EDITOR'S PICK SCIENCE How Hurricane Milton Became A Monster Key Takeaway: Hurricane Milton, a Category 5 hurricane, rapidly intensified in less than 24 hours, showcasing the increasing frequency of rapid hurricane intensification linked to rising ocean temperatures and climate change. Rapid intensification is a growing trend, with warmer ocean waters, low wind shear, abundant moisture, and thunderstorm bursts providing the necessary energy for the […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
CULTURE EDITOR'S PICK Unlocking The Secrets Of The Singapore Stone Key Takeaway: The Singapore Stone, an ancient epigraph measuring three-by-three meters, was discovered in 1819 but was almost entirely lost. Three fragments were saved by Scottish military officer James Low and sent to the Royal Asiatic Society’s Museum in Calcutta. The remaining fragments are unknown, and the script remains undeciphered. The epigraph’s origin is unknown, […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
EDITOR'S PICK SOCIOLOGY The Maths Of Societal Collapse Key Takeaway: The author, a historian and complexity scientist, has been studying history for over a decade, noticing patterns in the past. They have been working on cliodynamics, a new field that uses statistical methods and computational simulations to understand how complex systems change over time. The Seshat: Global History Databank, a collection of over […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
ART & DESIGN EDITOR'S PICK Unmasking Banksy Key Takeaway: Banksy, a renowned graffiti artist, has been involved in a defamation suit against Guess for using his imagery without permission. The artist’s identity is believed to be Bristol’s Robin Gunningham, who was named as a co-defendant in the defamation suit. Despite numerous investigations, no one has been able to definitively link Gunningham and […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
EDITOR'S PICK SCIENCE When Jupiter Becomes A Star Key Takeaways: Humanity’s actions have led to environmental disaster, causing harm to animals, people, and ecosystems. However, the planet will always survive, with new species emerging. In 5 billion years, the sun will reach the Schönberg-Chandrasekhar limit, causing the sun to become a red giant. This event could lead to Earth’s atmosphere being stripped away, […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
EDITOR'S PICK PHILOSOPHY PSYCHOLOGY SCIENCE What Is Intelligence? Key Takeaway: The Anthropocene era highlights the dangers of humanity’s extinction, with migration, war, climate change, hacking, and nuclear annihilation being the main threats. Human intelligence is unique in reproduction and survival, as it also poses an ethical risk. Western mythology and literature provide insights into the moral dilemmas at the heart of human intelligence, […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
ART & DESIGN EDITOR'S PICK 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 […] 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 Is Patriotism Actually Good? The root of patriotism is the belief that one is part of something better than the alternative; and that this confers not only prestige but a sort of pre-determined ascendency among a chosen few. This kind of sanctimonious thinking is the kind of toxic narrative that leads to the justification of wars between patriots of […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
ART & DESIGN EDITOR'S PICK PHILOSOPHY SOCIOLOGY The World’s Most Disturbing Piece Of Art The series culminated with Rhythm 0, or what can surely be described as one of the world’s most profound and yet horrifying pieces of art. All of the performances in the Rhythm series were meant to test the limits of the human body, beginning with knife-play in the first performance and gradually mounting to the destruction and seduction […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
The Chinese Tech Companies Reshaping Global Markets Key Takeaway: China’s emerging tech firms are transforming the global market by prioritizing rapid innovation, cost efficiency, and adaptability. DeepSeek, a Chinese AI firm, has challenged the dominance of US tech giants, demonstrating that China is no longer just the world’s factory but becoming the world’s innovation hub. DJI Innovations, a drone company, has revolutionized […] Written by Empirics Asia March 13, 2025March 13, 2025 Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
The Business Of War Key Takeaway: Multinational corporations are increasingly taking sides in times of geopolitical conflict, often aligning their actions with their home countries or responding to public pressure. This trend, known as “partisan behavior,” comes with significant risks, both financially and reputationally. Companies that take a stand risk alienating customers and investors, while those that remain neutral […] Written by Empirics Asia March 12, 2025March 13, 2025 Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
The Hidden Dimensions Of Reality Key Takeaway: The universe may be far more complex than we initially think, with the possibility of a higher-dimensional structure that twists and folds in ways unseen. Mathematicians study all possible shapes and dimensions in geometric topology, revealing a universe that may be far from the simple, empty expanse we assume. Modern physics, particularly string […] Written by Empirics Asia March 3, 2025March 3, 2025 Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
Unravelling The Secrets Of Dinosaurs Key Takeaway: Scientists are decoding the mysteries of dinosaurs by examining their lives, movements, and interactions. Advances in technology are revealing new insights into their colors, patterns, and social structures. Electron microscopes have allowed scientists to reconstruct the coloration of certain feathered dinosaurs, revealing details about their appearance and behavior. CT scans are being used […] Written by Empirics Asia February 28, 2025February 28, 2025 Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
Collision Course: The Doomsday Asteroid Flying Towards Earth Key Takeaway: A new asteroid, 2024 YR4, was detected in Chile at the end of 2024, with a small yet notable chance of colliding with Earth in 2032. Initially, estimates suggested a 3.1% probability of impact, but as of February 2024, calculations by the European Space Agency’s Near Earth Object Centre have revised this down […] Written by Empirics Asia February 25, 2025February 25, 2025 Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
The Hidden Cost Of Cheap Furniture Key Takeaway: Fast furniture, which is mass-produced items designed for short-term use, is a growing environmental crisis. Millions of discarded pieces end up in landfills each year, contributing to a waste problem mirroring the fast fashion industry. To avoid fast furniture, consumers should identify it by noticing its price, materials, assembly methods, limited or unclear […] Written by Empirics Asia February 24, 2025February 24, 2025 Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
Is Democracy Really The Best System? Key Takeaway: Plato’s critique of democracy, particularly in his work “The Republic,” suggests that it is fundamentally flawed. Socrates, Plato’s mentor and teacher, argues that ruling a state is a skill, similar to piloting a ship or performing surgery. However, critics argue that this is not the case. Politics involves moral judgments, compromises, and social […] Written by Empirics Asia February 21, 2025February 21, 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