Overview
Today’s feed swung from a headline-grabbing AI proof to cashierless shops and satellites shrugging off rain. Markets jolted as crypto longs were wiped out, while a sharp meme tracked Indo-Pacific tensions and Marc Andreessen waded into policy debates. In culture and sport, Zootopia 2 rewrote box office records, McLaren’s pit calls stirred F1 drama, and an NFL fine joke divided fans. A wry note on learning to drive in the UK rounded it out.
The big picture
AI claims a maths milestone, proof checked in Lean
Harmonic’s Aristotle model produced a formal proof of a variant of Erdős Problem #124 in about six hours, then verified it in the Lean theorem prover. The solved version permits 1s in the units place, which aligns with later formulations, though the stricter original statement remains open in the Erdős database. The project sits within a push to make machine reasoning auditable, and follows Harmonic’s recent funding led by co-founder Vlad Tenev.
A 7‑Eleven with no staff, only sensors
A viral clip showed a Taiwan 7‑Eleven running on 140+ cameras and LiDAR, with AI tracking for checkout. It fits with the chain’s recent patents for real-time digital twins of stores, enabling remote inventory and tap-and-go payments. The replies joked about farewell to chaotic “all flavours” Slurpees, but the subtext was clear, labour-light retail is here.
Starlink shows a strong speed test in rain
Starlink highlighted a user clocking 297 Mbps down and 24 Mbps up through heavy cloud and rain. An IEEE study this year found rain usually knocks throughput back by 37 to 52 percent, so this result looks like an outlier. Replies praised reliability and asked about encryption and upload caps.
Crypto longs wiped out in an hour
Roughly $200 million in leveraged long positions were liquidated as Bitcoin fell from recent highs near $126k to about $82k. The timing overlapped with the Fed announcing an end to quantitative tightening on 1 December, which rattled traders before calming anyone. Memes flew, dip buyers lurked.
A sharp meme on China, Taiwan, the US and Japan
A blue dragon tripping over a rock captured the mood on China-Taiwan tensions, with a US boot and a glare at a rising sun standing in for Japan. It followed late November remarks from Japan’s PM hinting at involvement, plus Chinese threats of a “crushing defeat”, and came as US-Japan-Philippines drills raised the temperature.
Andreessen backs Sacks’ public role, critics see conflicts
Marc Andreessen praised David Sacks for serving as Trump’s unpaid AI and crypto czar, likening him to “dollar-a-year” volunteers from wartime. That stance collided with fresh reporting on potential ethics conflicts given Sacks’ investments. The replies split on whether industry ties help or harm policy.
Zootopia 2 rewrites the record books
Disney’s sequel opened to $556 million worldwide, a new high for animation and fourth biggest opening among all films. North America contributed about $156 million, with a huge haul from China. It points to family titles carrying cinemas through the holidays, despite chatter about sequel fatigue.
A supersonic wink at Southwest
Boom Supersonic’s Blake Scholl shared an AI mock-up of Southwest livery on the Overture jet, teasing a faster future. Overture targets Mach 1.7 on sustainable aviation fuel, with a certification goal around 2029. Replies imagined 1‑hour US hops and quick turnarounds, low-cost style.
Piastri’s stop drops him from P1 to P5 in Qatar
On lap 24, Oscar Piastri pitted from the lead and rejoined fifth after a 3.1-second stop, slower than Lando Norris’ 2.2 seconds. With mandated two-stop limits around 25 laps, the shuffle tightened Norris vs Verstappen title stakes and fired up McLaren fans.
NFL fine joke lands, and divides
Ravens DE Dre’Mont Jones quipped that a $14,055 fine for a post-sack gesture means no Christmas gifts for his kids, despite an $8.5 million salary. Some laughed at the bit, others bristled at the optics, and a few questioned the rulebook on celebrations.
Learning to drive the UK way
Alabi’s first UK lesson hit the nerves familiar to many newcomers. With the national pass rate around 48 percent, replies pushed the MSM checklist, smoother observation, and shedding habits like snap lane changes.
Why it matters
AI that outputs formal proofs marks a step toward testable research, where claims can be checked line by line. The nuance on Erdős #124 shows why exact statements matter, and why mathematicians will keep a tight grip on verification. If tools like Lean sit in the loop, they could change how problems are explored, taught, and published.
Retail automation and satellite internet point to a world that prizes uptime. Staffless stores may cut queues and costs, but they raise questions on jobs, privacy, and how errors or disputes get handled. Starlink’s rain result is impressive, yet the median case still dips in weather, so network design and expectations need calibration.
Markets and geopolitics rhymed today. A policy move can spark liquidations in minutes, and a meme can say more about alliances than a briefing. As tech investors step into government, rules for conflicts, disclosures, and recusal will shape AI and crypto policy. The outcomes will ripple into funding, standards, and where talent goes.
Culture and sport set the tone for the season. A record box office for a family sequel hints at what gets people back to cinemas. In F1 and the NFL, tiny margins and strict calls steer narratives. And that UK driving thread, equal parts nerves and humour, is a small window into how rules, skills, and culture meet on the road.
