Drones Alone, War and Food, Life Changing Career Advice, to Make Fewer Mistakes, Just Say ‘Om’ – and more!

Grüezi!?I’m Adrian Monck, and welcome to this LinkedIn newsletter featuring seven things that caught my attention this past seven days.

Also this week – the non-dystopic pop powering the global music industry, the Scottish secret of cow calm.

Sharing is caring –?Please share this newsletter!

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1???The Future of War? Crowd-funded Startups

Drones alone – the freelance fighters powering Ukraine’s defence.

When it comes to the future of warfare, ‘gofund.me’-style militias running equipment that used to be bought in toy stores were unlikely to be on any general’s prediction list.

But that is one of the ways Ukraine has been holding back the might of Russia.

It started back in 2014 with some drone hobbyists using their aerial snooping capacity to check in on the Russian military.

The problem was using the information the drones gathered. Volunteer programmers and IT experts stepped in to help build the software that turned pictures into artillery co-ordinates.

The Guardian has a brilliant account of how this operation stopped a forty-mile armoured column in its tracks.

?? The best books to help understand the war in Ukraine.

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2?? When the World’s Bread Basket Goes to War...

Who gets hurt most? It’s not as simple as it seems.

What is a catastrophe for the world’s poorest and hungriest can also be confusing in the headlines. Food expert Sarah Taber explains:

• “My personal favourite Misleading Wheat Stat is “Ukraine/Russia grow 25% of world wheat exports.” Why misleading? It’s technically true, but doesn’t mean what people think.
• “Missing wheat from the war is actually less than 1% of global wheat crop.?
• “When the headline is ‘25% of world wheat exports missing’ that naturally leads people to think ‘OMG we have to suddenly come up with 25% more wheat in the world out of nowhere.’ Nope! Only 0.9%
• “Most of the world’s wheat is eaten in the country that grew it! Exports are a small fraction of the global wheat crop.?Estimated wheat export shortfall from Russian invasion: 7 million tons. Total global production? 778 million tons.
• “Specific places are facing extremely real wheat supply problems. MENA usually sources from Ukraine. Switching supply chains to India and other sources takes time... What these places are facing is a SHIPPING shortage.”

???Two experts go deep into the war’s impact on food and energy prices.

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3?? Even if it Costs More, People Still Want to Dump Fossil Fuels

At least that’s what they tell pollsters.

?? Another benefit from the energy transition: 10 million new jobs.

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4?? What Happens to Your Career When Illness Hits Hard?

Sam Freedman knows.

Freedman had a medical intervention that meant he had to rethink his life:

• “I’m not pushing some ‘follow your dreams’ pablum here. I had almost twenty years of experience in senior education roles and a lot of professional contacts...
• “I’d never have done it if the operation hadn’t pushed me off the cliff and forced me to try.
• “Our fundamental risk aversion is one of the core tenets of behaviour psychology and it had stopped me even considering a career change that has (so far anyway) resulted in an enjoyable and less stressful work and home life.

I’d overweighted the importance to me of earning more money than I need, and, even more so, status.

• “I’d always felt, on some level, that I needed to be a CEO or an Executive Director in order for people to think I was worth talking to. But then that’s not why I value people, so why should it be so for anyone else?
• “And I’d underweighted the importance of doing something I really enjoy, as well as being more involved in family life (there’s no way to not make this sound twee but it’s true).

Not always worth nearly dying to learn this too.

???Researchers have ideas for how to achieve both success and happiness.

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5?? Want to Make Fewer Mistakes? Meditate

Annoyingly, ‘Om’-chanting navel-gazing can actually do you good.

?? This helps too: sleeping.

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6???Korea – Not Just for Dystopian Dramas!

The country’s manufactured music is helping the global industry grow.

???Too many videos? A study finds work from home is less productive.

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7?? Moos You Can Use

However hard things are, these Scottish cows have the right attitude.

They give zero moos. And no oms.

???No mashups on our?book club podcast.

Mistake: Last week I shared a video of men confronting troops. Turns out it was from 2017. My bad. I check things I share here, but the checking is only as good as me.

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If you enjoy this newsletter – please recommend it!

Best,

Adrian

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