🐤 Learn your lesson

Markets: Investors spend Monday awaiting the results of quarterly earnings reports from a number of major corporations … and they did so optimistically. All three major indexes began the week with gains, resulting in new all-time highs for both the S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average. The tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite led the day, adding nearly nine-tenths of a percentage point to its total over the course of the day.

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Emergency response: Efforts by federal authorities to provide relief in one area devastated by Hurricane Helene hit an unfortunate snag this week. Authorities claim a 44-year-old man identified as William Parsons of Bostic, North Carolina, showed up armed with a rifle and handgun near where FEMA workers were working. He was arrested and later released on $10,000 bond. The Rutherford County Sheriff’s Office indicated Parsons faces a charge of “going armed to the terror of the public.” FEMA adjusted its disaster relief response following the incident.

First things first: The New York Yankees and Cleveland Guardians kicked off the AL Championship Series yesterday — and the Bronx Bombers did so with a critical member of the team back on the roster. Yankees first baseman Anthony Rizzo had been sidelined after he was hit on the hand by a pitch, which fractured two fingers. After missing the AL Division Series (New York defeated the Royals in four games), Rizzo was cleared to return for Monday’s game. Rizzo has been hit by more pitches than any other active MLB player.

Head in the cloud: Microsoft is making the most of its Activision Blizzard acquisition, announcing this week that a slate of “Call of Duty” games will be available via Xbox Cloud Gaming later this month. The titles include “Call of Duty: Black Ops 6,” which launches on October 25 and will be immediately playable on the cloud. Other games in the franchise that are expected to be added to the service are “Modern Warfare III” and “Warzone.” Xbox exec Ashley McKissick referred to adding “Call of Duty” to Cloud Gaming as “a win for the community.”

Rising to the top: The Associated Press released the results of its Top 25 poll ahead of the 2024-25 men’s college basketball season. Coming in first place is Kansas, which boasts an enviable roster of new talent and star center Hunter Dickinson. Alabama lands in second place on the strength of proven performances by players including guard Mark Sears. Rounding out the top three is the University of Connecticut, which is coming off a stellar year but faces an uncertain future now that many of last season’s players are gone.

When it comes to companies that offer a modern, tech-focused method for learning another language, Duolingo is among the most successful of the bunch. Much of that popularity comes from the unique, almost game-like method of teaching languages.

Despite his company’s success so far, however, CEO Luis von Ahn isn’t under the illusion that what has worked in the past will continue working in the future.

The AI interruption

In a recent interview, von Ahn explained how he believes artificial intelligence has already altered the course of education across all conceivable subjects. His response to that assessment has been multifaceted, including an effort to integrate AI into the Duolingo platform in a way that will make it more interactive (and thereby more effective).

As a result, Duolingo Max now offers an AI assistant, Lily, which is capable of participating in live chats and video calls.

“The other thing is that she has memory, so she remembers the last time you talked about something,” von Ahn said. “For example, I just had a conversation today where she remembered that, last time, we talked about the fact that I like Nirvana. She was telling me that her favorite song is ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit.’”

Beyond languages

It’s clear that von Ahn is focused on utilizing new technology and strategies to help people learn languages. And the fact that roughly 80% of the company’s revenue comes from customers willing to pay for a subscription drives home the fact that plenty of people find the service valuable.

But Duolingo is still busy looking for new ways to make learning languages easier, including by implementing AI in new and creative ways. And the goal extends beyond that, with the company venturing into new areas of education including math and music.

Halloween will bring about plenty of treats and more than a few tricks — but if you really want a surprise this month, simply turn your eyes to the sky.

Two notable space rocks

Between now and the end of October, astronomers say a pair of comets — known as Tsuchinshan-ATLAS and C/2024 S1 — will be visible in the skies above Earth.

The first is currently reaching peak brightness and can be spotted around much of the world just after sunset in the western sky. The latter will make its closest pass by our planet on October 24 (though it could make a return visit days later) and should be visible just before sunrise in the eastern sky.

Fortunately for all life on our planet, neither comet will get close enough to chart a potential collision course. At their closest, both of the rocks will be millions of miles away from Earth.

Where did they come from?

Comets can be found in all corners of our universe, but those nearest to our cosmic neighborhood are thought to have largely originated in a theoretical region known as the Oort Cloud. Though unproven, scientists have speculated for well over half a century about this icy area surrounding the solar system that supposedly stretches out trillions of miles and produces countless comets.

Even though there’s no real threat associated with Tsuchinshan-ATLAS and C/2024 S1, astronomers warn that a comet released from the Oort Cloud or anywhere else in the cosmos could feasibly strike our planet.

Such a scenario is particularly alarming to experts because the uncertain movement of these celestial bodies means we’d probably have very little warning before an imminent collision.

There have been roughly 4,500 comets identified in this region, but the actual number is believed to be exponentially higher.

There are innumerable books, podcasts, and seminars aimed at enhancing business leadership, but one Big Tech executive turns to others in similar positions (including rivals) for a daily dose of inspiration and encouragement.

Two calls per day

Satya Nadella isn’t hoping to trick fellow CEOs into releasing trade secrets when he carves out time for two such phone calls every day. Instead, he’s flexing his networking muscles and keeping a finger on the pulse not only of the tech industry but the business world in general.

New reports indicate that Nadella keeps the conversations pretty short, typically seeking responses to two questions:

• What startup companies have excited you lately?
• Have you met anyone you would recommend getting to know?

With these open-ended queries, Nadella puts the ball in the other CEO’s court … and the strategy apparently pays off. He credits these daily calls with forging important relationships and corporate partnerships with an array of individuals and companies.

A solid gameplan

Root Coaching & Consulting founder Rebecca Arnold addressed an underlying issue that many executives struggle with — and Nadella’s networking regimen might be a prime strategy for addressing it. She noted that a large number of corporate leaders have acknowledged that they wish they had more colleagues to discuss ideas and create strategies.

By going outside of his own company, Microsoft’s CEO has access to leaders from all walks of life, meaning he receives input that he might never hear if he remained secluded within the tech realm.

And the results appear to speak for themselves. Microsoft has been an industry leader for generations and continues to bring new, innovative ideas to the public. So if you’re feeling stuck, consider taking a page out of Nadella’s playbook and contacting a few folks in similar positions but with much different life experiences.

Always remember to say "mucho" to your Spanish-speaking friends.

It really means a lot to them.