What we’re reading (2/22)
“Physicists Question Microsoft’s Quantum Claim” (Wall Street Journal). “Microsoft’s announcement of a quantum-computing breakthrough generated a wave of excitement this week—but physicists who have reviewed the work say they aren’t convinced of the finding. The company claims to have created an elusive particle called a Majorana particle that one day could power a quantum computer, enabling it to crunch data exponentially faster than is currently possible. The announcement, made Wednesday in a blog post on Microsoft’s website, coincided with research the company published in Nature on the same day. But that paper doesn’t provide conclusive evidence of the breakthrough, according to scientists who reviewed the work.”
“Fed-Favored Inflation Gauge Is Set To Ease To Seven-Month Low” (Bloomberg). “The Federal Reserve’s preferred inflation metric is expected to cool to the slowest pace since June, but glacial progress on taming price pressures overall will keep policymakers cautious about lowering interest rates further.”
“AI Bosses Are Feeling The High-Stakes Pressure” (Business Insider). “‘Almost every decision that I make feels like it's kind of balanced on the edge of a knife — like, you know, if we don't build fast enough, then the authoritarian countries could win,’ Amodei said. ‘If we build too fast, then the kinds of risks that Demis is talking about and that we've written about a lot, you know, could prevail.’”
“Warren Buffett Amasses More Cash And Sells More Stock, But Doesn’t Explain Why In Annual Letter” (CNBC). “Berkshire’s monstrous ownership of cash has raised questions among shareholders and observers especially as interest rates are expected to fall from their multi-year highs. The Berkshire CEO and chairman in recent years has expressed frustration about an expensive market and few buying opportunities. Some investors and analysts have grown impatient with the lack of action and have sought an explanation why.”
“Sunshine, Beaches, And Lower Costs: How South Carolina Became A Relocation Destination” (Yahoo! Finance). “Last year, South Carolina was the top destination by a U-Haul measure of one-way moving equipment rentals, unseating Texas for the first time in three years. The state saw a net 68,000 domestic movers in 2024, according to Census Bureau data.”
