This month, we look into how fast technology is really advancing, the strategic benefits of international stock diversification, and why complexity is often our enemy.
#1 – “Predictions Scorecard, 2026” by Rodney Brooks
(Prediction #3 on humanoid robots) “Deployable dexterity will remain pathetic compared to human hands beyond 2036. Without new types of mechanical systems walking humanoids will remain too unsafe to be in close proximity to real humans.” – Rodney Brooks
This blog post was a breath of fresh air as Mr. Brooks provides a healthy level of skepticism regarding how quickly technology is actually developing. Note that Mr. Brooks has worked in both academia (MIT) and private industry (iRobot, Rethink Robotics, Robust.AI) and thus has a valuable perspective on these topics.
#2 – “The Elements of Investing: Easy Lessons for Every Investor” by Burton Malkiel
“To the extent that you hold automobile stocks in your portfolio, you should not limit yourself to Detroit. You are likely to be better off including Toyota and Honda in a diversified portfolio.” – Burton Malkiel
This simple example shows one reason for international diversification: there are great companies that are based outside the United States. While the U.S. has dominated global stock market performance since 2010, we think there are several good reasons for owning at least some non-U.S. stocks.
#3 – “Enough: True Measures of Money” by John Bogle
“Financial institutions operate by a kind of reverse Occam’s razor. They have a large incentive to favor the complex and costly over the simple and cheap, quite the opposite of what most investors need and ought to want.” – John Bogle
As silly as it sounds, I think this point is not fully appreciated by many wealthy and sophisticated investors. Perhaps it is human pride working against us, but we all feel tempted to make things more complex than they need to be. When it comes to investing, this is often not optimal.
My goal for these blog posts is to provide useful information so that you can make more accurate decisions.
- Noise includes facts/data/news that cannot be processed into useful information (<— WHAT MOST STUFF IS)
- Useful information can be used to make more accurate decisions (<— WHAT I’M TRYING TO PROVIDE)
Since there is an endless and ever-growing amount of things to learn, I hope that these posts are helpful in summarizing important topics related to investing.
Sources
Brooks, Rodney. “Predictions Scorecard, 2026 — January 01.” Rodney Brooks Blog, 1 Jan. 2026, https://rodneybrooks.com/predictions-scorecard-2026-january-01/
Malkiel, Burton G., and Charles D. Ellis. The Elements of Investing: Easy Lessons for Every Investor. John Wiley & Sons, 2013.
Bogle, John C. Enough: True Measures of Money, Business, and Life. Wiley, 2009.
