EDITOR'S PICK POLITICS SOCIOLOGY Some Silicon Valley Investors Are Trying To Create A Utopian City Key Takeaway: George Bernard Shaw referred to Ebenezer Howard’s “garden cities” concept in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, which he believed would offer the advantages of town and country without the drawbacks. Recently, a Silicon Valley consortium called Flannery Associates purchased land for California Forever, a contentious project that echoes Howard’s ideas. Howard’s […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
BUSINESS & ECONOMICS EDITOR'S PICK POLITICS What Exactly Is Nudge Theory? Key Takeaway: The concept of “nudge theory” has gained prominence 15 years after its 2008 book, “Nudge: Improving Decisions about Health, Wealth and Happiness.” The book, which inspired politicians like Barack Obama and David Cameron, led to the creation of government teams to incorporate nudge theory into public policy. However, the success of these nudges […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
BUSINESS & ECONOMICS EDITOR'S PICK POLITICS The Age Of Resource Nationalism Key Takeaway: China’s new export regime is reportedly in response to western restrictions on equipment essential for semiconductor devices, such as the US CHIPS and Science Act of 2022. This could affect Beijing’s capacity for high-performance computing in areas like defense. Both germanium and gallium are crucial to technological advancement, with germanium being particularly useful […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
EDITOR'S PICK PHILOSOPHY POLITICS The Philosophy Of Karl Marx Explained Key Takeaway: Human history is shaped by social contexts, and Marx believed philosophy could help us realize our potential and overcome impediments to self-understanding and freedom. He argued that inequality is socially created, and that economic systems like feudalism and capitalism are our own creations. Marx argued that a rational social order could realize our […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
EDITOR'S PICK POLITICS Wise Politic Lessons From The Ancient Greeks Key Takeaway Ancient Greeks developed a more sophisticated political system than modern European societies, known as direct democracy. They practiced “people power” and took measures to prevent ruthless, narcissistic individuals from dominating politics. Modern democracy is merely representative, with representatives elected by the public. However, recent political events show that modern societies are not stringent […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
EDITOR'S PICK POLITICS The Geopolitical Future Of Microchips A conflict between the US and China over computer chips – or semiconductors – has been escalating in recent months. In particular, the US has taken steps to limit China’s access to advanced chip technology amid heightened international competition in the area. The US recently tightened export controls to undercut China’s access to high-end chip manufacturing equipment and […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
EDITOR'S PICK POLITICS TECHNOLOGY How Should We Regulate A.I.? Key Takeaway: Regulation is needed to ensure that AI products deserve trust and don’t lead to fraud and misinformation, as human imagination is out of proportion. AI poses a unique challenge because designers cannot predict how it will behave, making it difficult to regulate. Professional organizations can play a role in regulating AI by combining […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
EDITOR'S PICK PHILOSOPHY POLITICS We Now Live In “Late Capitalism” Key Takeaways: Karl Marx first analysed the last stage of capitalism in his three-volume opus Capital: A Critique of Political Economy(published in 1867, 1885, and 1894) Karl Marx did not use the term “late capitalism” It was coined by Werner Sombart, a controversial German historical economist, almost a century ago. The term ‘late capitalism’ was […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
EDITOR'S PICK POLITICS The Secret Geopolitics Of FIFA World Cup 2022 Key Takeaways: The Fifa men’s World Cup 2022 in Qatar is arguably the most political in history. Qatar Airways is an effective instrument of soft power, transmitting signals to global audiences about what Qatar is and what it aspires to be. The Fifa men’s World Cup 2022 in Qatar is arguably the most political in history. […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
EDITOR'S PICK POLITICS SOCIOLOGY How Did Patriarchy Start? Key Takeaways: The patriarchy, having been somewhat in retreat in parts of the world, is back in our faces . In some of these matrilineal systems in Africa, men remain a powerful force in households, but it is older brothers and uncles who try to control women rather than husbands or fathers. Women are also […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
