Contrary to popular belief, St. Patrick’s Day was not invented by a New England frat-house as an excuse for a kegger.

St. Patrick’s Day is more than a thousand years old and celebrates St. Patrick - born in Roman Britain, kidnapped and taken to Ireland as a slave. Wild origin story.

It started becoming a big deal in the US in the 1700s.

And now it’s celebrated by people claiming they’re “actually Irish” because their Great-Great-Uncle studied in Dublin…or whatever.

Top links from today:

Rescue in space
Baby sloth born
Polyfunctional robots are coming

Markets

*Source: CoinGecko.com As of 8:06PM March 16, 2025

World news

Top news stories of the past week

1) Space rescue on track: SpaceX has successfully launched its mission to rescue the astronauts stuck on the International Space Station for NINE MONTHS. They docked at the ISS and the astronauts should be returning home in a couple of days. When they docked, the astronauts who went up to rescue/replace them also played a quality prank (see below).

2) Gold reaches new heights: Gold just crossed $3,000 per ounce for the first time ever and is up almost 40% in the past 12 months. As a safe-haven asset, gold usually rises during economic uncertainty, which is happening right now (thanks to tariffs). Interestingly, it’s not just demand driving prices high, but a huge supply crunch.

3) “World’s most powerful company” pays protection: Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC), the world’s largest producer of microchips, has pledged to invest $100 billion in the US. Aside from the huge amount, why is this a big deal? Taiwan, where the company is based, is in a politically precarious spot - its sovereignty is under threat from China, which holds that Taiwan is part of their country. The concern is that moving TSMC away from Taiwan could threaten the very political stability of the country itself.

Top WEIRD stories of the past week

1) Every year in honor of St. Patrick’s Day, Chicago dyes the river Charles bright green.

2) In a truly revolutionary event in the history of crime, four shoplifting suspects in Tennessee used pythons to distract a store cashier while they stole $400 worth of CBD oil. Do the snakes get arrested as complicit in the crime?

3) A sloth baby was born in the San Diego Zoo. Two fun facts: 1) sloth babies are called pups, and 2) is cute.

Personal finance

Ultimate Financial Checklist

Are you in your 30s and wondering if you're on track financially?

Most people think they’re doing fine—but small gaps today can become huge regrets later.

That’s why we put together The Ultimate Financial Checklist for Your 30s—a simple, step-by-step guide to help you:

✅ Optimize your spending
✅ Build your emergency fund
✅ Crush high-interest debt
✅ Max out employer benefits
✅ Start investing with confidence

Technology

On the edge - Polyfunctional robots

Can openers open cans and potato mashers mash potatoes. Similarly, many robots today are used for narrow purposes - like building very specific parts of a car. However, all this could change with polyfunctional robots.

Polyfunctional robots can perform a wide range of tasks. They could seamlessly move, for example, between assembly, inspection, welding, and packaging without requiring manual reconfiguration or specialized tools. They achieve this adaptability through a combination of modular hardware, advanced sensors, artificial intelligence, and machine learning capabilities.

Polyfunctional robots are a big deal because they can enhance efficiency, reduce operational costs, and improve flexibility across industries. By performing multiple functions, these robots eliminate the need for separate specialized machines, streamlining processes and maximizing productivity. Their adaptability makes them invaluable in dynamic environments where tasks may change frequently, such as manufacturing, healthcare, logistics, and agriculture.

Chart

You like charts? Graphs? Ya you do

The stock market has officially entered correction territory! What does this mean? A fall of 10% or more from all-time highs. This has happened every 1.2 years on average since 1980.

Investment idea

What are we investing in?

Small US companies

Right now could be a smart time to invest in small US companies for a couple of reasons. First, they’re getting help from falling interest rates, which makes it cheaper for them to borrow money. 

Second, many small businesses also benefit from companies moving their factories back to the US (called “reshoring”), which creates more local jobs and demand for smaller suppliers. Reshoring is being stimulated by rising tariffs.

On the flip-side, protectionist trade policies (like tariffs) can also hurt small companies that rely on imported materials or exporting goods, as they can’t afford teams to handle complex trade rules. However, these policies might help small US-focused businesses by encouraging companies to make products locally instead of overseas.

Two simple ETF options to invest in small US companies are:

1. Schwab US Small Cap ETF (SCHA): Tracks small US companies with low fees (0.04%).

2. iShares Core S&P Small-Cap ETF (IJR): Follows 600 small US companies and costs 0.06% yearly.

History

On this day…

…in 1861, the Kingdom of Italy was proclaimed, unifying the Italian peninsula. To all our Italian readers: thank you for pasta.

Music

Banger of the week

High-energy set to work out to. Also some awesome drone footage.

Most important thing

Meme? Nah. Art.