so far:

Beatsaber**** A hit VR music game, where you swing lightsabers in synch with music. Owned by Meta since 2019.
SuperHot**** Action game where you have to move slowly and precisely to avoid attacks and dispatch enemies made of glass. I feel like Neo in The Matrix.
Population: One*** Also from Meta. Battle Royale with guns and all (you can even climb and glide). Very immersive and fluid. Populated by adults and 12-year-olds.
First encounters*** By Meta. Small AR game shooting alien balls. To play once.
Epic Roller Coasters*** Fun thing to try. A friend’s 6yo loved it.
Thrill of the Fight*** A boxing game. Graphics are so-so but it is quite a (stressful) workout.
Active Shooter Survival** It’s a serious simulator, where you are in an office under attack. Not fund but educative. Nobody wanted to try it.
Mondly** A language learning app putting you in various 3D scenarios. Still a bit clunky but showing promise. Not European Portuguese, unfortunately.
Xponential+ AR gym app with barre, yoga and more to come. I haven’t played it but I know a fan. The advantages over a video on TV or mobile is that the instructor is in the room with you, wherever you look, which seems to bring higher engagement.
I tried several more: VR movies, comics, Chat… but less to report there. Nature stuff were nice.

Neck Coolers

On my last Japan trip I noticed electronics stores sold this odd device. A neck cooling (and sometimes heating) device using a Peltier module. Apparently a best seller. There are also “cooling neck rings” without electronics (using paraffin). Local solutions to climate change? Along those lines, most housing in Portugal do not have central heating and are not well insulated. I discovered the joy of electric blankets - game changers!

Keluak Nuts

I was in Singapore after Japan and decided to look for keluak nuts, the black diamond of the peranakan food culture (Chinese & Indonesian/Malay heritage). Said to be poisonous if not prepared correctly, I had those twice in restaurants. Worth trying! (I’m still alive)

Sewer Chestnuts

Walking at night in Paris I came across an unmarked manhole open on the walkway. The staff of the shop in front of it told me that street sellers making crepes or roasting chestnuts often stored their material (and ingredients) under manholes. Apparently the cover of this one had fallen at the bottom of the ladder… No more street crepes for me.

Underground Karaoke

In Asia you can find Japanese-style “karaoke rooms” where you can sing with friends in a private room fitted with a big TV and mics (sometimes fancy lights and tambourines too).

In Lisbon I only found a few “karaoke bars”. A Chinese friend told me some unlicensed karaoke rooms were run by Chinese but tjat they did no do business with foreigners. I reminded him I’m from Beijing and decided to try.

This started a quest in a remote Asian commercial center (“the type where they take your organs” said a friend), until finding a door ajar in the back of a parking lot, that lead to over a dozen fancy rooms. The English song selection was limited but all went well, for 10 euros per hour.

My friend told me that better catalogs could be found at “business karaokes” but cost hundreds.

Death of the Raven

An ex military hospital in Lisbon has been turned into a 1920’s mansion for an immersive and wordless theatre play. The show casts Edgar Poe trying to murder Fernando Pessoa, Portugal’s famous poet and Poe translator. Decors, costumes, actors and sound effects were great. It’s still playing in Lisbon. I made an attempt at writing a Rap Battle then recalled out Poe had already been covered.

Polytopia

This mobile strategy game is mentioned in the Elon Musk biography. Apparently Elon was (is?) fairly addicted to it, and even convinced some friends to play. I confirm it’s addictive — I managed to delete it… three times (third time’s the charm).

BJJ

After receiving my purple belt in 2023 I slowed down a bit but pace is picking up again in the new year. Study, sparring, feedback loops.

3. CULTURE

MOVIES

Broadcast News****
I heard of it in an interview of Gary Gulman by fellow comedian Mike Birbiglia. Who will the dynamic female producer chose among the ethical reporter or the charming anchor? It has a similar vibe to the movie Network (1976, 4 stars in my book) though less complex storyline. Both are equally dystopian… and prescient. My questions (spoiler alert): is the anchor the devil? Was he nice or not to “help” the other guy?

Side note: I asked ChatGPT to explain why the reporter asked the anchor a particular question. Upon reading the response(s) I had to tell ChatGPT three times that I knew it was making its answer up, until it finally used its browsing tool and admitted “I should have used this tool earlier to ensure the accuracy and relevance of the information provided.”. Beware!

Leo****
I thought it was a Pixar movie, but it’s not: it’s a project from Adam Sandler that took years to get done. The two leads (Sandler and Burr) are great but the rest (secondary characters, backgrounds) is not as a high quality. Adam Sandler and Bill Burr’s voices are great. It was a charming and funny story I ended up watching twice.

Idiocracy****
Rewatched. Still accurate. Still has electrolytes.

The Animal Kingdom (Le Règne Animal)***
A new French movie where an epidemic (?) turns more and more people into (large) animals. Can the protagonist save his wife? Can his son handle the situation? A very nice job, with humor, surprises and subtle emotions.

The Revenant***
Great acting indeed (and special effects), but somewhat light screenplay.

Old Dads (Netflix)***
The first movie from Bill Burr, on late fatherhood (and generational clash with younger parents, the education system, etc.). It’s not as fun as his standup, but watchable.

Ordinary Men***
Exploring how some regular Germans did awful things as part Nazi police squads. A good reminder that, in similar circumstances, most of us would likely be somewhere on the horror spectrum.

