The Saturday Morning Newsletter #57
Futurists, Nothing, Psychedelics, MBAs, Cargo, and More
👋 Hello friends,
Thank you for joining this week’s edition of The Saturday Morning Newsletter. I’m Drew Jackson, and today we’re exploring 19 articles, essays, companies, ideas, podcasts, videos, or thoughts that caught my attention this week for their potential to significantly impact our future.
Before we begin: The Saturday Morning Newsletter by Brainwaves arrives in your inbox every Saturday, a concise and casual digest of current events, optimistic news stories, and other interesting tidbits about venture capital, economics, space, energy, intellectual property, philosophy, and beyond. I write as a curious explorer rather than an expert, and I value your insights and perspectives on each subject.
Time to Read: 6 minutes.
Let’s dive in!
#1: XL Batteries
Description: XL Batteries is a developer of long-duration batteries.
Why Is This Company Interesting? XL Batteries recently raised $7.5M in venture capital funding. As utility grids continue to experience strain from outsized demand, long-term duration batteries provide a solution. XL Batteries is creating a non-flammable battery that doesn’t rely on rare earth elements, further securing domestic supply chains.
Description: The Protein Brewery is a producer of fungi-based ingredients.
Why Is This Company Interesting? The Protein Brewery recently raised $30M in venture capital funding. The Protein Brewery is aiming to create the next generation of protein. Fermotein, their solution, contains protein, fiber, essential vitamins, and more. It’s around 50% protein, 40% fiber, and 10% the rest.
#3: Factor2 Energy
Description: Factor2 Energy is a geothermal startup.
Why Is This Company Interesting? Factor2 Energy recently raised $9.1M in venture capital funding. Factor2 Energy leverages CO2 to create durable geothermal energy. Instead of using water to transfer heat, their technology uses CO2, finding a beneficial use for the greenhouse gas.
Description: Time Travelling Milkman is a developer of dairy-free cream.
Why Is This Company Interesting? Time Travelling Milkman recently raised $2M in venture capital funding. You’ve probably heard of many dairy alternatives. For me, sunflower was a new one. It provides a creamy, unsaturated fat-rich blend that feels and acts very similar to dairy products.
#5: Telo
Description: Telo is a developer of electric pickup trucks for cities.
Why Is This Company Interesting? Telo recently raised $20M in venture capital funding. Telo is redesigning the electric pickup truck. To be honest, I don’t know if I would ever drive something like this (purely the design, I love the idea). Their goal was to create a compact truck with the performance of similar gas-powered models while running all on electric.
Food & Water Watch: 5 Reasons Why Expanding Nuclear is a Terrible Idea
I’m always game to hear a conflicting opinion. Here are their 5 reasons:
Nuclear Energy Poses Radioactive Health Threats, from Uranium Mining to Power Plants
U.S. Officials STILL Lack a Safe Plan for Nuclear Waste
Nuclear Is Not a Climate Solution
Nuclear Energy Is Dependent on Precious Water Resources
Nuclear Energy Is Way More Expensive Than Renewables
Forbes: The Race for Nuclear Power Dominance Accelerates
Major countries across the globe have simultaneously come to the conclusion that nuclear power isn’t optional, it’s critical to the future of AI and modern society. Nuclear problems are all being addressed with innovative new designs, new agreements, and state subsidizations. It’s very much becoming a race to see who can deploy the best technology the fastest.
SolarShades Club: How Climate Broke Reality
Climate change has fractured our shared sense of reality, with some introducing denial and conspiracy theories that prevent meaningful action and deepen societal anxieties. The author argues that people secretly understand what climate change is and that it is a problem, but they choose convenient falsehoods over uncomfortable truths and actions. We need to band together to tackle this monstrous hurdle, and that’s only possible together.
Reasons to Be Cheerful: One City’s Race to ‘Solarize Everything We Possibly Can’
Bordeaux has the ambitious goal to solarize everything, according to the deputy mayor responsible for climate change and energy transition. In 2020, Bordeaux produced just 3% of its own energy. That number is projected to be 41% in 2026. It’s very possible that this model can be replicated in similar cities across the globe, alleviating much of the burden on struggling energy grids.
