Track 8. Bloomberg's $1B Donation, Euros Pitches, The Land of Trust

Bullet Train is your express route to the stories, products & concepts shaping our future. No short-term headlines, no fluff—just the innovations transforming the world and our place in it, curated by the team behind the Meco App.

Hello BT readers! I’m re-acclimating after some superb July 4th festivities — so bear with me! But can confirm I was not wakeboarding with an American flag and cold beer in my hand. To each their own.

We like keeping things fresh so we’re kicking off this track with a polarizing take on a top story this week — and we introduced a new section called “Backtrack” — kinda fun! Keep scrolling to check it all out.

It’s July 10^th . Today’s stops include:

• It only costs $1 billion to go to medical school for free ⚕️ 

• How the Euros sparked a sports sustainability conversation ⚽️ 

• How one country became the most trusted place on the planet 🇩🇰 

And don’t miss our #offtherails segment — not so future-focused, just a bit of fun

A story that stirred up big emotions and bigger opinions for us this week

It only costs $1B to go to medical school for free

• What to know: Michael Bloomberg just announced a $1B donation to offer free medical school tuition at Johns Hopkins University

• Hefty debts: the average student coming out of an American medical school has over $250,000 in student loans

• Who this impacts: incoming and currently enrolled students at Johns Hopkins whose families make less than $300,000 a year will be eligible

• Not the first: a few medical schools have received similar large donations to make med school free — including NYU and Albert Einstein College of Medicine

• How we got here: there’s a growing physician shortage in the States, especially in primary care (i.e. GPs) — largely as these positions pay less than specialties (making monstrous debts even harder to pay off)

• Collective praise: coverage has been highly positive, as it’s inspired hope of improving the financial well-being of doctors and encouraging more people to pursue this career free of financial burden

• But, a quick perspective: the average medical school class at Johns Hopkins is around 118 people — compared to 55,000 individuals who apply to med school in the US each year (we did the math, that’s 0.2%)

• Where our minds are going: while incredible, it’s hard to see how free tuition at a small handful of schools won’t lead to more competition, and arguably worse wellbeing, among the majority of applicants

• Problem (not?) solved: the med school admissions process is already so fraught with tension as there are only a finite number of seats (free tuition or not) — and such donations don’t address that broader issue

• In sum: the generosity of a $1B gift is mind-boggling and certainly deserves applause, but as we’re globally in need of more medical professionals, we might also need more intentional solutions to increase access to higher education

Weekly coverage of stories shaping the future — brought to you in streamlined bullet points:

How the Euros sparked a sports sustainability conversation

• What to know: We’ve made it to the semi-finals of the Euros and the games have been fantastic but the grass pitches… have not

  • (Euros = big deal football (soccer) tournament for European national teams played every 4 years; pitches = playing fields)

• Why the pitch quality matters: it’s not really about the Euro conditions (sorry!), but it has sparked interesting conversations on how sporting fields at scale need to become more sustainable

• How we got here: for years, stadiums have worked to create an authentic experience while keeping the playing surfaces cost-effective, safe for players, and long-lasting — not an easy task!

• Hybrid solutions: organizations with very deep pockets are making pitches from a synthetic mat that real grass can grow through — offering a 100% recyclable and high-quality playing surface

• But what about the rest: the vast majority of stadiums don’t have Wembley-sized bankrolls — it’s much cheaper to install artificial turf, but studies have shown how environmentally damaging they can be

• Getting innovative: following an EU ban on microplastics widely used in artificial turf, synthetic playing surfaces are innovating by using everything from cork to coconut shells, bark, and even olive pits

• Every single industry: is being forced to re-examine products, pathways, and playing surfaces to make things more sustainable — and frankly, it’s cool to see the creativity that comes of it

• Where our minds are going: are we starting to see a shift in the balance of power — where the type of pitch a professional footballer plays on is dictated by eco-friendliness rather than player preference? Ehh not quite yet — but we could be getting closer!

A look back at a future-shaping story

How one country became the most trusted place on the planet

• Imagine this: living somewhere so safe you can leave your sleeping baby outside in their stroller while you chat in a café with friends

• It’s called Denmark: the country ranks first globally in social and civic trust — almost 3 in 4 Danes believe ‘most people can be trusted’

• Trust wasn’t built in a day: this is a great read that thoughtfully considers tenets of Danish society that helped build trust over the last half-century — including communal living and a universal welfare model

• Equality for all: Danish people are all entitled to a set of social benefits — including free education, healthcare, and a family allowance — leaning on the idea that the more similar your situation is to others in your community, the more likely you are to trust them

• It’s not perfect: Denmark is not an idyllic state without issues — as the country, too, grapples with systemic racism — and the promotion of equality and celebrating similarities can feel exclusionary

• But they are making trust work: especially at a time when so many national communities are spiraling into divisive rhetoric, behavior, and politics — and that’s something worth paying attention to

A bit of fun to round out your ride

• The inflation rate over the last 2 years is going viral, but ever wonder how someone your age spent their money 50 years ago? Use this tool to find out

• Four volunteer NASA crew just emerged after spending 378 days in a simulated Mars habitat in Houston, Texas… and we’re still stuck on “volunteer”

• Calling all productivity wizards! Check out Cool Tools, a free weekly email that unearths little-known tech treasures to help you work smarter and faster than ever

• Scientists are now putting tiny blobs of brain cells into robots to help them complete certain tasks — and maybe it will lead to cool science, but the pictures are creepy AF 🙅 

• Now’s the time to get your streaming priorities in order people, the billionaires are meeting in Sun Valley to package it all up and try to convince us it’s not cable

• Sauna culture is experiencing a surge in popularity, and brands are cashing in on the trend. Experts note that, when combined with exercise, saunas can help lower blood pressure and cholesterol levels, as well as improve recovery times

Here’s what Bullet Train readers had to say about last week’s topics:

How do you feel about AI and Nuclear Power partnerships?

🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 They're a good thing! (79%)

“Possibly, AI demand for energy will push for more secure, and more widely available nuclear energy, which would be great ” - V

“I think, as with most technologies, over time the energy requirements of AI will fall as new algorithms and methodologies are developed. In the meantime, the partnership with nuclear will help get us off carbon-based energy faster. Plus, as AI gets more powerful and ubiquitous, I fully expect it will help us find ways to deal with the nuclear waste issue or perhaps accelerate fusion power.” - R

🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ I don't like it (21%)

Are you into the longevity trend?

🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 Yes! Give me all the longevity talk (88%)

⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ Eh, not really (12%)

What do you think the Zephyr will be most useful for?

🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩🟩 Mobile connectivity for remote areas (50%)

🟨🟨🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️ Weather monitoring (29%)

🟨🟨⬜️⬜️⬜️⬜️ Border security (21%)

Please mind the gap as you get off the train ✌️