Friends,

Good morning! Welcome to The Gentlemen Elite. This week I’m bringing you three recent articles I’ve loved that share one thing in common: They touch on how technology impacts our lives.

Here’s what’s in store:

• 🐝 Using AI to talk to animals

• 🤦🏼‍♂️ The antidote to Zoom fatigue

• 📟 The acceleration of innovation

•  📣 Quote of the week

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Using AI To Talk To Animals

I have been trying to talk to animals since I can remember. Despite years of training, neither one of my dogs seems to understand “No!!!” or “Stop.” Telepathic communication has also proven ineffective.

According to Professor Karen Bakker, a fellow at the Harvard Radcliffe Institute for Advanced Study, this is likely because my communication style is too anthropocentric - I am not communicating in a way that considers my dogs’ worldview or lived experience. (lol)

However, a recent piece in Scientific American has me optimistic that one day I might be able to communicate better with Smokey and persuade him to stop devouring my shoes. The article highlights how scientists are using tiny microphones and computer vision technology to record countless hours of animal behavior and communication. This data is then processed by a powerful computer, leveraging natural-language processing akin to those found in tools like Google Translate.

Through this innovative method, scientists can detect patterns in animal communication, connecting sounds and actions to particular results and slowly unravel the mysteries of animal languages. Mind-blowing, right?

Bats Use “Baby Talk”

Some of the early insights are astounding. According to Professor Bakker:

“Bats argue over food; they distinguish between genders when they communicate with one another; they have individual names, or “signature calls.” Mother bats speak to their babies in an equivalent of “motherese.” But whereas human mothers raise the pitch of their voices when talking to babies, mother bats lower the pitch—which elicits a babble response in the babies that learn to “speak” specific words or referential signals as they grow up.”

Bees Toot

Professor Bakker continues:

“[Scientists] have now perfected these algorithms to the point where they're able to track individual bees, and they're able to determine what impact the communication of an individual might have on another bee. From that emerges the ability to decode honeybee language. We found that they have specific signals. Researchers have given these signals funny names. Bees toot; they quack. There's a “hush” or “stop” signal, a whooping “danger” signal. They've got piping [signals related to swarming] and begging and shaking signals, and those all direct collective and individual behavior.”

For more info, you can find the full article here - and if anyone knows how to get a dog to stop jumping on house guests, please let me know.

The Antidote To Zoom Fatigue

Wow, meetings are lame. One of the most impactful questions you can ever ask yourself before booking one is, “Could this be an email?” If the answer is “No” and you must coerce your colleagues into a meeting, at least book it for 25, 45, or 55 minutes.

Why? Leaving short incremental breaks between meetings gives your brain a chance to reset. And now, for the first time, science proves how impactful that is on engagement.

The Microsoft Study

Microsoft’s Human Factors Lab recently conducted a study asking 14 people to participate in video meetings while wearing electroencephalogram (EEG) equipment—a cap to monitor the electrical activity in their brains.

The 14 volunteers each participated in two different sessions of meetings:

1. On one day, they attended stretches of four half-hour meetings back-to-back.

2. On another day, the four half-hour meetings were interspersed with 10-minute breaks during which participants meditated.

The Results

Three main takeaways emerged - which I have copy-pasted from the article for your viewing pleasure:

Takeaway #1: Breaks between meetings allow the brain to “reset,” reducing a cumulative buildup of stress across meetings.

Takeaway #2: Back-to-back meetings can decrease your ability to focus and engage.

Takeaway #3: Transitioning between meetings can be a source of high stress.

The Acceleration Of Innovation

This article offers a bird's-eye view (visualized below - don't forget to zoom in!) of the pace of technological innovation throughout human history.

My main takeaway is how much has changed in the last 100 years. From TVs and antibiotics to moon landings, the internet, and smartphones, we've been on a hot streak – go us!

As AI emerges, the rate of innovation is predicted to skyrocket even further, ushering in unimaginable advancements. I'm excited, but how do we not have jet packs, hover crafts, or a solution for a thinning hairline yet?!

Quote Of The Week

Upwards with gusto,

Ian