CULTURE EDITOR'S PICK PSYCHOLOGY SOCIOLOGY 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 […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
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
CULTURE EDITOR'S PICK SOCIOLOGY Understanding Cancel Culture Key Takeaway: The rise of user-created content on platforms like YouTube, Twitch, and TikTok has challenged traditional notions of authorship. YouTube cancellation videos, a unique sub-genre of YouTube apology videos, show how creators take responsibility for accusations, question the validity of others, and address the dynamics of social media cancellation more broadly in relation to […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
EDITOR'S PICK SOCIOLOGY TECHNOLOGY How A.I. Is Transforming Music Key Takeaways: The intersection of music and artificial intelligence (AI) is a topic of concern for many students. While AI has the potential to create a world where music is abundant, it could also lead to the eradication of human musicians. Three ways AI is changing the way music is made include song composition, mixing […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
EDITOR'S PICK SOCIOLOGY The Rise Of Deinfluencers Key Takeaways: Deinfluencing is a social media trend that discourages influencers from promoting overpriced or ineffective products. With nearly 730 million views on TikTok, it aims to address the desire for authenticity, social media burnout, and a shift in values. Deinfluencers prioritize genuine content and engagement over curated content and commercial partnerships, addressing the emotional […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
EDITOR'S PICK PSYCHOLOGY SOCIOLOGY Why Are We Still So Obsessed With The Titanic? Key Takeaway The Titanic, the world’s most famous ship, was sunk on its maiden voyage across the Atlantic in 1912. The disaster inspired songs and films, including James Cameron’s 1997 epic romance. The Titanic’s opulence and the power of the sea have attracted the super-rich to risk their lives to see the wreck. The ship’s […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
EDITOR'S PICK SOCIOLOGY Are Rich People More Intelligent? Key Takeaway Intelligence contributes to economic and professional success, but not all highly intelligent people are driven by wealth. Intelligence consists of fluid and crystallised intelligence, which develop differently. Fluid intelligence is inherited and decreases with age, while crystallised intelligence increases throughout adulthood and declines after 65 years. Fluid intelligence builds up crystallised intelligence, which […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
CULTURE EDITOR'S PICK SOCIOLOGY 5 Discoveries That Changed Our Understanding Of Ancient Egypt Key Takeaway: Mummification is older than archaeologists imagined, with the oldest known mummies from the Old Kingdom era (c.2500-2100BC) being specially prepared by embalmers. Chemical tests have revealed that resins and perfumes were already being used to help preserve the skin of the dead over 6,000 years ago, before coffins were common. The ‘recipe’ varied […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
EDITOR'S PICK SOCIOLOGY The World After Oil Key Takeaway: The production and consumption of fossil fuels is on the rise, and expected to peak within the next decade. To consider alternatives to oil, we need to be aware of the scale of its integration into our lives. Caleb Wellum, an assistant professor of U.S. history at the University of Toronto Mississauga, Canada, […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
CULTURE EDITOR'S PICK SOCIOLOGY The Importance Of Ritual Key Takeaway: A “ritual” is a series of actions performed according to a prescribed order. They are often embedded in a larger symbolic system, such as religion or philosophy. The oldest evidence for ancient rituals is found at Mt Carmel in Israel, where a woman was buried 130,000 years ago. Rituals play an important role […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
How Nanoparticles Will Change The World Key Takeaway: Nanotechnology, which includes particles smaller than 10,000 times the diameter of a human hair, is playing a growing role in various industries, including medicine, cosmetics, and medicine. Nanoparticles can pass easily through the blood-brain barrier, potentially enabling better treatment of brain diseases and disorders like cancer and dementia. They can also be used […] Written by Kristin Omberg September 13, 2023September 13, 2023 Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
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 […] Written by Empirics Asia September 12, 2023September 12, 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
Does Social Media Warp How People Learn? Key Takeaway: Online algorithms on social media platforms amplify information people are biased to learn from, leading to social misperceptions, conflict, and the spread of misinformation. This mismatch between human psychology and algorithm amplification can result in functional misalignment, leading to incorrect perceptions of the social world and the spread of misinformation. Research on this […] Written by William Brady September 1, 2023September 1, 2023 Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
Online Games Might Actually Be Good For Us Key Takeaways: Online gaming communities could be a vital lifeline for young men struggling with mental health issues, according to new research. Members with more depressive symptoms and less real-life support were 40% more likely to form and maintain social ties with fellow gamers compared to those with more real-life support. This suggests the chat […] Written by Tyler Prochnow August 30, 2023August 30, 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