The greatest salesperson in history, Beating Leukemia

Most Valuable Corporation in History - Dutch East India Company (VOC)

While modern tech giants regularly dominate market headlines, the Dutch East India Company (VOC) remains the most valuable corporation in recorded history. At the height of the "Tulip Mania" in 1637, the VOC’s value was estimated at approximately $7.9 trillion in modern currency, roughly equivalent to the combined GDPs of modern-day Germany and the United Kingdom. This conglomerate not only pioneered the concept of publicly traded stock but also wielded quasi-governmental powers, including the ability to wage war and mint currency to secure its monopoly on the spice trade.

If you thought the AI chip wars were cooling down, grab some popcorn because Apple just entered the chat with a sledgehammer. Rumor has it Cupertino is teaming up with Broadcom to build its own AI server chip, code-named "Baltra," specifically to cut ties with Nvidia. In other news, the Apple Watch is taking a victory lap for reportedly saving a record number of lives in 2024 (mostly heart alerts and fall detection).

Meanwhile, Uber is looking nervously at the robotaxi market as competitors gain ground, and if you’re a Windows user, people are rediscovering "God Mode", a hidden folder that gives you master control over your PC, which sounds powerful but is mostly just a really convenient settings menu.

Nasdaq 20,000: The markets are indeed hovering in record territory, though the "smashing" of 20,000 was a milestone that traders have been flirting with for a while (and first hit back in late 2024). We'll call this one "ongoing accuracy."

Speaking of space, the calendar is absolutely packed. While we wait for the massive BlueBird-6 launch (now rescheduled for Dec 21 due to some last-minute checks), SpaceX is busy turning the sky into a traffic jam with a Falcon 9 launch literally yesterday (Dec 16). But the real science win? This BlueBird mission isn't just heavy lifting; it’s testing a phased array antenna so large it practically needs its own zip code. If this works, it proves we can build massive, delicate structures in orbit that actually function, paving the way for everything from better climate monitoring to space-based solar power.

It’s been a week of high contrasts across the globe. On the cultural front, there’s a major win for heritage as UNESCO officially added Diwali to its Intangible Cultural Heritage list, a massive (and long overdue) recognition for the Festival of Lights.

Our Money, Our Risk, Real Investment, No Advice

The $100 Story (Swap that to any currency you want!)

If you had tossed $100 into a global basket (US, Europe, India, Crypto) last week, you’d be holding about $96 today. The crypto portion of your portfolio took a nasty tumble, and the tech stocks in your US and Indian buckets slowly bled value, leaving you with a loss before the week even ended.

Risk-Off / Fatigue The relentless "up-only" vibe hit a wall, replaced by profit-taking and nervous sideways shuffling.

What the week felt like

It felt like a "morning after" headache for the bulls. The AI-fueled euphoria that carried markets for months suddenly evaporated, dragging down the heavy hitters in US Tech and Crypto. Investors didn't panic, but they definitely hesitated, swapping "buy the dip" for "protect the gains." Confidence was low, rotation was high, and the market seemed to be looking for an excuse to rest rather than a reason to rally.

A study published today in the journal Nature Climate Change paints an alarming picture for the future of Alpine glaciers. Depending on the climate scenario, between 2,000 and 4,000 glaciers could disappear annually worldwide between 2041 and 2055, with the Alps being particularly severely affected. Researchers from ETH Zurich, the Swiss Federal Institute for Forest, Snow and Landscape Research WSL, and Vrije Universiteit Brussel introduced the new concept of "Peak Glacier Extinction", the point in time when the maximum number of glaciers is lost within a year.

"For the first time, we have provided specific years for when each individual glacier on Earth is likely to disappear," explains Lander Van Tricht, lead author of the study. The Alps will reach their peak of glacier extinction as early as between 2033 and 2041 – earlier than all other regions worldwide.

Imagine you’re at a concert, and you’re trying to text your friend, but you have zero bars because the cell tower is too far away. Now, imagine if someone floated a giant cell tower directly over your head.

That’s basically what BlueBird 6 is.

Most satellites are just mirrors that bounce signals around. BlueBird 6 is different, it’s a massive "flying cell tower" in space.

