ART & DESIGN EDITOR'S PICK The Economics Of Art Museums Key Takeaway: Art museums, such as New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art, have a large number of visitors but struggle to generate revenue. The Met, the world’s third most popular museum, has a budget deficit of $10 million and is laying off over 100 employees. Meanwhile, the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is expanding and […] 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
BUSINESS & ECONOMICS EDITOR'S PICK The Dark Side Of Amazon Returns Key Takeaway E-commerce offers convenience but also has a dark side: returns can be costly for retailers, costing them around $816 billion in lost sales in 2022. The return process, including transportation and packaging, generates about 24 million metric tons of carbon dioxide emissions. Returns can travel hundreds of miles, requiring manual unpacking, inspection, and […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
EDITOR'S PICK PSYCHOLOGY Why Everyday Decisions Feel So Stressful Key Takeaway: The Paradox of Choice: Why More is Less argues that an abundance of choices can cause people anxiety due to the difficulty of comparing and contrasting options, lack of expertise, and emotional high stakes. Maximisers are more likely to experience post-decision regret, so it is important to build habits to avoid ruminating on […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
EDITOR'S PICK FINANCE The Tragic Truth Of Venture Capital Key Takeaway: J.P. Morgan saved the financial system in 1907 by pledging $8 million to the next domino, the Trust Company of America, and convincing a dozen other banks and the U.S. Treasury to deposit $70 million into other vulnerable banks. Bank of America is backed by a safety net of federal agencies, such as […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
EDITOR'S PICK TECHNOLOGY Is Web3 A Fad? Key Takeaway: Web3 is an alternative vision of the web where the services are purely algorithmic things hosted by everybody, and has been called “the hyperfinancialization of all human existence”. Data is no longer easily accessible, making it difficult for entrepreneurs to acquire more users, leading to a stagnant cycle. Web3 startups have focused on […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
EDITOR'S PICK TECHNOLOGY The Future Of Taste Key Takeaway: In the past decade dining out has become a cultural touchstone and an essential form of entertainment. Gastronomy tourism continues to rise each year as people travel the world to seek out new dining experiences. After World War II, big shifts in transportation led to the emergence of new types of restaurants. TV, […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
BUSINESS & ECONOMICS EDITOR'S PICK STRATEGY Why Amazon Became So Successful Key Takeaway: Amazon with a market capitalization of over $1.5 trillion and net revenue of $386 billion in 2020. Customer Service and Convenience is one of the key factors that has contributed to its success. Amazon’s focus on customer service and convenience has played a major role in its success. Innovative Business Model is another […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
BUSINESS & ECONOMICS EDITOR'S PICK What We Can Learn From Kanye West And Adidas Key Takeaways: Brand collaborations are strategic partnerships between two or more brands. When done well, the collaboration helps both partners grow their brands and amplify a shared message. But just like any marriage, it doesn’t always go well; recent examples include Yeezy’s breakups with Gap and Adidas. Adidas has ended its partnership with Yeezy after […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
EDITOR'S PICK FINANCE TECHNOLOGY Important Lessons From FTX’s Collapse Key Takeaways: Cryptocurrency exchanges are sometimes described as being like stock exchanges. But they are very different to the likes of the London or New York stock exchanges, which are highly regulated and serve a regulatory function. Cryptocurrency exchanges make money by helping “mum and dad” investors into the market. Seven of the world’s ten biggest crypto […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
The Secret Functions Of Dopamine Key Takeaway: Recent neuroscience research suggests that popular strategies to control dopamine are based on an overly narrow view of its function. Dopamine is a neurotransmitter in the brain that tracks reactions to rewards, such as food, sex, money, or answering a question correctly. There are many types of dopamine neurons located in the uppermost […] Written by Kimberlee D'Ardenne September 19, 2023September 19, 2023 Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
NASA Finally Revealed Findings On UFOs Key Takeaway: NASA’s independent study team released a report on UFOs, describing them as UAPs (unidentified anomalous phenomena) to move beyond the stigma associated with UFOs. The report found no evidence that reported UAP observations are extraterrestrial. The report also highlighted the need for transparency and reducing the stigma associated with UFOs. The study team […] Written by Chris Impey September 18, 2023September 18, 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
How Video Games Are Reviving Classical Music Key Takeaways: Starfield, a highly anticipated video game, allows players to build their own character and spacecraft, travel to multiple planets, and follow multiple story arcs. The game’s interactive music uses a palette of musical language that cultivates a contemplative soundscape, launching the listener into the vastness of space while remaining curious, innocent, and restrained. […] Written by J. Aaron Hardwick September 11, 2023September 11, 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
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