🐤 Burning out

🏦 Markets: The Dow Jones Industrial Average’s winning streak extended to its sixth day on Wednesday, though the Nasdaq Composite finished a hair lower and the S&P 500 ended the day basically unchanged.

Despite some encouraging gains by the Dow, the market turmoil of recent weeks is unlikely to end anytime soon as investors remain preoccupied with evidence that interest rates probably aren’t coming down as soon as we all hoped.

⭕ Perfect circle: Android users have frequently had access to Google tools that weren’t available on the iPhone, but one such feature is reportedly making its debut on Apple devices. Using the “Circle to Search” gesture, it’s been easy to look up information by highlighting just about anything displayed on an Android device’s screen. The tool was unveiled for Android users in January. But now the iPhone 15 Pro will allow Apple fans to perform a similar search by utilizing the new Action Button, which can be customized to perform a variety of functions.

🏀 Knick of time: The Empire State has had its share of stellar pro sports teams, but there have also been more than a few droughts within the various franchises that call New York home. One such dry spell seems to be over, though, and basketball fans statewide couldn’t be happier. The Knicks made it to the Eastern Conference semifinals where they came out on top against the Pacers on Monday. It’s been 50 years since the team won a championship and about a decade since it’s been competitive, so there’s plenty of cause for celebration.

🪙 Gold rush: The price of gold has been soaring recently and consumers around the world have been eager to get their hands on some of the precious metal. In the U.S., Costco made news for offering one-ounce bars to its members. But in South Korea, the availability is even more conspicuous. According to reports, the Korea Minting and Security Printing Corporation has been working with convenience store chain CU to make it easier than ever to buy gold, including stocking it alongside packaged foods and even adding it to vending machines.

📺 Travis on TV: Taylor Swift has cemented her status as a double threat with a record-breaking tour that spawned a hit movie — but her boyfriend is proving that he’s no one-trick pony. The NFL tight end made a name for himself on the gridiron long before he hit it off with the pop star, and now he’s preparing for his first major acting role. Niecy Nash-Betts, who’s starring in the upcoming FX series “Grotesquerie,” made the announcement in an Instagram post featuring Travis Kelce, who said he’s “stepping into new territory with Niecy.”

The rapid proliferation of artificial intelligence has sparked a wide range of concerns about the future of work. There’s the fear that it will replace millions of jobs or that it will lead to the devolution of skills that have been valued in the workforce for generations.

But so far, many office workers seem to be exploiting a somewhat unexpected application for the technology.

Battling burnout

Data compiled by LinkedIn and Microsoft show that bosses don’t seem to be replacing the various tasks handed down to their subordinates with AI. But the workers themselves are — and it appears to be an act born of necessity.

“People are overwhelmed with digital debt and under duress at work,” explained Microsoft executive Colette Stallbaumer. “And they are turning to AI for relief.”

Meetings, emails, and other daily expectations that often get in the way of doing actual work have left modern-day office workers drowning, but AI has become a life preserver for many of them. According to the wide-ranging report based on 31,000 workers from 31 countries offered an enlightening look into the matter.

• Three in four desk-job employees are currently using AI.
• That percentage is almost double what it was just six months earlier.
• About 70% of the workers reported feeling burned out.
• Almost half of those surveyed say they want to quit their jobs.

Teaching themselves

One important factor that emerged from the report is that many workers who are using AI haven’t been formally trained by their bosses — and in many cases, their superiors don’t even know they’re using it.

With so many workers quietly planning to quit their current jobs, learning AI isn’t just a way to deal with burnout today … the knowledge they receive could help them land a new position in the future.

With the exception of a slight pandemic-era dip, the average life expectancy of a typical American has steadily increased for generations. Medical breakthroughs and broader access to safe food have contributed to this trend, but humans still naturally want to maximize the number of healthy years in their lives.

And a growing number of them are plopping down big bucks in hopes of achieving that goal.

Introducing the “longevity clinic”

It’s a relatively new pursuit within the healthcare realm, but the aim of longevity clinics is the same as countless programs that came before it. From supposed miracle creams to dietary supplements to relaxation spas, plenty of businesses have catered to their clients’ desire to feel young and healthy for as long as possible.

Then, about a decade ago, biochemist J. Craig Venter embarked on a novel mission and opened up Human Longevity in San Diego, California. It was the first clinic of its kind and turned traditional medicine on its head by assessing future health risks instead of treating existing illnesses.

As Venter explained: “You can exercise, you can eat a healthy diet, but I contend you could eat 10 pounds of kale a day and still have a tumor that you don’t know about.”

How much is the knowledge worth?

Human Longevity sparked a slew of similar clinics that have popped up across the U.S. and around the world. While they’re not all the same, most focus on issues like genetics, physical fitness, blood tests, gut health, and other metrics.

An initial exam can take up to eight hours and can cost tens of thousands of dollars. But if you’re among the many clients who discover a serious issue that wouldn’t have shown up otherwise, that could be a small price to pay for your health.

Live comedy is certainly not a new idea. From Shakespeare’s “As You Like It” to the Vaudeville era to the birth of stand-up to the long-running “Saturday Night Live,” there’s always been an audience eager to laugh at jokes in real time.

But now that traditional TV has been eclipsed by streaming content, Neftlix’s foray into live-streaming comedy seems strangely unconventional. And depending on whom you ask, that could be a good thing or a bad thing.

Trial and error

Netflix has dipped its toe into the live-streaming pool before, but this week marked a deep dive into live comedy for the streaming giant.

First, there was the premiere of “Everybody’s In LA,” a variety show hosted by comedian John Mulaney that featured a who’s who of the comedy club circuit. It corresponded with the massive “Netflix Is A Joke Fest,” which included a range of performances by some of the biggest names in entertainment (including Chris Rock, whose “Selective Outrage” special marked a watershed moment for live comedy on Netflix).

Generally speaking, “Everybody’s In LA” got pretty high marks from audiences. But that wasn’t the only live event featured in recent days. Katt Williams debuted his new stand-up special on Saturday and a highly publicized roast of Tom Brady streamed on Sunday.

Both attracted large audiences, but the reception was decidedly mixed.

Risk vs. reward

Even though viewers can still watch all of these events, they can be edited and optimized after the live-stream has ended. For example, some of the jokes that bombed during the premiere can be removed.

But those who watched live got to see everything — warts and all. And while “SNL” has capitalized on its sometimes awkward flubs over the past 50 years, it remains to be seen whether Netflix viewers will be as forgiving.

I bought a thesaurus but all the pages were blank.

I have no words to describe how upset I was.