The Great Gatsby: Twenty Years Later

The Great Gatsby: Twenty Years Later I had only a mild, foggy memory of reading The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald more than twenty years ago, and of not being particularly impressed by it at the time. Last week, I watched Baz Luhrmann’s film adaptation, and it came as a complete surprise—I realized I didn’t remember a single thing about the story. The film rekindled my interest, and I decided to give the novel another try, as it’s very likely that I—or rather, my younger self—was not able to fully appreciate it back then. As for the movie, I can only recommend it. In an era dominated by reruns, sequels, and the like, it serves as a reminder of how rewarding a truly good story, well told through cinema, can be—and how well spent that time is (something I had almost forgotten). (text revised by a llm) https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1343092/ https://www.primevideo.com/region/eu/detail/0QX5MQ08A4LKK891EPLIYQN2UA/ref=atv_dp_share_cu_r

- Pedro

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In Memory of Professor John Hull

In Memory of Professor John Hull It was with a surprisingly sad and melancholic feeling that I read the news of Professor John Hull’s passing. Not because he was ever my professor, nor because I had the privilege of knowing him personally, but because he has been part of my life for a long time—mainly through his published textbooks, especially Options, Futures, and Other Derivatives (7th Edition). That book enabled me to understand, both conceptually and from a mathematical point of view, what options are and how they can be valued. In doing so, it allowed me to develop my MSc thesis, “Capital Structure Active Management – A Contingent Claim Approach.” For all of this, I offer my heartfelt thanks to Professor Hull, along with my deepest and most sincere condolences to his family. (text revised by a llm) https://repositorio.ucp.pt/entities/publication/25708e4b-dcc0-4130-bd90-e1468c28b7ee https://amzn.eu/d/0iHuM08g https://www.rotman.utoronto.ca/news-events-and-ideas/news-and-stories/2026/january2026/remembering-professor-john-hull/

- Pedro

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IA y matemáticas: cuando la máquina acelera la ciencia

IA y matemáticas: cuando la máquina acelera la ciencia https://elpais.com/ciencia/cafe-y-teoremas/2026-01-05/repensando-las-matematicas-en-la-era-de-la-inteligencia-artificial.html “Por ello, la inteligencia artificial multiplica el alcance del experto, pero, en manos del principiante, puede limitarse a amplificar su ruido.” Artículo muy interesante de El País sobre cómo la inteligencia artificial puede ayudar en el desarrollo del conocimiento y de la ciencia, en particular en el ámbito de las matemáticas. En mi opinión, la IA —hasta prueba en contrario— servirá como un asistente (o cien) que realice todas las comprobaciones necesarias y exhaustivas de las demostraciones y teoremas generados por los científicos, acelerando así el proceso científico por un factor de diez. Además, podrá identificar, a partir de grandes volúmenes de datos ruidosos, patrones y conjeturas (extraer señal de datos muy ruidosos) que serían muy difíciles de detectar para un humano o que requerirían muchísimo tiempo. “Del diálogo entre matemáticas e IA podrían nacer tecnologías más transparentes y fiables y una mejor comprensión de cómo razona la máquina. Impulsar el encuentro entre estas dos disciplinas, tanto en el ámbito empresarial como en la investigación básica, es, por tanto, una tarea urgente. Y esta sinergia solo puede prosperar con un apoyo fuerte y sostenido a ambas áreas por separado.”

- Pedro

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Why NOAA Matters More Than You Think

The first time I read about NOAA (the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) was in The Fifth Risk by Michael Lewis (see my note with a short review below), which details what was done to the agency during Trump’s first administration. This news doesn’t surprise me at all. There is clearly much more here than meets the eye, and the consequences are significant. Somewhat surprisingly, the impact will be felt across all of American society—but it will hit Trump’s own voter base particularly hard, which never ceases to amaze me. I recommend taking a few minutes to read this NASA article; it provides an excellent perspective on what this all entails, especially in the context of the climate-change reality we are currently living in. (text revised by a llm) https://substack.com/@pedrosantospinto/note/c-118088045?utm_source=notes-share-action&r=13q5fd https://www.space.com/the-universe/earth/trump-administrations-noaa-layoffs-affected-the-space-weather-service-that-tracks-solar-storms?lrh=03f1438c92c72183949125dd49c074a04610b96b9cf6b57c817d1e3de0af792e

- Pedro

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Six Love Stories Recommended by The Economist

Six of the best films about love https://economist.com/culture/2025/02/12/six-of-the-best-films-about-love from The Economist The Economist recommends 6 movies about love: 1- Bridget Jones’s Diary (2001) 2- Brokeback Mountain (2005) 3-Casablanca (1942) 4-Past Lives (2023) 5-A Star Is Born (2018) 6-When Harry Met Sally(1989) Must confess that just saw 2 out of the 6 (#1 & #3) but have added all to watch list.

- Pedro

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Turning Data into Actionable Insights: A Lesson from Football

https://www.hudl.com/blog/hpi-25-dr-paul-bradley Can there be a better way to think about data, statistics, and the importance of context when generating insights and defining action plans than applying them to football? Not for me 🙂 It’s the perfect combo. This excellent presentation by Paul Bradley does exactly that. It starts by showing how data can be transformed into information and then into (good) insights. But the real magic happens when context is added: suddenly, those insights come to life, are enriched to a completely different level (×10), and—most importantly—become actionable. Invest 25 minutes of your time—you won’t regret it. If, like me, you slip into a state of flow, you’ll not only learn how these ideas apply to football, but you’ll also find yourself stepping back, taking a deep breath, and reflecting on how to apply them to your own field (even if it’s not sports-related). You’ll be surprised by how much you can take away. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did! (text revised by a llm)

- Pedro

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Is Malthus Right in Burundi?

Burundi is running out of space https://www.economist.com/middle-east-and-africa/2026/01/04/burundi-is-running-out-of-space From The Economist “…Not far from Mr Nduwumwami lives Ezechiel Niyibizi, in abject conditions. His father and uncles fought over the family’s meagre land; after his father died, he was left with nothing. The local government helped him get a tiny house, with an earth floor, and a plot of land ten metres long and wide. When he cannot find waged work, his children sleep hungry….” That sentence made me stop. I took a deep breath and read it again. It still landed like a punch to the stomach. Is Thomas Malthus’s prediction — that “the power of population is indefinitely greater than the power of the earth to produce subsistence” — becoming a reality in Burundi? With 14 million people living in an area not much larger than Wales, even the advances that allow farmers to adopt more intensive and innovative agricultural practices may not be enough. This is something we, in our cozy and comfortable lives, rarely think about. But it is something we should be aware of — and something we should not look away from. (text revised by a llm)

- Pedro

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