Becoming a Type 1 Civilization

Humanity is moving forward towards a bright abundant future.

Although there seems to be a lot of chaos globally, human ingenuity and positive incentives continue to win the day. This past week, we saw a move by some of the big players (Amazon, Google, Microsoft) making investments in Nuclear and Small Modular Reactors (SMR’s) to plan for heavy AI energy requirements.

It brings up an interesting question. How soon can humanity become a type 1 civilization?

What the heck is a type 1 civilization? Let’s take a step back and talk about the Kardashev scale.

The Kardashev scale is a method of measuring a civilization's level of technological advancement based on the amount of energy it is capable of harnessing and using. It was proposed by Russian astrophysicist, Dr. Nikolai Kardashev and according to the scale:

• A type I Civilization is able to access all the energy available on its planet and store it for consumption.
• A Type II civilization can directly consume a star's energy, most likely through the use of a Dyson sphere.
• A Type III civilization is able to capture all the energy emitted by its galaxy, and every object within it, such as every star, black hole, etc…

So the question becomes, when will humanity reach this achievement. Currently it’s estimate that we can use roughly 0.1% of the energy on Earth, if not less. So we’ve got a ways to go, however, technology grows exponentially so with each advancement in energy capture and management, we get one step closer.

It’s exciting to see human ingenuity continue to push us closer to the feat. If you’re curious to learn more about the Kardashev scale, Kurzgesagt, put together a great visual explainer.

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Let’s jump into this week’s highlights.

News

There's a surge in investments coming to data center startups. It's spurred by major commitments from Companies like Amazon and Microsoft which plan to invest $100 billion over the next decade. If you're looking for a new startup up idea, this may be a field to get into. Or try, your hand in energy innovation and efficiency as AI-related data center requirements grow.

X (formerly Twitter) is changing its privacy policy to permit third parties to use user posts for AI training. This decision raises concerns about user consent and data privacy. Users will be notified about the policy change and can opt-out, but this might not prevent third-party use of their data. The move highlights the ongoing tension between user privacy and the increasing demand for data in AI development. For further details, read the full article here.

Rising housing costs have made many U.S. neighbourhoods financially inaccessible for middle-class families. This has lead to an increasing prevalence of "exclusive communities". Analysis of data from major metropolitan areas reveals that over 50% of zip codes are now classified as exclusive, particularly in cities like Nashville and Las Vegas. See the full story here.

This Talking Pet Collar Is Like a Chatbot for Your Dog. A new smart collar aims to give pet owners the ability to talk to their pets. The company’s collar has a speaker on it so when you talk to your cat or dog, and you’ll hear a prerecorded human voice responding to you. This creates the illusion that your pet has a humanlike personality and the ability to speak English.

Developer Profiles of the Week

Paulo is a strong backend developer with experience in a variety of areas such as NodeJS, TypeScript, ReactJS, and VueJS. Paulo also has experience with Serverless for AWS deployments. Paulo also has an understanding of databases like PostgreSQL, DynamoDB, MySQL and SQL Server. Paulo is based in Brazil.

Marcus is a full stack React / NodeJS dev who has experience with MongoDB, MySQL and RDS. Marcus has over 10 years of experience and is equally strong on both the backend and frontend. Marcus would be a great addition to a team in need of a fullstack engineer who also has some DevOps and CI/CD experience. Marcus is also based in Brazil.

Please email us at hiring@donestreet.com to learn more about these talented developers and how you can bring them onto your team.

Engineering and Security

Developers are increasingly adopting an API first approach to software development. This approach emphasizes APIs as foundational elements, leading to faster API creation and improved recovery from failures. The report highlights that teams can produce APIs more quickly and efficiently, although challenges like poor documentation remain prevalent. For further details, you can read the full article here.

Researchers have identified critical security vulnerabilities in the widely used open-source project Hadoop that could enable unauthorized access and remote code execution. The flaws affect Hadoop's YARN and HDFS components, posing significant risks for organizations relying on these technologies for data processing and storage. Users are urged to apply patches and updates to mitigate potential threats. For further details, you can read the full article here.

