EDITOR'S PICK SCIENCE Volcanoes On The Moon? Key Takeaway: China’s Chang’e 5 mission has challenged long-held assumptions about the Moon’s volcanic past, suggesting eruptions occurred far more recently than expected. The lunar landscape might not have been as dormant as once believed, with volcanic activity on the Moon potentially being active as recently as 120 million years ago. The findings suggest that […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
EDITOR'S PICK SCIENCE The Ancestor Of All Life On Earth Key Takeaway: A new study published in Nature Ecology & Evolution aims to reconstruct the genome of the last universal common ancestor, Luca, the ancient predecessor from which all life descends. Researchers analyzed genomes from bacteria and archaea, excluding eukaryotes, to determine their functions in modern organisms. They constructed phylogenetic trees, constructing 57 key genes […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
EDITOR'S PICK SCIENCE The Science Behind Science Key Takeaway: Science is a complex and multifaceted endeavor, with multiple models and theories working together to find solutions to problems. The public’s expectations of science need to be challenged to avoid unrealistic standards, as deviation from these ideals can breed skepticism. Science is a social enterprise that thrives on collective effort and constructive disagreement, […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
BUSINESS & ECONOMICS EDITOR'S PICK STRATEGY The Business Impact Of Reduced Marketing Key Takeaway: A study published in The Journal of Marketing suggests that businesses often cut their marketing budgets for short-term savings, but these cuts can cause long-term problems. The study gathered transcripts of nearly 25,000 earnings calls held by public companies from 2008 to 2019. The more earnings-oriented language in the calls, the more likely […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
BUSINESS & ECONOMICS EDITOR'S PICK The Hidden Economics Of Avocado Key Takeaway: The consumption of avocados has tripled from 2001 to 2020, with 90% grown in the southwest Mexican state of Michoacán. However, this intensive avocado production is causing significant environmental damage. Monoculture, which introduces homogeneous, high-yielding plant varieties, leads growers to abandon native crops, making the local ecosystem more vulnerable to threats such as […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
EDITOR'S PICK SCIENCE The Hidden World Of Plankton Key Takeaway: Plankton, microscopic algae and animals found in Earth’s oceans, seas, and lakes, are critical to marine ecosystems and humans. They produce about half of Earth’s oxygen and form the base of the marine food web. Zooplankton, tiny marine animals that eat phytoplankton, include copepods, krill, and blue whales. Life cycles vary, with some […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
EDITOR'S PICK SCIENCE Is There Life On Europa? Key Takeaway: The Juno mission has sampled Jupiter’s atmosphere for the first time, revealing that Europa’s icy surface produces less oxygen than previously thought. Europa has an ocean below its icy surface with twice the amount of water as Earth’s oceans and an ocean floor in contact with rock, enabling chemical water-rock interactions that produce […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
EDITOR'S PICK SCIENCE The Quantum Brain? Key Takeaway: Human behavior is a complex subject that has been the subject of much discussion, with researchers suggesting that it could be explained by the way probability works in quantum mechanics. Quantum mechanics, a branch of physics that describes how nature behaves at the scale of atoms or sub-atomic particles, has shown that probabilities […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
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 SCIENCE The Planet That Shouldn’t Exist Key Takeaway: Over 5,000 exoplanets have been detected in recent decades, with many researchers focusing on Earth-like planets suitable for life. One such star, Baekdu, is believed to have a planet that it should have devoured in billions of years. The discovery was made by an international team using the “Doppler wobble” technique. Baekdu has […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
Why We Crave Fear? The Science Of The Scare Key Takeaway: The fascination with fear is deeply rooted in human evolution, with emotions playing a critical role in survival. Controlled fear experiences, such as watching horror movies or navigating a haunted house, offer a safe way to engage with this powerful emotion. Exposure to intense fear reduces anxiety levels afterward, leaving people feeling more […] Written by Empirics Asia October 24, 2024October 24, 2024 Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
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 […] Written by Empirics Asia October 23, 2024October 23, 2024 Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
The Everyday Risks Of Being Hacked Key Takeaway: Hackers exploit everyday habits, such as giving personal information in stores or connecting to unsecured networks, to steal personal information and steal login credentials. These actions can be exploited by phishing and email-delivered malware, which are the leading cyberattack vectors. To protect oneself, individuals should use VPNs, use anti-phishing systems, and take basic […] Written by Empirics Asia October 17, 2024October 17, 2024 Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
Extreme Weather Conspiracy Theories: What Is Really Happening? Key Takeaway: Hurricane Milton in Florida sparked a rise in extreme weather conspiracy theories, which often arise after catastrophic events. These theories aim to explain significant events by attributing them to the secret actions of powerful groups. However, these theories often require a plausible group capable of executing the secretive actions they propose. People embrace […] Written by Empirics Asia October 16, 2024October 17, 2024 Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
Can We Really Change Our Personality? Key Takeaway: Personality tests often suggest that personality is static, but modern psychology shows that traits can evolve over time. People can reshape their personality traits to align with their goals in life. Personality traits are not fixed and can evolve over time, with conscious effort and behavioral adjustments. Studies show that intentional effort can […] Written by Empirics Asia October 15, 2024October 15, 2024 Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
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 […] Written by Empirics Asia October 14, 2024October 14, 2024 Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
Can Music Be Bad For Us? Key Takeaway: Music can be a powerful tool for boosting focus and productivity, but its effectiveness depends on factors such as the person, task, and music type. Instrumental music is less distracting, while familiar tunes can help with memorization or problem-solving. However, high volumes can lead to hearing damage, as the hair-like cells inside the […] Written by Empirics Asia October 11, 2024October 11, 2024 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