EDITOR'S PICK PHILOSOPHY Philosophy In The Age Of A.I. Key Takeaway: OpenAI, a leading AI research and development company, has announced plans to build a new team and allocate 20% of its computing resources to align AI systems with human values. The company is aiming to prevent artificial superintelligences from waging war on humanity. Philosophy has been instrumental to AI since its inception, with […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
ART & DESIGN EDITOR'S PICK The Essence Of Surrealism Key Takeaway: André Breton’s “Manifesto of Surrealism” in 1928 sparked an art movement known for creating bizarre hybrids of words and images, often generated through chance. This approach was believed to stimulate the unconscious mind to cultivate new insights. Surrealist artists like Max Ernst used techniques like decalcomania and the “exquisite corpse” to create unique […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
ART & DESIGN EDITOR'S PICK TECHNOLOGY The Science Fiction Feedback Loop Key Takeaway: OpenAI CEO Sam Altman sparked controversy by referencing the 2013 movie “Her” to highlight the novelty of ChatGPT’s latest iteration. Actor Scarlett Johansson accused the company of improperly using her voice after she spurned their offer to make her the voice of ChatGPT’s new virtual assistant. This highlights the “sci-fi feedback loop,” which […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
ART & DESIGN EDITOR'S PICK The Source Of Surrealism Key Takeaway: Surrealist artists, such as Man Ray and Salvador Dalí, used randomness in their artistic practice to create unique and captivating images. Techniques like decalcomania, where paint is applied to a surface, and the “exquisite corpse” where sentences are divided into different parts of speech, have been applied to various creative ventures. The Blackwing […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
EDITOR'S PICK SCIENCE The Greater Secrets Of Stonehenge Key Takeaway: A project involving archaeologists, astronomers, and photographers from English Heritage, Oxford, Leicester, and Bournemouth universities, as well as the Royal Astronomical Society, aims to study the lunar alignment at Stonehenge. The project aims to identify the layout of certain stones and the major lunar standstill, which occurs when the northernmost and southernmost moonrises […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
ART & DESIGN EDITOR'S PICK POLITICS The Problem With Fashion Key Takeaway: The fashion industry relies on storytelling to create fashionable garments and spread positive messages about issues. However, it can also drive overconsumption and perpetuate unrealistic beauty expectations. The industry’s global reach allows for easy sharing of visual cues and messaging, especially during times of social and political unease. The UN’s report urges storytellers, […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
ART & DESIGN CULTURE EDITOR'S PICK How To Tell If Luxury Goods Are Worth It Key Takeaway: Designer fashion has seen significant growth since the pandemic, with luxury brands like Louis Vuitton and Burberry experiencing 86% higher sales growth. The rise of athleisure and designer collaborations like Manolo Blahnik for Birkenstock, Gucci x Adidas, and Burberry x Supreme have made luxury more accessible. However, high prices can affect the longevity […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
CULTURE EDITOR'S PICK Why ‘Friends’ Is So Special To So Many Of Us Key Takeaway: Matthew Perry, best known for his role as Chandler Bing in the popular television series Friends, has passed away at 54. Friends, a popular sitcom, has maintained an average of over 20 million viewers each season and has been a source of comfort and connection for viewers. The show’s likeable characters and relatable […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
BUSINESS & ECONOMICS EDITOR'S PICK The Story Of Birkenstock: Unlikely Rise Of A Billion Dollar Brand Key Takeaway: Birkenstock, a German shoe brand, has been able to attract fashionistas and hippies to its flexible arch supports, despite its negative image. The brand, founded in 1774, has evolved from orthopaedic footwear to fashion, with its initial public offering predicted to be the third-largest US listing so far in 2023. Birkenstock’s “bubble up” […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
EDITOR'S PICK PHILOSOPHY The Surprisingly Modern Philosophy Of Jean-Jacques Rousseau Key Takeaways: Jean-Jacques Rousseau, a renowned Western philosopher, is often overlooked in modern thought. His work includes treatises, fiction, autobiographical works, and musical compositions. Rousseau’s ideas reflect many of our deepest commitments and patterns of thought, making his ideas often seem common sense. His epistolary novel, Julie, or the New Héloïse (1761), suggests authenticity should […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
Is Cosmology About to Rewrite Everything We Know? Key Takeaway: Cosmology is facing a series of uncertainties due to inconsistent predictions of the standard model, which posits the universe is composed of 68.3% dark energy, 26.8% dark matter, and 4.9% ordinary matter. The Hubble constant, which describes the rate of the universe’s expansion, has been a significant issue, with some scientists using different […] Written by Empirics Asia September 23, 2024September 23, 2024 Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
The Comeback Of China’s Tech Billionaires: A New Dawn Or Controlled Market? Key Takeaway: Pony Ma, co-founder of Tencent Holdings, has regained the title of China’s richest individual with a net worth of over A$65 billion. His rise reflects Beijing’s control over its private sector, which aligns with the state’s goals in China’s unique “socialist market economy.” Tencent’s success, including the AAA video game “Black Myth: Wukong,” […] Written by Empirics Asia September 20, 2024September 20, 2024 Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
Rethinking Wealth: Why GDP Isn’t Enough Key Takeaway: Inclusive wealth, a concept that includes not just economic output but also natural resources, human skills, and social networks, is gaining traction among international institutions like the World Bank and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). This broader measure of a nation’s well-being aims to address the limitations of GDP, which focuses only […] Written by Empirics Asia September 12, 2024September 12, 2024 Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
The Dark Side Of No Sleep Key Takeaway: The “no-sleep challenge” has become a dangerous trend on social media, with some individuals trying to break world records for consecutive days without sleep. Sleep is essential for survival, as it helps the body repair itself and prevents health problems like depression, diabetes, heart disease, obesity, and a shortened lifespan. Chronic sleep deprivation […] Written by Empirics Asia September 11, 2024September 11, 2024 Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
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 […] Written by Empirics Asia September 10, 2024September 10, 2024 Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
Freud’s Forgotten Theory: The Hidden Desires Behind Creativity and Genius Key Takeaway: Sigmund Freud’s theory of sublimation aimed to explain why some people display extraordinary talent by transforming repressed sexual desires into creative or intellectual prowess. He believed that Leonardo da Vinci’s life and work exemplified this process, as he left many of his paintings unfinished and engaged in scientific experiments that derailed his artistic […] Written by Empirics Asia September 9, 2024September 9, 2024 Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
The Upcoming Revolution For Global Internet Access Key Takeaway: High-altitude platform stations (HAPS) are emerging as a new frontier in communications technology, offering a unique blend of accessibility and affordability. Positioned between 4 and 30 miles above Earth, these stations bring telecommunications equipment closer to the surface than satellites, resulting in stronger, higher-capacity signals. Researchers have demonstrated that HAPS could provide high-speed […] Written by Empirics Asia September 6, 2024September 6, 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