EDITOR'S PICK PSYCHOLOGY SOCIOLOGY How Materialism Shapes Modern Relationships Key Takeaway: Materialism, the belief that wealth and possessions define happiness and self-worth, is causing a decline in relationships, particularly among younger generations. This shift is fueled by media portrayals of unrealistic standards and financial strain. To counteract this, producers and marketers should focus on qualities like trustworthiness, honesty, and affection, rather than material achievements. […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
CULTURE EDITOR'S PICK The Science Of Choosing The Perfect Bottle Of Wine Key Takeaway: Wine is a popular choice for many cultures, but its value is subjective and influenced by personal taste. Wine reviews, such as the 100-point scale, are rated based on quality relative to similar grape varieties and regions. However, the integrity of these reviews is debated, with some arguing that financial arrangements can influence […] 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 Boeing: Are Businesses Too Big To Fail? Key Takeaway: Alaska Airlines flight 1282 nearly fell out of the sky after losing a door plug, following two similar 737 Max plane crashes in 2018 and 2019. Boeing was charged with conspiracy to defraud regulators in 2021, but the US government agreed not to prosecute the company if it promised to pay a criminal […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
BUSINESS & ECONOMICS EDITOR'S PICK SOCIOLOGY Is Journalism Still A Viable Vocation? Key Takeaway: The shrinking press corps in the US has led to a decline in journalism, with many reporters and editors leaving the profession due to burnout. This has not only affected civil society but also led to reduced political engagement and oversight of those in power. Journalism is attractive to many people because it […] 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
ART & DESIGN CULTURE EDITOR'S PICK The Myths Of Method Acting Key Takeaway: Oscar nominees Cillian Murphy and Bradley Cooper are gaining attention for their performances and preparation methods. Murphy lost 20 pounds and practiced fake cigarettes to mimic Oppenheimer’s appearance, while Cooper spent six years training in conducting. Method acting, a psychological approach, is often used to make characters seem more real and believable. However, […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
EDITOR'S PICK STARTUPS STRATEGY The Science Of Becoming A Successful Influencer Key Takeaway: Influencers, a lucrative industry worth over $16 billion, promote products or services through sponsored social media posts or branded content. However, the majority of influencers find it hard work and poorly paid. There are no set pay rates, and contracts are likely to be short and job protection is limited. Earnings can range […] 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
EDITOR'S PICK TECHNOLOGY The Inherent Risks Of A.I. Key Takeaway: Leading scientists and technologists often make terrible predictions about the direction of innovation, leading to misalignments between a company’s economic incentives to profit from its proprietary AI model and society’s interests in how the AI model should be monetised and deployed. Focusing on the economic risks from AI is not just about preventing […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
The Science Of Airports: How Travel Transforms Us Key Takeaway: Airports often lead to unusual behavior, such as drunken brawls and flight diversions. The psychology of travel can influence this behavior, as the promise of vacation can shift our mindset into anticipation and liberation. The overwhelming noise, crowds, and constant hustle can overload our senses, leading to stress-induced irritability and unexpected outbursts. Airports […] Written by Empirics Asia February 3, 2025February 3, 2025 Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
The Hidden Side Of Shipwrecks Key Takeaway: Over 8,500 shipwrecks from two devastating world wars pose a significant threat to marine ecosystems and coastal communities. These underwater time capsules contain up to 6 billion gallons of oil, munitions, toxic heavy metals, and chemical weapons. The degradation of these wrecks is accelerating due to rising ocean temperatures, increasing acidification, and more […] Written by Empirics Asia January 27, 2025January 27, 2025 Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
How Korea’s Cultural Revolution Is Shaping The World Key Takeaway: South Korea’s cultural exports have surged to unprecedented heights, with the latest season of “Squid Game” solidifying its position as a global entertainment powerhouse. The “Korean Wave” or Hallyu, which includes TV series, movies, animation, and music, has generated approximately US$3.7 billion annually for South Korea through exports, consumer spending, and tourism. The […] Written by Empirics Asia January 20, 2025January 20, 2025 Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
The Existence Of Extraterrestrial Life Key Takeaway: A study published in Nature Astronomy found a strong consensus among scientists that extraterrestrial life exists in the universe. The survey, which involved 521 astrobiologists and 534 non-astrobiologists, found that 86.6% agreed or strongly agreed that some form of extraterrestrial life exists. The study also found that 67.4% of astrobiologists and 58.2% of […] Written by Empirics Asia January 16, 2025January 16, 2025 Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
The Rise Of Virtual Microbes? Key Takeaway: Researchers are using genome-scale metabolic models (GEMs) to study the complexities of microbial life, offering innovative solutions to climate change and space challenges. GEMs simulate the vast network of metabolic pathways within living organisms, allowing scientists to test and predict microbial behavior across diverse environments. They provide a detailed framework for understanding organisms’ […] Written by Empirics Asia January 15, 2025January 15, 2025 Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
Birkin Under Seige: Unlikely Challenge Of A Luxury Icon Key Takeaway: The “Wirkin” bag, a $78 imitation of Hermès’ Birkin bag, has gained popularity on TikTok, attracting millions of users. The bag, a clever portmanteau of “Walmart” and “Birkin,” allows everyday consumers to partake in high-end fashion without the exorbitant cost. The trend reflects a broader shift in societal values, where symbols of wealth […] Written by Empirics Asia January 14, 2025January 14, 2025 Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
Fusion: The Move Towards Unlimited Clean Energy Key Takeaway: In 2022, scientists achieved the “experiment of the century” at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, marking the first time a fusion reaction produced more energy than consumed. This achievement has attracted billions of dollars in private investment, particularly in the United States, to advance fusion technology. However, a myriad of engineering challenges remain before […] Written by Empirics Asia January 13, 2025January 13, 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