Why do some users continue to operate outdated versions of Postgres despite the availability of newer versions like Postgres 17? Key reasons include the stability and functionality of older versions, the complexity and potential risks associated with upgrading, and the significant effort required for major version migrations. Perhaps it’s time to upgrade?

The Rise of Zero-Day Vulnerabilities: Why Traditional Security Solutions Fall Short. In recent years, the number and sophistication of zero-day vulnerabilities have surged, posing a critical threat to organizations of all sizes. Check out this article to learn about proactive security options.

There's a new phishing campaign that uses fake Google Meet pages to deliver infostealer malware. This ClickFix campaign tricks users into executing malicious PowerShell commands by displaying deceptive error messages. Variants of the attack target both Windows and macOS systems, ultimately deploying various malware types. See the full story here

HR Notice

Now may be a good time to poach some former Meta Staff. Meta has confirmed layoffs affecting employees at WhatsApp, Instagram, and its Reality Labs division as part of a restructuring effort aimed at aligning resources with its strategic goals. The specifics of how many employees were impacted remain undisclosed, but the changes include relocating some teams and transitioning certain employees into new roles. See the full story here.

PwC plans to implement a new policy that will use employee location data to enforce its return-to-office (RTO) mandates starting January 1, 2025. The firm believes that in-person interactions are crucial for productivity and collaboration. See the fully story here.

Cornerstone OnDemand has launched Immerse Companion, a generative AI solution designed to enhance employee training through real-time interactions with virtual human companions. This tool allows for personalized coaching, skill-building, and practice in a safe environment. See the fully story here.

Funding

The Q3 2024 funding recap from Crunchbase reveals a continuing downturn in startup investments, despite the rise of AI. Global venture funding totaled $66.5 billion, a 16% decline from the previous quarter. AI-related startups attracted $19 billion, constituting 28% of all funding. See the full story here.

Amazon has invested approximately $500 million in X-energy to advance the development of small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs) and support carbon-free energy projects. The investment will facilitate the completion of reactor designs and fuel fabrication, positioning X-energy as a leader in the commercialization of SMR technology. See more here.

Blockstream has raised $210 million in convertible note funding to enhance its Bitcoin mining operations and accelerate the adoption of Layer 2 technologies, particularly the Liquid Network. The investment, led by Fulgur Ventures, aims to prepare Blockstream for the next Bitcoin market cycle by increasing transaction efficiency and scalability. See the full story here.

Eric Schmidt's startup, SandboxAQ, is targeting a $5 billion valuation as it focuses on developing technologies that integrate artificial intelligence and quantum computing. The company, which spun out from Alphabet, recently raised $500 million to enhance its offerings in sectors like telecommunications, finance, and security. Full story here.

Equilibrium Energy, an SF based company that provides software that helps companies manage and optimize energy storage systems, including batteries, by improving how energy is used, stored, and distributed The company closed a $39 million Series B funding round led by DCVC, which will support its battery management platform. See the full story here.

Acquisitions / Mergers

Flock Safety has expanded into drone technology for law enforcement by acquiring Aerodome, a leader in Drone as First Responder (DFR) solutions. This acquisition will enhance Flock's existing safety technologies, allowing for faster incident response and improved situational awareness. See the full details here.

Resource of the week

How to Protect Your Home Network with a Gigabit VPN - A guide for protecting all devices on your home network with a fast self hosted VPN.

Product of the week

Journalizr is a journaling app that allows users to easily document their thoughts using voice input. Journaling has many proven benefits and if you have trouble sitting down to right, this may be a good tool for you to try.

Book Recommendation of the Week

Rework: Change the Way You Work Forever by Jason Fried and David Heinemeier Hansson challenges traditional notions of business and entrepreneurship, offering a fresh perspective on how to succeed in today’s fast-paced world. The book is based on the authors' experiences at Basecamp (formerly 37signals), a software company known for its unique approach to work and productivity.

This Day in History

On October 22, 1964, Jean‑Paul Sartre wins—and declines—Nobel Prize in Literature

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