AST SpaceMobile (ASTS) is on the verge of launching "BlueBird 6,". While the original plan was for a Dec. 15 launch, recent updates suggest it’s been pushed back slightly to later this week (likely around Dec. 18–21).

My Take: BlueBird 6 is rocking the largest commercial phased-array antenna in low Earth orbit, a whopping 2,400 square feet. That’s 3.5 times bigger than their previous birds and promises 10 times the data capacity. This launch is the "litmus test" to prove they can actually mass-produce these giants and hit their goal of having 45 - 60 satellites up by the end of 2026.

Prototypes are cute, but factories are where the money is made. If BlueBird 6 goes up and works as advertised, ASTS stops being a "science project" and starts being a utility company. If it glitches? Well, let’s just say the short sellers are watching with popcorn.

Why It Matters: This is the bridge between "cool idea" and "actual revenue." ASTS has a $1 billion revenue pipeline waiting in the wings (contracts with AT&T, Verizon, Vodafone, and the U.S. government), but they can't cash those checks without a working constellation. A successful launch proves they can scale to meet global demand for dead-zone-killing coverage. It’s also a massive signal to competitors (like Starlink) that the direct-to-cell race is officially on.

At 10:35 a.m., Orville Wright piloted the Wright Flyer I for 12 seconds, covering a distance of 120 feet (37 meters) across the sand. Though the flight was shorter than the wingspan of a modern Boeing 747, it marked the first time a heavier-than-air machine had lifted off the ground under its own power, flown forward without losing speed, and landed at a point as high as that from which it started. By the end of the day, the brothers had flown three more times, with Wilbur piloting the final flight for an impressive 852 feet (260 meters) in 59 seconds.

Scientists just dropped a major win against T-cell leukemia, a notoriously aggressive cancer that often laughs in the face of standard treatments. In a small early trial (published in the New England Journal of Medicine), researchers used "base editing", think of it as a super-precise version of CRISPR, to re-engineer healthy donor T-cells.

They chemically tweaked the DNA of these donor cells so they could:

The result? Patients who had zero options left saw their cancer driven into deep remission. This cleared the path for them to receive a bone marrow transplant, which is the only real shot at a long-term cure.

My Take: This is basically "Control+F, Replace" for the human genome. We aren't just blasting the body with radiation anymore; we are literally rewriting the code of life to program assassin cells.

The coolest part? These are "off-the-shelf" cells. Usually, personalized cancer treatment involves taking your specific cells, tweaking them in a lab for weeks, and praying you don't get sicker while you wait. These new cells can be pre-made and stored, ready to grab like a frozen yogurt (but, you know, life-saving).

Also, let's appreciate the nuance here. This isn't a magic pill you pop and walk away from. It's a "bridge" therapy, it buys you just enough time to survive the brutal process of a bone marrow transplant. It’s not an easy road, but considering the alternative was "game over," it's a massive victory.

Why It Matters:

This episode is profoundly beautiful because it reframes the story of a massive corporation into a deeply human narrative about resilience, dignity, and the power of belief. For me it was an emotional journey.

You watch Mary Kay transform from a seven-year-old girl caring for a dying father, fueled only by her mother’s voice saying "You can do it, Mary Kay", into a visionary who builds an empire on the very day her husband drops dead at the breakfast table.

It is a heart-wrenching yet triumphant testament to the idea that "soft" skills like empathy and praise are actually the hardest and most effective business tools of all.

IN OTHER NEWS

My favourite (and the first) cleaning robot company, Roomba, files for bankrupcy ☹

No more F-150 Lightning - Ford has decided to shift gears on its electric vehicle plans. Instead of continuing with the all-electric F-150 Lightning pickup truck, they're now going to offer it as an extended-range EV. This new version will come with a gas-powered generator to recharge the battery. According to Ford CEO Jim Farley, this change will help build a stronger, more resilient, and more profitable company.

The third chapter of James Cameron’s sci-fi epic is a visual knockout but lacking in new ideas. Avatar: Fire and Ash is a gorgeous spectacle of titanic proportions

Metallurgists have long treated iron in aluminum like a curse. A tiny trace could render the prized lightweight metal brittle, condemning it to structural weakness and corrosion.​​ A team from Nagoya University in Japan has now broken this old rule with the help of 3D printing. These new alloys are designed for applications in the automotive and aerospace industries, such as engines and turbines.

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