Snake Antivenom, Last Supper Effect, Origin of Humour
Apr 19, 2021 5:31 pm
Issue #27
Hey friends 👋🏽,
Welcome back to Thought Caffeine, a weekly newsletter where I share my favourite discoveries during the week.
I am writing today’s issue from Starbucks, having built up the courage to re-engage with public places on a more consistent basis thanks to established physical distancing measures and mask-wearing. Doing work surrounded by people gives me motivation and positive energy. It’s this sense of togetherness that I miss most from lockdown during the pandemic.
No amount of home-brewed coffee or Zoom calls will ever contend with the sensation of comradeship in cafes and libraries.
🐍 Snake antivenom
Traditionally, snake antivenom is harvested from horses by injecting them with low doses of snake venom & extracting the antibodies from their blood. The venom itself does not affect the horses, but this process can be quite taxing since antivenom is unique to the snake species.
Nowadays, scientists are looking at the use of dimercaprol and DMPS to inhibit the in vitro activity of snake venom, which requires zinc to function. Animal models showed protection against saw-scaled vipers. This drug can be taken orally, and scientists hope that DMPS can be used in the future to prolong the venom's onset, buying victims precious time to reach more advanced healthcare facilities.
Learn:
- Why intermittent fasting is difficult (and sometimes ineffective)
- How a 2008 study exposed long-term side effects to fasting
- Why mindset is important in nutrition
- A potential solution proposed by author duo Elyse Resch and Evelyn Tribole
😂 Where humour comes from
I’m stealing this straight from David Perell’s newsletter, so full disclosure: this isn’t my original piece.
No business school would ever teach a humor class, but being funny is more helpful than the majority of things you learn in an MBA.
Where does humor come from?
Here’s an answer from a book called Shtick to Business:
"A benign violation is a paradoxical situation in which something is wrong, threatening, or confusing (a violation), yet simultaneously okay, safe, or makes sense (benign). The resulting laughter says to the world, “That thing that seems wrong is actually okay.
The theory explains the two ways that humor attempts fail. If a situation is solely a violation, it produces outrage and disgust. If the situation is solely benign, it produces boredom.
To be funny, it takes a precise mix of both—the sweet spot in the center."
📚 BOOK GIVEAWAY!
I’ll be giving 5 books away for my newsletter subscribers for free this month!! Terms and conditions will be posted through my social media and in the next (I promise) newsletter issue (Follow my Instagram and Twitter for the latest).
🙂 Other things I've been enjoying
- Book: Love for Imperfect Things. Haemin Sunim imparts worldly wisdom on relationships, toppling ego, and finding happiness in a world that constantly seeks perfection.
- Show: Lupin. Another brilliant Netflix original based on Maurice LeBlanc’s fiction series, featuring protagonist Arsène Lupin on his thieving ventures. It’s French Sherlock with less solving crimes and more causing crimes.
- Starbucks: I live two minutes away from my favourite Starbucks establishment on the entire island. It’s super spacious, cosy, and constantly bustling with positive energy.
📖 Quote of the Week
"Getting rich isn’t about one silver bullet or secret strategy. It happens through regular, boring, disciplined action. Most people see only the results of all this action—a winnable moment or an article in the press. But it’s the behind-the-scenes work that really makes you rich."
From I Will Teach You To Be Rich by Ramit Sethi. Resurfaced via Readwise.
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Hope you have a great week! 🐍
John