Inverse Daily: Watch the future of CNBC on YouTube right now
Plus: A new experiment reveals how conservatives and liberals are different when it comes to diversity.
For me, it’s difficult to not think of stock market frenzies — like the GameStop run early this year — as something of a modern gold rush.
Like the American gold rush in 1840s and ‘50s California, the people who really saw their lives changed were not those on their knees panning for nugs. No, the ones who benefited at a greater percentage were those on the periphery — selling mining supplies, tools, and clothing. People like Levi Strauss.
In the case of 2021 day trading, the mining supplies are market forecasts. And instead of the shops, it’s ad-supported YouTube channels.
Today’s big idea is all about the supporting enterprises that pop up alongside the proverbial gold rushes that come and go. We have an engrossing little feature story for you by contributing writer Emma Betuel linked below. It’s about a new crop of YouTube streamers focused on personal finance (an area of growth among millennials).
I think of the people in her story as CNBC — but for Gen Y and Z.
But first, a quick Q — Let me know your favorite video game by sending an email to newsletter at inverse dot com with “VIDEO GAME STORIES” as the subject line. The reasons could be emotional or counterintuitive. In fact, the more unlikely the story, the better. I'm collecting my favorites for a new project. I'll publish a few responses in an upcoming edition of Inverse Daily.
This is an adapted version of the Inverse Daily newsletter for March 17, 2021. Subscribe for free and earn rewards for reading every day in your inbox.
What diversity? — Fostering diversity is a vital part of reducing the sort of exclusionary practices that historically have mutated into legitimate, criminal injustices.
Anyone who’s not part of an otherwise homogenous neighborhood, or office environment, or classroom, or music scene, can tell you they’ve felt “othered” to varying degrees in their life. It happens. To an extent, it’s human nature.
But who defines “diversity”? The answer is in a new experiment and comprised of more than a thousand responses. They come from people of different backgrounds, and it’s as American as it is familiar.
The study reveals that different demographics can have different definitions of a diverse community. The side effect is that people — especially those who aren’t white — might not actually view the situation as truly diverse. To put it another way, white people tended to view groups of different people as diverse more often than non-white people.
What they’re telling Inverse: “Conservative whites were actually similar to the subjects in other racial groups; when their own racial identity was dominant, they rated the community as more diverse.” —Janet Xu, a doctoral candidate in sociology at Princeton University and one of the study authors.
Read the full story here. It’s a brain-expander.
More like this:
- Academics call to end including race in genetic research
- DNA tests can amplify racist views, new study shows
- Genetics researchers just disproved a long-held racist assumption
Musk Reads — Liftoff! SpaceX successfully launched a batch of 60 Starlink satellites this past weekend and made history in the process.
This was the ninth successful launch and landing for this particular Falcon 9, setting a new record for rocket reusability. SpaceX aims to reuse its boosters as much as possible to reduce the costs of spaceflight.
Following the launch, SpaceX shared two impressive images of the booster taking off.
More like this:
- Sign up for Musk Reads+, a premium newsletter about all things Elon
- SpaceX Falcon 9: Stunning images give a razor-sharp view of drone ship landing (2020)
- SpaceX Falcon 9 launch video from a helicopter gives a stunning perspective (2020)
Game Stonks — Financial YouTubers and Twitch streamers were popular before the GameStop saga and the pandemic sent the stock market spiraling.
But those events have catapulted streamers to a new kind of fame. During the last week in January, streamer Matt Khors told Inverse as many as 20,000 people watched him discuss GameStop, r/WallStreetBets, and AMC.
“When I was livestreaming before, I was just hoping to break 200,” he said.
Financial streamers now serve as journalists, community leaders, and influencers for both seasoned WallStreetBets fans and uninformed new traders. GameStop shares may have come plummeting back to Earth, but the streamers and the online communities they’ve fostered aren’t going anywhere.
What they’re telling Inverse: “Some people have offered me potential jobs working in mainstream [financial] media. But for me, livestreaming is the future.” —Jason Frank, a 35-year-old Floridian known as TheStockGuy on Youtube.
Read our brand-new feature story.
More like this:
- GameStop employees on r/WallStreetBets: 'They’re rubbing [it] in our faces.' (Input)
- Federal agencies are investigating the GameStop stock saga. Good luck with that! (Input)
- Robinhood cut off traders because the game is rigged for the rich (Mic)
One day.
Mars theory debunked — A team of scientists is challenging a long-held theory of how Mars lost its water billions of years ago, suggesting the planet’s ancient water may have been trapped beneath the surface rather than escaping through space.
Their findings have major implications for how we understand Mars’ history and its habitability.
Mounting evidence suggests Mars was once a wet, warm, and possibly habitable planet. Over time, Mars lost its water and became the desolate world it is today.
Scientists weren’t quite sure how Mars’ water dried up, but a popular theory suggested that water molecules escaped from the planet to outer space through atmospheric escape. New evidence suggests it went ... underground.
What they’re telling Inverse: “Mars has always been very interesting from a habitability standpoint. Water plays a huge role in that.” —Eva Scheller, lead author of the new study.
More like this:
- Mars map with water: Incredible terraforming image shows Elon Musk’s dream
- Elon Musk wants to “nuke Mars” and create a home for humans
- “Mars, fascinating:” Why a garbage video went viral before NASA could release the real one
Mando and Grogu are the best action duo on TV.
What’s next for Mando — Here’s contributing writer Dais Johnston: “Much like our own universe, the Star Wars universe is ever-expanding. With the announcement of nine new Star Wars shows during Disney Investor Day, it’s clear we won’t be left without new content from the faraway galaxy for very long.
“That steady stream of new content also means a steady stream of leaks, including one that’s very exciting for fans of the extended Star Wars universe, as it could confirm the casting of a fan-favorite character in The Mandalorian Season 3.”
More like this:
- The Mandalorian Season 3 release date, trailer, cast, plot for the Disney+ show
- The Mandalorian Season 3 leak could reveal the show's return date
- Luke Skywalker was just the setup for the Mandalorian’s best scene ever
Slán! That is about it for this edition of Inverse Daily. You can follow me on Twitter @nicklucchesi, where I share some of my favorite stories from Inverse, Input, and Mic every day.
And a happy St. Patrick’s Day to you. Here’s how you can make green beer in 10 minutes. 🍺