How China’s Property Crisis Will Impact Global Tourism Key Takeaway: The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted the Chinese travel industry, with a slow return to global flights due to the country’s struggling real estate sector. China’s largest developer, Country Garden, lost $7.1 billion in the first six months of 2023, and investors are concerned about potential debt default. Local governments heavily rely on tax […] Written by Zhiyong Yang September 15, 2023September 15, 2023 Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
The Price Of Love: Hidden Costs Of Modern Dating Key Takeaway: The average American spends $120,000 on romantic activities, leading to a significant amount of “dating debt” among millennials and Gen Z. This debt accumulation is attributed to the desire to signal status and the persuasive retail marketing of luxury as synonymous with love. Luxury brands like Gucci and Tiffany use strategic marketing tactics […] Written by Mark Lee September 14, 2023September 14, 2023 Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
The Psychology Of Fyre Festival II Key Takeaway: The founder of the 2017 Fyre Festival, William “Billy” McFarland, has announced plans for a second attempt at the festival, with a target date of the end of 2024. McFarland, who was charged with several fraud offences and sentenced to six years in prison, has been promoting the event on Instagram. The promotion […] Written by Yaniv Hanoch September 8, 2023September 8, 2023 Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
What Exactly Is Nudge Theory? Key Takeaway: The concept of “nudge theory” has gained prominence 15 years after its 2008 book, “Nudge: Improving Decisions about Health, Wealth and Happiness.” The book, which inspired politicians like Barack Obama and David Cameron, led to the creation of government teams to incorporate nudge theory into public policy. However, the success of these nudges […] Written by Stuart Mills September 7, 2023September 7, 2023 Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
The Age Of Nanotechnology Key Takeaways: Nanotechnology is set to revolutionize clothing, transportation, and transportation. Clothing will be tailored to individual needs, with synthesizers in closets creating clothing that fits perfectly. Nanosuits, made of 5 microns thick fabric, will cover the wearer’s body, allowing separate holes for individual hairs and making them weightless. This technology will double the amount […] Written by Ella Alderson September 6, 2023September 6, 2023 Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
What’s The Point Of Art? Key Takeaway: Art, or art, has a significant role in human endeavour, as it was used by early humans during the Upper Palaeolithic period, 40,000 to 12,000 years ago, to articulate social norms among small hunter-gatherer groups. Art objects have special resonance because they come into being through human agency, involving considerable emotional investment. Art […] Written by Empirics Asia September 5, 2023September 5, 2023 Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
Who Cleans Up Space Junk? With more countries landing on the Moon, the issue of space debris becomes increasingly concerning. The lack of governance and regulation is worrisome as space becomes more congested with satellites and junk. Written by Empirics Asia September 4, 2023September 5, 2023 Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
Rethinking Education Key Takeaways: The Industrial model of education that fueled the modern era and its dizzying reach did its job incredibly well. In his writing, Flynn illustrates study after study, spanning nations and decades, in which modern educational gift of abstraction — a transcendent sign of intelligence, as we saw in Raven’s Matrices — has been […] Written by Anthony Fieldman March 2, 2022October 19, 2022 Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
How China Is Transforming Its Economy Through Learning I highly recommend reading the McKinsey Global Institute’s new report, “Reskilling China: Transforming The World’s Largest Workforce Into Lifelong Learners”, which focuses on the country’s biggest employment challenge, re-training its workforce and the adoption of practices such as lifelong learning to address the growing digital transformation of its productive fabric. How to transform the country […] Written by Enrique Dans February 1, 2021February 1, 2021 Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
Why You’re Not Seeing Success With Influencer Marketing With the new year around the corner, now is a good time to re-evaluate your past marketing strategies and gear up for the year ahead. For some businesses, influencer marketing has simply not seemed to live up to its lofty promises of genuine engagement, credibility, and transparency. Some have claimed that it has been failing […] Written by Michael Tan January 14, 2021January 15, 2021 Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
A New Philosophy of Business I’m about to ask you to take a mental leap. For the next 8 minutes, suspend your notions of what a business is, and I’ll propose a new lens for you to look through. There are a lot of questions asked around what “community” means for business. “Where should community fit in my organization?” and […] Written by Empirics Asia September 5, 2018September 5, 2018 Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked