Reads That Made Me Think #1

I’m trying something new: a weekly roundup of ideas and articles that made me stop and think.

I read a lot, but only a few things each week really stick with me—ideas that challenge my assumptions or spark new ways of thinking. Here’s what stood out to me this week.

1. How I Came in First on ARC-AGI-Pub
   

   Jeremy Berman
   achieved a record-breaking score on ARC-AGI using an iterative “Evolutionary Test-Time Compute” method, where LLMs generate, test, and refine Python functions to solve abstract puzzles. His approach demonstrates how scaling compute and mimicking evolution can push current AI models closer to reasoning, though it raises the question: are we brute-forcing intelligence, or inching toward something more profound?
   
   If this method hints at a path to AGI, it also exposes its limitations—current models still lack true deductive reasoning. What’s missing may be a shift toward conceptual understanding over token prediction, aligning AI closer to how humans reason. Could this be the breakthrough AGI needs, or is it just another step in a longer evolution?
   

2. 2035: An Allocator Looks Back Over the Last 10 Years
   Cliff Asness from AQR gives us a cheeky glimpse of the next decade in investing, mocking everything from cryptocurrencies (“fartcoin”) to overhyped tech. But the humor disguises a deeper point: what’s going to last?
   
   The market is ruthless in separating the ephemeral from the durable, but the process is rarely obvious in real time. Reading this, I couldn’t help but ask: what are we all overhyping today that will look absurd in a decade? And conversely, what’s quietly compounding in the background while everyone’s distracted?
   

3. How a Pioneering Blackjack Master Beats the Odds of Aging
   Edward Thorp—math wizard, blackjack master, and hedge fund pioneer—has another achievement to his name: looking 30 years younger than his actual age of 91. His secret? A portfolio approach to health: exercise, diet, managing risk, and, most importantly, relentless curiosity.
   
   What struck me is how Thorp’s philosophy mirrors his investment strategy. Health, like wealth, is about compounding small, deliberate choices over time. The man who cracked blackjack seems to have cracked the code for longevity too—proof that curiosity isn’t just good for the mind; it’s good for everything else.
   

4. The Intelligence Curse
   

   Luke Drago
   makes a compelling case that AGI will reshape the incentives of corporations and states, driving them to invest in intelligence rather than people. He likens AGI to a resource like oil—predictable, scalable, and controlled by a few actors—displacing humans as the primary driver of economic value.
   
   I think this outcome is not just possible, but probable, though the timeline remains uncertain. If AGI lives up to its promise, it’s worth considering how societies and economies might adapt when human labor no longer holds the same importance. This isn’t cause for alarm, but rather an opportunity to think through how value, agency, and purpose could evolve in this new world.
   

5. Science’s Greatest Discoverers
   A Nature study reveals that interdisciplinary thinkers—scientists who dare to cross boundaries and disciplines—are responsible for the majority of Nobel Prize breakthroughs. This flies in the face of academia’s love affair with hyperspecialization.
   
   It makes me wonder: is “range” the secret weapon for not just science, but investing? The ability to connect dots across seemingly unrelated fields feels increasingly rare—and valuable. Maybe the best ideas don’t come from digging deeper into one trench but from wandering across many.

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I hope you found these reads as interesting as I did. Have you come across any great reads this week? Drop me a note—I’d love to hear what’s been on your mind.