Trees don’t forget a drought. They hold a grudge.

Scientists have found some trees change how they grow and use water for years after dry conditions, basically adjusting future behaviour based on past stress.

Even trees remember one bad summer and never shut up about it.

ALSO, we wish all our American readers a very happy 4th! 🌭 🍻 🎇
Happy 250th AMERICA! 🇺🇸 🎇

What’s in store:

Read Time: 5 minutes

AI USE CASE

How I use Google Docs’ AI to boost my productivity

When I need to just put my head down and write, I go to Google Docs. I open up a document, close out my other tabs, and just let the words flow.

But, more often than not, I have to stop, read everything back to myself, and figure out if I'm actually on the right track.

The problem is, I need another perspective...a different reader.

That's where Google's new AI text-to-speech feature comes in.

How text-to-speech works

Google Docs isn't new to text-to-speech (or speech-to-text), but this is a little different.

Go to Gemini in the top toolbar and click either "Listen to this tab" or "Listen to document summary."

(You can also get there by going to Tools → Audio (New) and selecting the same options.)

A small audio player pops up on your screen. Click the three dots to change the voice.

This is one of my favorite parts - because instead of just "man" or "woman," Google describes the personality or mood. You'll see options like "Coach — lively, higher pitch" or "Persuader — engaging, low pitch."

How to use "Listen to this tab"

This reads your document back to you almost exactly as it's written.

The only downside is that it only works for a certain number of words.

So I usually wait until I've written about a page before hitting play. If you keep writing, you'll have to refresh it before it reads the new text.

I especially like this for things that are meant to be heard:

It's amazing how quickly you notice awkward sentences or sections that don't quite flow once someone else is "reading" them.

How to use "Listen to document summary"

This one is different.

Instead of reading your document, it creates a summary and reads that back to you—almost like the back cover of a book or the description of a podcast episode.

You can also change the voice depending on the kind of feedback you're looking for.

One thing I didn't love is that every time you refresh it, it generates a brand-new summary. I actually liked the first version better than the later ones, so that was disappointing. I had even tried opening another Google Doc and using voice typing to capture it before it disappeared...but no luck.

Still, I think this is the most useful feature.

It's a quick gut check to see if your writing is actually about what you think it's about.

If the summary makes you think, "...Wait, that's not really what this is about," chances are you need to go back to your draft.

Pro-tip: Google NotebookLM has a similar feature called Audio Overview, but instead of reading your document aloud, it creates a podcast-style discussion about it. I use Docs when I want to hear my exact writing, and NotebookLM when I want to hear the bigger picture.

Screenshot this

Until next time, may your first drafts be messy and your second drafts sound much smarter -HL

Get our complete comparison guide between Gemini, ChatGPT, Claude and Perplexity to learn which tool to use and when!

THAT’S ACTUALLY WILD

Iceberg A23a was once the world's largest iceberg, covering almost 4,000 km², roughly twice the size of Greater London. After spending nearly 40 years stuck to the seafloor, it's finally breaking apart in the Southern Ocean.

Tool of the Week

Thea

Thea turns any study material into smart flashcards and practice tests that adapt to how you learn, covering everything from algebra to microbiology and simulating real exam conditions to reduce test anxiety.

Check it out! →

Mystery Link

We don’t know where it goes either…