Coup de Chance**
The latest opus by Woody Allen. I am generally keen on his work, but walked away disappointed, the story and characters were not interesting to me, and I left with the impression that the dialogues had been translated from English into French. We’re far from the Midnight in Paris fairy tale.

Elemental**
Latest Pixar. I gave it a shot on a long flight. It was ok.

Barbie**
Another flight movie. The leads and sets are Hollywood-level, but I found the whole thing quite forgettable.

Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny**
Same flight. Good job with de-aging and overall production, but the story fell short for me. On the upside: Disney stock is cheap!

Champions**
Final flight movie. Moody Woody Harrelson coaches a young basketball team with learning disabilities. Predictable.

Oliver Twist*
In an attempt to watch old classics, I really wanted to like this one from 1948. Unfortunately I generally dislike musicals, and find the over-acting in older movies often did not age well.

COMEDY

Here is a nice selection to start 2024 :)

Dave Chapelle: The Dreamer*** (Netflix)
A fun show. “Welcome to our watery grave!” :)

Flight of the Conchords Live in London***
A very enjoyable comedy concert by New Zealand's 4th Most Popular Parody Duo. It took a while but I’m glad that Murray found them a good gig!

Norm Macdonald: Nothing special*** (Netflix)
The last show of this folksy comic, shot at his desk during Covid, before he passed away from leukemia. Still delivers, beyond the grave.

Norm Macdonald: Hitler's dog*** (Netflix)
Also good.

Phil Hanley: Ooh la la***
I stumbled upon short clips from this self-branded dyslexic comedian on YouTube, and ended up enjoying his new special. Outstanding crowd work.

Gary Gulman: Born On 3rd Base*** (HBO)
The comedian’s comedian has a new special. He is his usual disarming and articulate self though I found this show less funny than some of his previous works. It’s still a pleasant watch.

NON-FICTION & DOCUMENTARIES

Strict Parents & Supernanny**** (YouTube)
I enjoyed watching several episodes of those reality TV shows, with strict parents from US, South Africa, Kenya, Lebanon hosting difficult teenagers, and the original UK Supernanny. Quite often, the problem is — no surprise — parents. How we are doing with “self-parenting” once adults? Should we have time-outs? Can we “parent” our own positive behavior?

Sly***
After Arnold, Sly. A good watch, and another story of grit and intelligence.

Blackberry***
A documentary about the formerly enormous Canadian smartphone corporation. A few valuable history tidbits, and apparently a whole lot of fiction. Co-founder Doug Fregin left in 2007 and sold his stock when Apple released the iPhone.

Coda**
A documentary on the life of the recently departed Ryuichi Sakamoto of Merry Christmas, Mr Lawrence and The Revenant fame. The best bits for me were witnessing his curiosity, and how movie directors throwing challenges at him helped him produce great works.

LKY in his Own Words**
On the flight back from Singapore I watched this documentary about the country’s famous leader. Nothing much I did not know (I read his great From Third World to First).

You Are What You Eat (Netflix)**
A documentary on a Stanford study on the effects of diet (vegetarian vs omnivore). Solid speakers, and it was great to find several SOSV food tech startups quoted as well. I paused and spent minutes on each of the charts shown. The original publication is here.

BOOKS

Thinking in Bets***
Pro poker player Annie Duke explains how life is more like poker (uncertainty, many hands to play) than chess. Among the key takeaways so far for me:

Nothing is 100% certain (we could live in a simulation ;) so it is useful to shift our mindset to being the “best evaluator of information” rather than being right or wrong. That’s not how most people/media think so it might feel lonely.
Separate the decision quality from the result quality. A well-thought decision might have a terrible outcome, and a terrible decision can turn out well. Focus on what is in our control to improve decision quality.
Learn to say no / quit. Pro players only play 10-15% of hands. Live to play the next better hand.

3. THOUGHTS

De-Sacralizing Art

I wrote before about art, and how most people lacked artistic confidence, and think you need “talent” to produce something at least you liked. Art education rarely supports the mere enjoyment of making or appreciating art even for your own sake past the “age of praise” (10yo?).

Well, I found out that most famous musicians these days don’t know music theory. Hans Zimmer and Paul McCartney can't read sheet music, but they can create and enjoy music.

Maybe the goal of art education should be simply to (1) be exposed to a variety of art to find what you like (2) possibly dive into why you like it (3) make art you like. The opposite of that is to train to orchestra-level skill while losing all joy in playing.

Pirates Fashion

Apparently pirates had eye patches to switch eye and accommodate faster when going to the lower deck.
The “pom-pom” on sailors hats not only finished the cap (covering the central spot after knitting), but also acted as a cushion / probe to avoid bumping one’s head.

Hacking Exams

How do you get an average high-school student to outperform in an exam? How do you help them choose a final year major?

My friend Y shared how he helped his child prepare for a key high school exam by being strategic and systematic in preparing topics.

The exam offered a choice between either commentary or essay, so they decided to focus their preparation only on one (essay).
They covered enough topics (I think about 20?) based on the year’s curriculum to guarantee one would be picked.
They came up with a kind of template, then even used chatGPT to fill in ideas, quotes, references.
The child learned it all over a only a few days and scored 18/20 (up from a mere 9/20 during the year).

Later faced with choosing majors during the final year, my friend offered his child a Summer course at a prestigious MBA that was open from 15yo. It wasn’t cheap but she was delighted by the experience of being exposed to real world stuff, taught by outstanding professors, and she picked her majors.

That’s all for now. Wishing everyone good decisions and feedback loops in 2024!
- Ben

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