BUSINESS & ECONOMICS EDITOR'S PICK Inside Elon Musk’s Social Media Empire Key Takeaway: Elon Musk’s social media platform, X, has become a dominant force in U.S. presidential politics, capturing unprecedented engagement and becoming a megaphone for President Trump’s campaign. Musk’s vision for transforming X into an “everything app” akin to China’s WeChat has been unveiled, with his net worth reaching $300 billion. However, challenges such as […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
BUSINESS & ECONOMICS EDITOR'S PICK How Luxury Defies Economic Laws Key Takeaway: The law of demand, which states that as prices rise, demand generally falls, is a fundamental principle in economics. However, some goods, such as Veblen and Giffen goods, challenge this rule. Veblen goods, also known as “snob” goods, are valued for their prestige, exclusivity, and social standing. They are valued for their intrinsic […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
EDITOR'S PICK SCIENCE The Big Bang: Inside The Explosive Origin Of Everything Key Takeaway: The Big Bang theory describes the universe’s birth as a massive explosion nearly 14 billion years ago, sparking everything we know today. Scientists discovered this event in 1929 with Edwin Hubble’s discovery of distant galaxies moving away from each other. The cosmic microwave background (CMB) in 1964 provided direct evidence for the Big […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
BUSINESS & ECONOMICS EDITOR'S PICK The Real Cost Of Billionaire Philanthropy Key Takeaway: Alice Walton, a Walmart heiress, has a $1.5 billion philanthropic footprint, including a $390 million donation in 2023 to support the Alice L Walton School of Medicine. However, her philanthropic efforts raise questions about the societal costs of billionaire giving and the genuineness of her contributions. The broader social and economic costs of […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
BUSINESS & ECONOMICS EDITOR'S PICK The Flawed Theory Behind Why Nations Prosper Key Takeaway: Daron Acemoglu, Simon Johnson, and James Robinson were awarded the 2024 Nobel Memorial Prize in economics for their book Why Nations Fail, which argued that countries succeed when they adopt inclusive institutions like democracy, while extractive institutions stifle growth by concentrating power and wealth in elites. However, their theory has faced criticism for […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
BUSINESS & ECONOMICS EDITOR'S PICK Reviving State Power: The New Era of Industrial Policy Key Takeaway: State intervention in global economics is gaining momentum, particularly since the 2010s, due to financial crises, geopolitical tensions, and the fragility of global supply chains. The relationship between exports and protectionism is complex, as successful industrial and trade policies often blend export promotion with elements of protectionism. South Korea and Taiwan have used […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
EDITOR'S PICK PSYCHOLOGY Are Today’s Youth Really More Narcissistic? Key Takeaway: A recent study examining narcissism in youth found that all three dimensions of the trait declined across the lifespan. The decline was attributed to changing social roles throughout life, such as assuming significant responsibilities and taking on significant responsibilities. However, some individuals may still be more narcissistic than others, and age alone doesn’t […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
EDITOR'S PICK PHILOSOPHY The Philosophy Of Tantra Key Takeaway: Tantra, a concept associated with sex life, has a rich history and can be viewed with suspicion by practitioners from both sides. Neotantrikas, who practice neotantric sex practices, are accused of neglecting the deep spiritual truths of the original Tantric movement, replacing it with a Western-influenced sex obsession. Scholars like Hugh Urban and […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
EDITOR'S PICK SCIENCE The Unconventional Origins Of Artificial Limbs Key Takeaway: The idea that humans can alter patients’ bodies in difficult and invasive ways has its roots in the American Civil War, which led to the development of amputation techniques and artificial limb design. By 1700, Europeans began to believe they could use amputation along with artificial limbs to shape the body. This change […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
BUSINESS & ECONOMICS EDITOR'S PICK Is Free Trade A Myth? Key Takeaway: US President Joe Biden has raised tariffs on Chinese-made goods, claiming the Chinese government has cheated by pouring money into Chinese companies. The tariffs are 25% on steel and aluminium, 50% on semiconductors and solar panels, and 100% on electric vehicles. Under Biden’s presidency, the US has embarked on an ambitious strategy to […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
The Science Of Airports: How Travel Transforms Us Key Takeaway: Airports often lead to unusual behavior, such as drunken brawls and flight diversions. The psychology of travel can influence this behavior, as the promise of vacation can shift our mindset into anticipation and liberation. The overwhelming noise, crowds, and constant hustle can overload our senses, leading to stress-induced irritability and unexpected outbursts. Airports […] Written by Empirics Asia February 3, 2025February 3, 2025 Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
The Hidden Side Of Shipwrecks Key Takeaway: Over 8,500 shipwrecks from two devastating world wars pose a significant threat to marine ecosystems and coastal communities. These underwater time capsules contain up to 6 billion gallons of oil, munitions, toxic heavy metals, and chemical weapons. The degradation of these wrecks is accelerating due to rising ocean temperatures, increasing acidification, and more […] Written by Empirics Asia January 27, 2025January 27, 2025 Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
How Korea’s Cultural Revolution Is Shaping The World Key Takeaway: South Korea’s cultural exports have surged to unprecedented heights, with the latest season of “Squid Game” solidifying its position as a global entertainment powerhouse. The “Korean Wave” or Hallyu, which includes TV series, movies, animation, and music, has generated approximately US$3.7 billion annually for South Korea through exports, consumer spending, and tourism. The […] Written by Empirics Asia January 20, 2025January 20, 2025 Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
The Existence Of Extraterrestrial Life Key Takeaway: A study published in Nature Astronomy found a strong consensus among scientists that extraterrestrial life exists in the universe. The survey, which involved 521 astrobiologists and 534 non-astrobiologists, found that 86.6% agreed or strongly agreed that some form of extraterrestrial life exists. The study also found that 67.4% of astrobiologists and 58.2% of […] Written by Empirics Asia January 16, 2025January 16, 2025 Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
The Rise Of Virtual Microbes? Key Takeaway: Researchers are using genome-scale metabolic models (GEMs) to study the complexities of microbial life, offering innovative solutions to climate change and space challenges. GEMs simulate the vast network of metabolic pathways within living organisms, allowing scientists to test and predict microbial behavior across diverse environments. They provide a detailed framework for understanding organisms’ […] Written by Empirics Asia January 15, 2025January 15, 2025 Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
Birkin Under Seige: Unlikely Challenge Of A Luxury Icon Key Takeaway: The “Wirkin” bag, a $78 imitation of Hermès’ Birkin bag, has gained popularity on TikTok, attracting millions of users. The bag, a clever portmanteau of “Walmart” and “Birkin,” allows everyday consumers to partake in high-end fashion without the exorbitant cost. The trend reflects a broader shift in societal values, where symbols of wealth […] Written by Empirics Asia January 14, 2025January 14, 2025 Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
Fusion: The Move Towards Unlimited Clean Energy Key Takeaway: In 2022, scientists achieved the “experiment of the century” at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, marking the first time a fusion reaction produced more energy than consumed. This achievement has attracted billions of dollars in private investment, particularly in the United States, to advance fusion technology. However, a myriad of engineering challenges remain before […] Written by Empirics Asia January 13, 2025January 13, 2025 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