EDITOR'S PICK SCIENCE The Secret Life Of Sunflowers Key Takeaway: Plants, once considered passive life forms, are now found to be dynamic and responsive. Researchers discovered that even seemingly insignificant behaviors, such as circumnutations, can have a profound impact on their survival and productivity. Sunflowers, for example, self-organize in a zigzag pattern to maximize sunlight exposure, promoting healthy growth and increased yield. This […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
BUSINESS & ECONOMICS EDITOR'S PICK 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 […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
EDITOR'S PICK SCIENCE SOCIOLOGY TECHNOLOGY The Rise Of Robotic Kitchens Key Takeaway: The rise of robotic kitchens is transforming the way we prepare and consume meals, potentially altering the fabric of society. While these innovations are currently being adopted primarily by restaurants and food businesses, it’s only a matter of time before they make their way into homes. The convenience of robotic kitchens could bring […] 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
BUSINESS & ECONOMICS EDITOR'S PICK The Brewing Storm In The Coffee Industry Key Takeaway: The coffee industry is facing a potential reckoning as rising prices threaten to slow its expansion. Giuseppe Lavazza, the head of the iconic Italian coffee brand, suggests that consumers in the U.S. might see prices increase by 20%-25% over the next year. The price of a latte or flat white is becoming pricier, […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
BUSINESS & ECONOMICS EDITOR'S PICK FINANCE Why Crypto Crashed Key Takeaway: Japan’s stock market plunged 12% on August 5, marking its worst day in 37 years. The fall was triggered by fears of a US economy slowdown, with the Nasdaq index dropping over 6% and the S&P 500 dipping by 4.25%. The US Federal Reserve’s chairman, Jerome Powell, suggested an interest rate cut in […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
EDITOR'S PICK SCIENCE Do Genes Influence Our Psychology? Key Takeaway: Genetic conflict theory suggests that genes, while blending together to make us who we are, retain markers indicating whether they came from mother or father. These markers cause genes to cooperate or fight with one another as we grow and develop. Research primarily focuses on pregnancy, as it is one of the few […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
EDITOR'S PICK SCIENCE The Complex Science Of Cheesemaking Key Takeaway: The cheesemaking process involves pumping milk into a cheese vat and adding a special enzyme called rennet. The cheesemaker then cuts the gel into cubes, releasing whey and moisture. For harder cheeses like cheddar, salt is added directly to the curds. Cheesemaking is a milk concentration process, aiming to capture milk proteins, fat, […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
BUSINESS & ECONOMICS EDITOR'S PICK The Lithium Rush In Africa Key Takeaway: The global demand for critical minerals, particularly lithium, is increasing rapidly to meet clean energy and de-carbonisation objectives. Africa hosts substantial resources of these minerals, leading foreign mining companies to invest in exploration and acquire mining licenses. The critical minerals market doubled in five years, reaching US$320 billion in 2022. The demand is […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
BUSINESS & ECONOMICS EDITOR'S PICK What Vietnam Can Teach Us About The Vulnerabilities Of Banks Key Takeaway: Vietnam’s businesswoman Truong My Lan was sentenced to death for taking out $44 billion in fraudulent loans from Saigon Commercial Bank (SCB) by bypassing a law that prevents anyone from owning more than 5% of a bank’s shares. The loans made up 93% of the bank’s entire lending portfolio. The case highlights the […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
The Consciousness Conundrum Key Takeaway: The mystery of consciousness has been a subject of debate for centuries, with numerous theories vying for the title. In 2024, the Cogitate Consortium conducted an “adversarial collaboration” between Global Neuronal Workspace Theory (GNWT) and Integrated Information Theory (IIT). The study aimed to test the theories under neutral conditions, revealing that confirmation bias […] Written by Empirics Asia May 2, 2025May 2, 2025 Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
The Illusion Of Control Key Takeaway: Magicians have long exploited the quirks in our perception and thought processes, manipulating the gaps between perception and reality. Recent scientific research shows that the real magic lies in what their craft can teach us about the human brain. Magic is increasingly becoming a research tool in psychology and cognitive science, uncovering profound […] Written by Empirics Asia April 30, 2025April 30, 2025 Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
Is Big Tech Killing Free Speech or Saving It? Key Takeaway: President Donald Trump’s executive order titled “Restoring Freedom of Speech and Ending Federal Censorship” accused the previous administration of stifling free expression by working with social media companies to curb misinformation and label misleading content. However, recent research suggests that less regulation can actually make the internet a less free place for speech, […] Written by Empirics Asia April 23, 2025April 23, 2025 Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
How The Brain Learns Key Takeaway: Recent research published in Science has revealed that the brain uses multiple learning mechanisms simultaneously, revealing the complexity behind brain wiring. Neurons communicate through electric signals called synapses, which form complex networks of connections that transmit information. The traditional theory of synaptic plasticity assumes uniformity between neurons, but the new study found that […] Written by Empirics Asia April 22, 2025April 22, 2025 Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
Did We Just Discover Life On A Distant Planet? Key Takeaway: A new study published in Nature Astronomy claims that the James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has detected atmospheric signals on K2-18b, a distant world 124 light-years from Earth. The researchers found traces of molecules often associated with biological activity on Earth, including dimethyl sulphide (DMS). The scientists are 99.7% confident in the presence […] Written by Empirics Asia April 21, 2025April 21, 2025 Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
Why So Many People Believe In The Supernatural Key Takeaway: Belief in the supernatural, including ghosts, spirits, astrology, and psychic powers, is more common than people might expect. These beliefs offer a sense of control, meaning, and comfort in the face of life’s unpredictability. They fall outside the boundaries of conventional science and include ideas like fate, spiritual forces, and life after death. […] Written by Empirics Asia April 18, 2025April 18, 2025 Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
The Future Merging Of Mind And Machine Key Takeaway: Brain-computer interface (BCI) technology is rapidly redefining human potential, with breakthroughs in artificial intelligence and machine learning enabling the translation of thoughts into action. The brain is a complex network of over 80 billion neurons, processing thoughts, memories, emotions, and sensory inputs. Advances in AI, miniaturized electronics, and neuroimaging have led to the […] Written by Empirics Asia April 16, 2025April 16, 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