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👋 Happy 4th. Nothing says freedom like AI bots texting you first, Google launching Hollywood in a prompt, and your BBQ bill looking like a car payment.

While you’re debating ketchup vs mustard or Spotify vs fireworks, the tech world didn’t take the day off. Meta’s poking your inbox, Google’s dropping cinematic upgrades, and your grill just became a luxury item.

Let’s break it down—before your uncle starts another debate about brisket.

What’s Merging Today:
• 🤖 Meta’s AI chatbots messages you first
• 🎬 Google Veo 3 takes AI video global
• 🍔 July 4th BBQ prices sizzle past inflation highs
• 🛠️ New AI tools to analyze & scale
• 🎧 Spotify + Insta = a music flex paradise
• 🛰️ NASA's Netflix collab launches

MERGE MINDBLOWERS

🧬 Your body has quantum mechanics built in
Some enzymes in your body use quantum tunneling—particles skipping barriers they shouldn’t be able to cross. Yes, your biology is breaking classical physics 24/7.

⚡ Bananas are naturally radioactive
Due to their potassium-40 content, bananas emit tiny amounts of radiation. In fact, there’s an unofficial unit of radiation exposure called the “banana equivalent dose.”

📡 The U.S. once planned to nuke the moon
During the Cold War, Project A119 was a real U.S. Air Force plan to detonate a nuclear bomb on the moon to flex space dominance. Thankfully, it never left the launchpad.

🧠 Einstein’s brain was stolen and sliced up
After his death, a pathologist took Einstein’s brain without permission, cut it into 240 pieces, and kept it in jars for decades. Some pieces were mailed to researchers like souvenirs.

🌊 Octopuses have decentralized brains
Two-thirds of an octopus’s neurons are in its arms—not its head. Each arm can independently taste, touch, and make decisions without checking in with the central brain.

TODAY IN AI

Meta’s AI chatbots are now texting you first

Meta’s found a new way to boost engagement: chatbots that slide into your DMs before you even say hello. The new system lets Meta’s AI bots initiate conversations on Messenger and Instagram—with friendly nudges, content suggestions, and sometimes full-blown banter.

It’s part of Meta’s push to make AI feel “human-ish,” using proactive messaging to keep users glued to its platforms. But the move raises serious questions about boundaries. If AI starts talking first, who’s really in control of your feed?

Why it matters: This is engagement on autopilot—and Meta's hoping it works. But critics argue it’s one more step toward algorithmic overreach. Expect pushback around consent, especially as these bots get more persuasive. The line between “helpful” and “manipulative” is getting real blurry, real fast.

TODAY IN TECH

Google’s new Veo 3 model makes AI view look…real

Google just launched Veo 3 to the world—a video generation model that can create minute-long, cinematic-quality videos from a single prompt. The tech leap? It nails realism, motion, and coherence like never before.

Veo 3 is trained on diverse datasets across film, animation, and real-world footage, making it ideal for creators, marketers, and meme lords alike. Think of it as Sora’s quieter cousin—faster to ship and more commercially viable.

Why it matters: The AI video race is heating up. OpenAI’s Sora may have taken the spotlight, but Google is quietly scaling real tools for real users. With Veo 3 going global, we’re inching closer to a future where you storyboard once—and AI rolls the film.

TODAY IN BUSINESS

Barbecue budgets are sizzling this July 4th

Planning to grill this Independence Day? Brace yourself. A new Congressional report shows the average Fourth of July cookout will cost 5–10% more this year—thanks to rising prices on burgers, buns, beer, and even propane.

Beef and chicken saw the sharpest hikes, driven by supply chain tightness and ongoing inflation. Even ketchup and paper plates got in on the markup. It’s a small example of how sticky inflation still is for everyday Americans.

Why it matters: Holiday inflation is cultural inflation. When people notice their hot dogs cost more, it hits differently than a line item on CPI. That pain at the picnic table might not move markets—but it could shape consumer sentiment going into the next election cycle.

MERGE TOOLS

AI tools worth your time

💬 Patti
Your digital BFF bringing early-2000s chatroom vibes—full of witty banter and retro charm to turn boredom into endless fun.

📄 AI PDF Reader
Summarize PDF documents, highlighting key insights clearly. It’s like having a research intern who never sleeps.

💡 Whiteboard
Brainstorm, plan, and visualize ideas in real time with an AI-powered whiteboard made for teams, educators, and creatives.

🚀 CosmicUp
Switch between 30+ top AI models like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini—all in one chat, without losing context or momentum.

🧮 Pantio
Supercharge team productivity with AI assistants that juggle data analysis and daily schedules like a pro.

📬 Beehiiv
Launch and grow your newsletter like a pro.
→ Your audience gets a 30-day free trial + 20% OFF for 3 months.

🛠️ Want More? Check out our Top 50 AI Tools.

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WHAT ELSE IS MERGING

Beyond the feed

🧠 DeepSeek + TNG drop Chimera AI
A new open-source LLM collab called “Chimera” just dropped—and it might punch above its parameter count. TNG and DeepSeek fused models to create something faster, more efficient, and weirdly competitive with GPT-3.5 on benchmarks.

🧠 Perplexity Max goes multimodal
Perplexity just pulled a ChatGPT-4o: their new “Max” plan now supports image inputs, longer context, and integrates multiple models (GPT-4o, Claude 3, Sonar). One app, all the sauce.

🎵 This AI band is blowing up
Velvet Sundown might be the first AI-generated band to make real waves. Built with Suno’s tech, their songs are...actually catchy. Rolling Stone just profiled them. Your move, Daft Punk.

📹 This AI-generated animation is insane
An experimental short film called “Eunoia” just went viral—and it’s 100% AI-generated. Think Pixar meets a lucid dream. If you needed proof that AI is getting scary good at visual storytelling, this is it.

🏦 Stripe OG buys (part of) a bank
Patrick Collison’s first hire at Stripe just bought the shell of a Nevada bank for his new fintech, Increase. It’s not a full takeover, but it's a real move toward vertical integration—bank charter not included (yet).

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Until next time,

Matt & The Morning Merge team.