The Saturday Morning Newsletter #74
No Buy January, Nuclear on the Moon, and Whether Life is All a Game
This Week I’m Tracking: 12 developments across the sectors shaping our future
Reading Time: 5 minutes of curated insights
Your weekly pulse check: The most important events in venture capital, energy, space, economics, intellectual property, philosophy, and more. I distill the most important developments across sectors I track, saving you hours of research while keeping you ahead of the curve.
New to these updates? They pair with our bi-weekly Brainwave analyses for comprehensive sector coverage. Wednesday’s deep dive explored a special edition interview - catch up here.
Refer a Friend - Earn These Rewards
Let’s dive in.
#1: Zanskar
Description: Zanskar is a geothermal energy developer.
Why Is This Company Interesting? Zanskar recently raised $115M in venture capital funding. Zanskar is bringing artificial intelligence to geothermal energy, leveraging the technology’s vast capabilities to analyze data and identify the best locations for their commercial power plants. Their technology is already operating at commercial sites across the country, establishing the Company as a forerunner in geothermal energy.
#2: Jetson
Description: Jetson is a heat pump manufacturer.
Why Is This Company Interesting? Jetson recently raised $50M in venture capital funding. Jetson is revolutionizing the ease of transitioning to heat pumps. They can be installed in one day, and their app monitors temperatures, machinery health, and energy costs to help you proactively address any situation.
#3: SenseUP
Description: SenseUP is a developer of biopesticides using RNA technology.
Why Is This Company Interesting? SenseUP recently raised $3.5M in venture capital funding. SenseUP utilizes science to solve modern crop protection issues. The influx of chemical treatments has caused many harmful side effects, so many farmers and producers are switching back to more advanced biotech alternatives. SenseUP is the next iteration of this technology, enabling efficient production through fermentation while providing targeted protection.
#4: Noveon Magnetics
Description: Noveon Magnetics is a manufacturer of rare-earth magnets.
Why Is This Company Interesting? Noveon recently raised $215M in venture capital funding. The United States sources over 90% of the materials required to produce our magnets from China. Given how critical they are to our modern life, this incredible dependence on foreign entities leaves us vulnerable. As such, firms like Noveon are striving to develop domestic energy supplies to power the future.
#5: Klir
Description: Klir is an operations software provider for water utilities.
Why Is This Company Interesting? Klir recently raised $10M in venture capital funding. Klir provides utilities with an option to gather actionable insights from the vast quantities of data they aggregate. This helps utilities evaluate limits, generate revenue, cut costs, and prioritize sustainability.
Scientific American: NASA Commits to Plan to Build a Nuclear Reactor On the Moon
This week, NASA and the U.S. Department of Energy announced a collaboration to build the first nuclear fission reactor on the Moon by 2030. The goal of the reactor will be to operate for years without refueling, providing vital energy for the Artemis program’s bases on the moon. The eventual goal is to establish a long-term human presence on the Moon.
Magnolia Tribune: Advanced Nuclear is America’s Strategic Energy Advantage
America’s economy will require enormous amounts of energy. This has sparked heated debate recently, as many argue over the best sources of this energy, ranging from coal to gas to renewables to nuclear. Advanced nuclear shines as one of the best sources (if not the best), so it should be highly pursued as a major energy solution to this growing need.
Fast Company: Clean Energy is Still Booming Despite Trump’s Best Efforts
Even after a year of Trump’s return to office, clean energy is still growing rapidly in the U.S. In 2025, nearly all new energy added to the grid came from solar, wind, and batteries. That’s an astonishing trend, factoring in the fact that fossil fuels dominated the energy mix for so long. In 2026, it’s projected that all net new generating capacity will be from renewable energy and batteries, signalling the continuation of a longer-term trend.
Space: SpaceX Crew Return to Earth After 1st-Ever Medical Evacuation of ISS
The four astronauts were expected to remain in space for another month or two, but had to come home early after one of them experienced a medical issue. Surprisingly, this is the first time in the history of the ISS that a mission had to be shortened due to a health issue. This speaks to the caliber of the human astronauts who are selected, emphasizing their general physical abilities and fitness.
The New Yorker: Is Life A Game?
Everything in our world is scored and ranked. This leads to the pursuit of “value capture,” which philosopher C. Thi Nguyen defines as what occurs when you get your values from some external source and let them rule you without adapting them. It’s difficult to look beyond scoring and external validation in search of something with unmeasured value that actually matters to us—but this is critical to living a fulfilled life.
Big Think: Why Stoicism Treats Self Control As A Form of Intelligence
In this interview, Massimo Pigliucci describes content from his latest book, Beyond Stoicism, talking more about living rationally, conducting a life based on reason, and how to deal with or emotions in the best way we can. Would highly recommend!
The Wall Street Journal: No Buy January
One major New Year’s resolution gaining traction recently is “No Buy January”. It’s a challenge to eliminate purchases of anything nonessential: clothes, skincare products, electronics, eating out, etc.
The thought is that if we don’t change our behaviors now, it will only continue to spiral out of control and become harder in the future.
Honestly, I think this is an exciting idea that brings people back to their essentialist roots. Are these purchases necessary? Often, the answer we’ll give is no.
Initial surveys estimate that up to 10% of Americans have tried No Buy January, and the trend seems set to continue. It’s a bit late to capture all of January, but that doesn’t mean you can’t start today.
That’s a wrap on this week’s roundup.
Found this analysis valuable? The best way to support Brainwaves is to share it with someone who’d benefit from these insights.
Drew Jackson
Founder & Writer
Refer a Friend - Earn Rewards
If you found this useful, chances are someone in your network will too. The best way Brainwaves grows is through recommendations from readers like you—people trust their friends far more than they trust ads. Use your unique referral link to share this post and unlock exclusive rewards along the way. See what you can earn.
Keep Exploring
Next Deep Dive: Revisiting Value Creation & Capture - February 4th, 2026
Previous Editions: View the archive here
Stay Connected
New to Brainwaves? Join hundreds of readers getting bi-weekly deep dives into the forces reshaping our world.
Sponsor This Newsletter: Reach an engaged audience of forward-thinking readers. Email us for details.
Disclaimer: Views expressed are personal opinions, not financial advice. This content is educational only. Investment decisions carry risks - always consult professionals and do your own research. All sponsorships are clearly disclosed.
© 2026 Brainwaves. All rights reserved.