EDITOR'S PICK STRATEGY The Power Of Small Changes: How Marginal Gains Lead To Extraordinary Success Key Takeaway: The British cycling team’s 2008 Beijing Olympics victory was a result of a simple strategy: the pursuit of marginal gains. The team’s coach, Sir Dave Brailsford, believed that success could be achieved by making a series of 1% improvements across every aspect of the cyclists’ gear, stamina, and physical conditioning. This principle, known […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
EDITOR'S PICK PSYCHOLOGY Are Today’s Youth Really More Narcissistic? Key Takeaway: A recent study examining narcissism in youth found that all three dimensions of the trait declined across the lifespan. The decline was attributed to changing social roles throughout life, such as assuming significant responsibilities and taking on significant responsibilities. However, some individuals may still be more narcissistic than others, and age alone doesn’t […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
BUSINESS & ECONOMICS EDITOR'S PICK STRATEGY Humility Is The Secret To Leadership? Key Takeaway: A study has found that humble leaders can become more promotable by growing others through a “humility route”. Human capital theory suggests that employees’ value can be enhanced by investing in their knowledge, skills, and abilities. Humble leaders focus on the learning and growth of their followers, creating human capital value for themselves. […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
BUSINESS & ECONOMICS EDITOR'S PICK Predicting China’s Economy In 2024 Key Takeaway: China’s leaders have declared a GDP growth target of 5% in 2024, despite facing economic problems and a property crisis. The country’s rapid economic growth has been attributed to market incentives, cheap labor, infrastructure investment, exports, and foreign direct investment. However, none of these drivers are working effectively. The government’s determination to deflate […] 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
BUSINESS & ECONOMICS EDITOR'S PICK STRATEGY The Hidden Costs Of Lay-Offs Key Takeaway: Businesses are facing rising borrowing costs and wage growth, affecting industries like advertising and retail. Redundancies can impact all employees, including those at risk, survivors, and management and HR teams. Decreased trust can lead to a toxic work environment, causing employees to question loyalty and commitment. Psychological stress can lead to increased absenteeism, […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
EDITOR'S PICK PSYCHOLOGY Online Games Might Actually Be Good For Us Key Takeaways: Online gaming communities could be a vital lifeline for young men struggling with mental health issues, according to new research. Members with more depressive symptoms and less real-life support were 40% more likely to form and maintain social ties with fellow gamers compared to those with more real-life support. This suggests the chat […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
BUSINESS & ECONOMICS EDITOR'S PICK STRATEGY Was Musk’s Twitter Rebrand To X The Right Move? Key Takeaway: Twitter’s CEO, Elon Musk, has rebranded the platform X, abandoning the globally recognized Twitter brand and renaming it X.com. The rebrand aligns with Musk’s intention to make the platform more than a communication app, like Tencent’s popular WeChat app in China. The new X symbol is distinctive and expresses a sense of mystery. […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
EDITOR'S PICK POLITICS Wise Politic Lessons From The Ancient Greeks Key Takeaway Ancient Greeks developed a more sophisticated political system than modern European societies, known as direct democracy. They practiced “people power” and took measures to prevent ruthless, narcissistic individuals from dominating politics. Modern democracy is merely representative, with representatives elected by the public. However, recent political events show that modern societies are not stringent […] 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
Quantum Physics Meets A.I. Key Takeaway: Quantum tunnelling, a phenomenon from quantum mechanics, has been applied to artificial intelligence (AI) to create a neural network that mimics human perception of optical illusions. This neural network, trained to recognize optical illusions like the Necker cube and Rubin’s vase, exhibits a state of ambiguity, mirroring human ambiguity in perception. This finding […] Written by Empirics Asia August 30, 2024August 30, 2024 Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
The Power Of Small Changes: How Marginal Gains Lead To Extraordinary Success Key Takeaway: The British cycling team’s 2008 Beijing Olympics victory was a result of a simple strategy: the pursuit of marginal gains. The team’s coach, Sir Dave Brailsford, believed that success could be achieved by making a series of 1% improvements across every aspect of the cyclists’ gear, stamina, and physical conditioning. This principle, known […] Written by Empirics Asia August 29, 2024August 29, 2024 Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
Unveiling The Mysteries Of Death: The Human Autopsy Key Takeaway: An autopsy is a methodical, often quiet, and respectful examination of the body to uncover the truth about a death. It is conducted when the cause of death is unclear and the dignity of the deceased is a guiding principle. Autopsies are categorized into two types: non-coronial and coronial. Non-coronial autopsies are conducted […] Written by Empirics Asia August 23, 2024August 23, 2024 Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
The 3 Most Intriguing Philosophy Paradoxes Key Takeaway: Ancient Greek paradoxes were not just philosophical exercises but mental traps designed to expose contradictions and inconsistencies. They challenged the assumptions of language and the concept of truth, revealing the limitations of language and the power of presuppositions. The liar paradox, attributed to Eubulides of Miletus, forces us to question whether some questions […] Written by Empirics Asia August 22, 2024August 22, 2024 Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
The Human Heart: An Evolutionary Puzzle Key Takeaway: Researchers have discovered that the human heart is an outlier, distinctly different from the hearts of great apes. The human heart evolved in response to specific challenges faced by our species, such as an upright posture and larger brains. The smooth interior wall of the left ventricle of the human heart allows it […] Written by Empirics Asia August 21, 2024August 21, 2024 Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
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, […] Written by Empirics Asia August 20, 2024August 20, 2024 Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
The Psychology Of Being Stranded In Space Key Takeaway: NASA Commander Barry Wilmore and pilot Sunita Williams are stranded in space after their Boeing Starliner encounters technical issues during its journey to the International Space Station (ISS). The astronauts face an extended mission, potentially delayed by six months, due to the uncertainty surrounding their return. The astronauts’ situation is similar to those […] Written by Empirics Asia August 19, 2024August 19, 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