New York Times: At Global Climate Summit, U.S. Isolation Was on Full Display
The vast majority of nations gathered this week to pledge to reduce greenhouse gases. A noticeable country was missing: the U.S. President Trump has been hostile to renewable energy, believing that the clean energy transition is a path to economic ruin.
Space: Northrop Grumman’s Cargo Spacecraft
The debut mission of Northrop Grumman’s new jumbo cargo spacecraft went well, arriving at the International Space Station earlier this week. It flew on a SpaceX Falcon 9 then grappled with the ISS. It was one day late due to a thruster issue but got there in the end.
Space: Musk & Mars
Elon thinks that humanity could get a sustainable, self-sufficient Mars settlement up and going in the next 30 years. It would take some advances with our heavy-lift launch technology, but the capabilities are present. Ramping up production and rocket tonnage is incredibly important and will be an early sign of future timelines.
The Wall Street Journal: Nuclear Power on the Moon
The U.S. wants to put a nuclear reactor on the moon. Proponents are skeptical, since the U.S. can’t even build them on Earth well. NASA is fast tracking efforts to land a reactor on the moon by late 2029. This is an incredibly tight timeline, especially for space.
Pitchbook: Should You Get An MBA for VC?
Research by a professor at Stanford found that in the early 2000s, 44% of mid-career professionals entering venture capital had their MBA. Now, that’s around 32%. So, do you need it to get into VC? No, but there are still many who choose to get it—sometimes as a career pivot, sometimes for networking, or many other reasons.
New York Times: Four Economists Dissect Trump and the Economy
The Fed met this week and four economists weigh in on the future. The prevailing thought is that there will be uncertainty in the future, economic fluctuations will affect groups differently, the job market isn’t as bad as we think it is, AI continues to add value to the economy, and overall we’re probably still in stagflation.
The Guardian: A Philosopher’s Guide to Psychedelics
Justin Smith-Ruiu describes in his book how psychedelics “dissolve our sense and make us part of the cosmic consciousness.” Using these substances, we can see the world completely differently, seeing human beings as “infinite reservoirs of light and wisdom.” We won’t ever be able to see this world from an all-knowing, all-seeing viewpoint, but psychedelics might help us get closer.
The Tribune: Doing Absolutely Nothing, Without Guilt
Life isn’t a race; sometimes it’s good to stop and rest for a bit—especially when you can do it without feeling guilty. Plato called this the “ideal state.” Ease is an art, something that needs to be practiced and perfected but when done so, can add tremendous value to your life. Modern times aren’t optimized for ease; in fact, they’re optimized to the very opposite. We need to rebuff these trends and bring back some times of doing absolutely nothing in our lives and not feel guilty.
Zawya: Futurists X Summit 2025
The Futurists X Summit took place this week, hosting over half of the world’s top ranked futurists. The goal was to articulate AI-based policy solutions and future-proof breakthroughs, addressing the exponential pace of technological change versus the linear adaptation of policy and governance. If you’re interested, I would recommend diving deeper.
SpaceX agreed to pay ~$17B for wireless spectrum from EchoStar. Why should you care?
SpaceX will now be able to offer direct-to-device Starlink services on its own frequencies, rather than those leased from others.
This furthers the development of Starlink and other space-based internet services.
SpaceX has already grown home broadband through Starlink and the partnership with T-Mobile. That enabled them to expand into the mobile-phone sector. These new spectrum rights would significantly improve Starlink’s ability to connect with cellphones in remote areas out of cellphone towers’ reach.
See you Wednesday for Brainwaves,
Drew Jackson
Website: brainwaves.me
Twitter: @brainwavesdotme
Email: brainwaves.me@gmail.com
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Disclaimer: The views expressed in this content are my own and do not represent the views of any of the companies I currently work for or have previously worked for. This content does not contain financial advice - it is for informational and educational purposes only. Investing contains risks and readers should conduct their own due diligence and/or consult a financial advisor before making any investment decisions. Any sponsorship or endorsements are noted and do not affect any editorial content produced.