“Free speech is not just another value. It's the foundation of Western civilization.” — Jordan Peterson

Today we are announcing a major breakthrough in the Vesuvius Challenge: we have read the first word from an unopened Herculaneum scroll. The word is "πορφυρας" which means "purple dye" or "cloths of purple." Congratulations to 21yo computer science student @LukeFarritor who is the first person to see this handwriting in nearly 2000 years. He has won the $40,000 First Letters prize for this world-historical achievement. We are also awarding a $10,000 First Ink prize to @CJHandmer who was the first person to see ink and multiple letters within an unopened scroll. His work was the basis of Luke's ML model. And @Youssef_M_Nader has won a $10,000 second-place First Letters prize for producing the clearest and most comprehensive images from inside a scroll yet. This has been the dream of many people since the scrolls were first discovered in the 1750s. It is also the result of 20 years of work from Dr. Brent Seales and his team at EduceLab, whose years of dedicated work have made this last mile possible. The $700,000 Vesuvius Challenge Grand Prize is now in sight. Who will claim it?

🇦🇷🚀 Argentina surpassed Colombia in oil production. The growth of Vaca Muerta and investment-friendly reforms, thanks to the policies carried out by @JMilei, have boosted the Argentine industry. 🇨🇴 📉In contrast, the Colombian industry faces lower investment and higher tax burdens.

Ken Thompson, co-creator of the C programming language, shares the origins of UNIX. "I built it for me."

Transferring GOLD vs transferring BITCOIN

People often ask me why they should read this book. @homsiT said it best: “This book is a force multiplier for personal agency.” If you read it, you’ll realize that pessimists and doomers of all kinds are simply wrong. People who seek to curtail your freedom to pursue the ends they consider “good” are also just wrong. Progress is neither guaranteed nor automatic—so blind “optimists” are also wrong. You will leave with a robust understanding of why the future depends on the choices people make today—and ultimately, why you, as an individual, matter in the cosmic scheme of things because you possess the agency to create the future you want for yourself. “Every human is a lottery ticket bet on the future of the species.” — @naval If we continue to solve problems, we will come to dominate the entire cosmos. All you need to do is take nothing on faith, question every piece of knowledge, and remain open to having your own ideas criticized and improved upon. That’s the only way to make an unending stream of progress and ensure that anything good can ever happen.