Curiosities

I've decided to track my curiosities and thoughts for a while for one week:

1. Is there anyone else planning/building nuclear like Terra Power? Will we ever be able to work with China again? Is there another place that we can collaborate/build with other than China? Are there any politicians who understand how critical relations with China are because of a possible revolution in clean energy (which is literally the best field possible to innovate)?
1. Others are: Transatomic Power (uranium fluoride-lithium fluoride mixture), Gen4 (smaller reactor that can be replicated quickly in remote areas). Note: TerraPower (traveling wave reactor). [https://spectrum.ieee.org/energy/nuclear/terrapowers-nuclear-reactor-could-power-the-21st-century]
2. The 'revolution' of clean energy is real. Terra Power's 5 v current 21 metric tons of waste, Terra Powers ability to use depleted Uranium (aka now we could actually start cleaning up the waste). Revolution is not an overstatement.
2. Is solar really better overall compared to the usual power plant? Do solar panels degrade or recycle well?
1. Yes, no negative mark on environment via solar. Also, essentially no maintenance compared to fossil fuel plants (which everyone understands are terrible for the environment). recyclable: made up of glass plastic aluminum and silicon (the solar part). 
3. If you flood the world, how long does it take for plant life to come back?
1. months. they could survive on when trees uprooted and brought soil which make vegetation mats. Noah was instructed to get them in the ark as sources of food, so a few days of excreted seeds would be there. Obviously, water loving trees and saltwater loving trees would be fine. 
4. Is there a benefit to deserts or should we cattle them all into usable farmland? best research and plan by Allan Savory
1. benefit: minerals and collect carbon dioxide. plants collect carbon dioxide also. and have other benefits excluding minerals. [https://sciencing.com/why-are-deserts-important-12322785.html]
5. "don't muzzle the oxen while it's treading out the grain"
1. don't exploit the animal by limiting its food while it's helping you make the food. I think a lot of people can agree to this, including those who exploit their employees in the same way.
6. Is "try-your-best" culture actually unhealthy? @Soul of Shame by Curt Thompson
1. ?
7. What would be the best things to focus everyone's extra money on?
1. inside bill [gate]'s brain @ netflix offers a head start on what he thought were the biggest needs: clean water, eradication of polio, clean energy
2. anything that leads to other innovations. Which is what a lot of money is already being spent on - education. 
3. Clean energy allows for everything though. With more energy, we get more people able to work (giving remote areas internet and education), but more importantly we can stop using other energy.
4. 
   
