Universe Hints, Dysmorphia, The Talking Dead 🪐

Using an AI-powered app to enjoy fine art might seem odd at first, but hear us out. Since the pandemic, fewer people are going to museums, plays, and movies. Even before, only about 25% to 31% of US adults visited a museum annually.

So, to get people back into the arts, maybe we need to reach them where they spend most of their time—on their phones.

Several startups think so. 

Rebind Publishing, for example, just launched an AI reading platform where users can chat with bots trained in expert analysis. Jumbo Mana created an AI-powered Vincent van Gogh to answer questions at an exhibit in France’s Musee D’Orsay. Hello History lets users chat with historical figures via AI, and Orson’s StoryShop.ai lets you create your own history through information it gathers via automated interviews.

Museums are also getting tech-savvy with immersive art installations and AR apps that explain the art's history. 

Tech is helping analyze artifacts. 

Last year, 2,000-year-old Herculaneum scrolls were read using X-ray and AI. Meanwhile, missing parts of a Rembrandt painting were recreated with AI.

There’s a new hustle recipe taking off on TikTok, and it has a lot to do with psychic beliefs. 

Most experienced investors would say that they rely on brokers or market sentiments for advice, but young people are turning to astrology and intuition. 

One TikToker, Stefaniya Nova, aka @blonderichwitch, uses these methods for day trading and claims success. For instance, she avoids trading during certain lunar phases. And it seems to work! She posted a TikTok showing a $300 gain from Amazon shares in eight minutes and a monthly earning of nearly $6,000. 

Taking “Work smarter, not harder” in a different sense

Influencers are trusting the universe for financial success, using techniques like lunar cycles for Bitcoin and astrology for crypto trading. Their logic: historically, figures like J.P. Morgan and W.D. Gann used astrology for investments (though their methods remain controversial).

For example: If you look at the correlation between the Dow Jones Industrial Average falling and days with total solar eclipse, you could—for a moment—believe these eccentric ideals. On or shortly after five of the seven total solar eclipses visible in the U.S. since 1932, the Dow Jones fell, according to an analysis by Axios.

J.P. Morgan famously said, “Millionaires don’t use astrology, billionaires do.” Rumor has it he canceled his scheduled trip on the Titanic last-minute because his astrologer warned against it.

However, experts like Samuel Hartzmark from Boston College warn against basing financial decisions on perceptions, noting that real investors wouldn’t use such methods.

Hartzmark acknowledges that people seek control in complex financial decisions, making them susceptible to simplified strategies. Gen Z, in particular, turns to investing out of fear of missing out and the desire for financial independence.

Surely, you’re all familiar with body dysmorphia — a condition where someone fixates on physical flaws that aren't noticeable to others. 

Now, there's a similar term for people with a skewed view of their finances: "money dysmorphia."

Money dysmorphia is when someone feels anxious or insecure about their money situation, even if there's no real problem. 

A Credit Karma survey found that 43% of Gen Z and 41% of millennials say they have money dysmorphia.

Many who experience this feel "behind" financially, even when they're doing well or have solid savings. So, why the disconnect? Both Gen Z and millennials have lived through some turbulent times, like a pandemic and a recession, which stunted their career growth. Combine that with student loan debt and skyrocketing housing costs, and big life milestones like buying a home or starting a family often get delayed.

Yet, over half of those with money dysmorphia aren't just seeking stability—they want to be rich. Credit Karma suggests that constant social media exposure leads to unrealistic lifestyle comparisons and poor financial decisions, like overspending to keep up. 

So, if you feel stressed about money, remember: it's not just you, and it might not be as bad as it seems.

🔘 Power To Kill - TikTok confirmed that it offered the US government a "kill switch" - the power to shut the platform down in 2022 - in an attempt to address lawmakers' data protection and national security concerns. 

🍟 Free Fries Friday - McDonald's will give app users who spend a minimum of $1 on Fridays free fries with their order, in an effort to win back inflation-scorned customers.

🛢️ Slipping Up - Oil prices have gone up 10% in just two weeks, thanks to rising Middle East tensions.

👬 Can You Tell? - A test to see if you can tell the difference between a human face and an AI-created fake

❓DYK - Using AI to generate a single image can gobble up as much energy as fully charging your smartphone.

🔌 Worse Than Flights - The global data centers that power AI platforms account for 2.5% to 3.7% of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions — surpassing the aviation sector.