8. Can I keep a large sturgeon in a wading pool or light colored/reflective box without it overheating in the water on a Texas porch? If so, can begin aquaponics.
1. Sturgeon are becoming endangered due to caviar - don't contribute. They need a lot of space. temp < 77 degrees Fahrenheit.
9. Can I find free jazz piano lessons online suited that take you from a classical pianist but beginner in jazz step by step
1. Yes. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrpk_WB_F6y8d2zwNqhSgkw
10. Could I start a career in real estate fast enough to make it worthwhile to switch temporarily and then permanently if things work out very well?
1. If I’m lucky with a starting firm. Otherwise, and most likely, no.
11. How could I possibly show case managerial abilities to somebody that I do not know (and without hard and/or paid experience)?
1. More connections.
12. How can I get rid of my criticality in a way that I could teach others to do the same?
1. Spend time purposefully looking for good things in people until it becomes natural again. Dale Carnegie - How to win friends and influence people
13. First fish for aquarium?
1. check what's at the stores, likely and great: bristlenose pleco, 2 females, 1 male (prevent males fighting), good amount. only have 22 gallons. May not even be enough...
2. add shrimp a few weeks later. Male pleco are aggressive in new tanks and doing shrimp then pleco = dead shrimp (likely)
14. Can you fix a broken metabolism? How can you be sure it's broken? What do you do? Can you increase metabolism?
1. Yes. Supplements:
1. T4 -(iodine)-> T3 : via kelp or seaweed (iodized salt is typically too stripped)
2. Chromium supp @ Amazon- GLUT4 receptor to surface of cell = pulls glucose out of the blood and uses it -> can’t go through storage mechanism to glycogen. 
3. 12oz water, 1/2 tsp cayenne (warmer&DA), 1/2 lemon, 1-2tbsp apple cider vinegar, some salt to help cravings (salt and sweet get ),
4. Can overeat PROTEIN, (study at hypercholeric state - protein group - extra protein turns to muscle. more lean muscle = higher metabolism)
5. Leptin = we have enough fat, we can metabolize fat. leptin is in carbs. spike leptin without fat else it turns into inc fat storage. one meal spike prn.
6. slow down on HIT - if you’re pushing it, your cortisol levels will stay high, then you accumulate body fat. adrenal glands are shot.
7. caffeine = produce more adrenaline and norepi. hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis. it will come with cortisol spike.
8. note: some diets reduce sodium too much (I experienced this while doing a bulking diet. Eating an insane amount and gaining nothing, getting lightheaded (salt issue). So I brought a pinch back in, but it was still low. and in the end of the whole thing, I ended up gaining muscle and fat % maintaining same weight (almost as expected) but messed up metabolism. Axis = low sodium -> inc aldosterone (to hold water and salt). inc cortisol (aldosterone paired with cortisol). high cortisol = hold visceral fat (pot belly).
9. 36 hour fast: kick start metabolic processes. BMC genomics - mornings after fast, have insulin sensitive muscle but more resistant fat cells. end in morning. diurnal rhythm = less fat storage in morning than evening. [this is probably the only reason found that makes breakfast better than fasting breakfast]. I’m stronger with breakfast. oats.
10. white -> brown fat conversion: white = insulation, body fat. brown = thermogenesis. turmeric does this. not involving catecholamine (norepi).
11. Low carb high fat diet = 45lbs / 4mo study, on keto diet (low carb high fat diet) - kept same metabolic rate and lean body mass. Usually, when losing weight, you slow down metabolism.
12. https://youtu.be/jwdEcbZ0-zI
15. Breakfast most important meal of the day v. Intermittent fasting
1. Betts et al study: resting metabolic rate is the same on fasting or not fasting. No change. Thermogenesis via physical activity is reduced in fasting group. 
2. Eating less meals usually results in less calories overall. However, fasting triggers a reduced physical activity thermogenesis (meaning physical activity is burning less fat). So balances out. Also, skipping a meal typically means the avg person eats 161 calories extra in the other 2 meals than the 2 meals they would have if they also ate breakfast. STill, overall less calories, but the reduced physical activity thermogenesis = no weight loss. (Causal role of breakfast in energy balance and health: a randomized controlled trial in lean adults). So, if you can workout stronger after breakfast, then eat breakfast.
3. https://youtu.be/tDzpOdhAygA
16. Is tap water still safe? (Last research is from 2010)
1. Yes, but maybe not longterm.
2. Carcinogens in water: water regulations allow for more carcinogens than what FDA recommends. It’s very hard to do any studies on water and such trace levels of carcinogens (some include what is used to treat water to make it safer than the altnerative). Very tricky process entirely. Also, do not know what is the best value alternative system to tap water
17. Is credit cards cycling worth it if you're not traveling or spending much?
1. Absolutely not worth it. Never ADD expenses to get the deals. Only take a deal if you were already going to meet it. Otherwise, the savings are not worth it. I don't make enough money, so this is not for me right now.
2. However, it would be ideal to charge my crazy rent to a card each month and reap the rewards for $x/mo spent on new open credit card. That may be worth looking into in the future.
18. How do you motivate yourself to not do bad things?
1. Studies have never failed to show that positive reinforcement is better than negative reinforcement. so I apply it. Focus on changing mindsets rather than actions. "I want to be x," rather than, "I don't want to be -x". 
19. Is it even worth being involved in politics?
1. Voting yes. If you're interested, yes. If you're not interested, yes. Everyone should AT LEAST be educated/informed. Most should be informing/influencing