BUSINESS & ECONOMICS EDITOR'S PICK How Luxury Defies Economic Laws Key Takeaway: The law of demand, which states that as prices rise, demand generally falls, is a fundamental principle in economics. However, some goods, such as Veblen and Giffen goods, challenge this rule. Veblen goods, also known as “snob” goods, are valued for their prestige, exclusivity, and social standing. They are valued for their intrinsic […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
EDITOR'S PICK SOCIOLOGY 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 […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
EDITOR'S PICK SCIENCE 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 […] 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 Unconventional Origins Of Artificial Limbs Key Takeaway: The idea that humans can alter patients’ bodies in difficult and invasive ways has its roots in the American Civil War, which led to the development of amputation techniques and artificial limb design. By 1700, Europeans began to believe they could use amputation along with artificial limbs to shape the body. This change […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
EDITOR'S PICK SCIENCE The Threat Of Solar Storms Key Takeaway: The recent geomagnetic storm in May 2024 caused the aurora borealis and aurora australis, which are the northern and southern lights. These storms, caused by high energy particles from the Sun hitting the Earth’s atmosphere, can cause havoc with human-made infrastructure, such as electrical grids and satellites. The storm caused auroral activity in […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
BUSINESS & ECONOMICS EDITOR'S PICK The Economics Of Betrayal Key Takeaway: Judas Iscariot, a disciple of Jesus, is often associated with treachery and betrayal due to his loyalty. However, research suggests that acts of betrayal are rare, as most humans can be trusted due to their interests. In a trust game, the sender can keep the money or send it to the receiver, who […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
EDITOR'S PICK POLITICS TECHNOLOGY A.I. Is Consuming Excessive Water And It’s A Problem Key Takeaway: Water is essential for development, production, and consumption, but we are overusing and polluting it. Eight safe and just boundaries have been identified for five domains: climate, biosphere, water, nutrients, and aerosols. Humans have already crossed these boundaries for water, but the minimum needs of the world’s poorest to access water and sanitation […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
EDITOR'S PICK PHILOSOPHY The Roots Of “Wabi-Sabi” Key Takeaway: Wabi-sabi is a traditional Japanese aesthetic that emphasizes the beauty of something imperfect or unfinished. It is derived from the classical Japanese verb “wabu,” which means to languish or be miserable. Wabi-cha, which literally means miserable tea, is a more severe and austere style of presentation. Wabi-style tea may reach its pinnacle in […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
EDITOR'S PICK SOCIOLOGY Why Is Free Time Still So Rare In Our Modern Productive Society? Key Takeaway: In the past, many economists assumed that people’s need for more stuff would eventually be met, leading to more free time. The 40-hour week is not the result of a personal calculation of costs and benefits but rather a result of a hard-fought political battle that culminated in the Fair Labor Standards Act […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
Unravelling The Secrets Of Dinosaurs Key Takeaway: Scientists are decoding the mysteries of dinosaurs by examining their lives, movements, and interactions. Advances in technology are revealing new insights into their colors, patterns, and social structures. Electron microscopes have allowed scientists to reconstruct the coloration of certain feathered dinosaurs, revealing details about their appearance and behavior. CT scans are being used […] Written by Empirics Asia February 28, 2025February 28, 2025 Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
Collision Course: The Doomsday Asteroid Flying Towards Earth Key Takeaway: A new asteroid, 2024 YR4, was detected in Chile at the end of 2024, with a small yet notable chance of colliding with Earth in 2032. Initially, estimates suggested a 3.1% probability of impact, but as of February 2024, calculations by the European Space Agency’s Near Earth Object Centre have revised this down […] Written by Empirics Asia February 25, 2025February 25, 2025 Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
Rethinking “True Love” Key Takeaway: Plato’s concept of love is more profound than the idea of finding a missing half. The origins of this idea can be traced back to Plato’s philosophical text, Symposium, which argues that love should be more than just physical attraction or emotional closeness. It should lead to the pursuit of wisdom, truth, and […] Written by Empirics Asia February 18, 2025February 18, 2025 Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
The Psychology Of Pain Key Takeaway: Pain is an evolutionary mechanism designed to protect the human body from harm. However, recent discoveries reveal that pain can be controlled by harnessing the brain’s natural painkillers. Pain is not a physical sensation but is actively created by the nervous system, which sends distress signals to the brain when tissue damage is […] Written by Empirics Asia February 17, 2025February 17, 2025 Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
The Molecular Mechanics Of Addiction Key Takeaway: Research suggests that sleep disturbances are more than just a side effect of mental health disorders; they are an integral part of the puzzle, influencing the nature of mental illness and addiction itself. Disrupted sleep can intensify symptoms of mental illness, making it harder to stay on treatment. Neuroscientists are beginning to uncover […] Written by Empirics Asia February 14, 2025February 14, 2025 Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
The Cosmic Secret Of Lightning Key Takeaway: Lightning, a powerful electrical discharge, may be triggering a hidden cosmic phenomenon, shaking loose high-energy electrons from space. Under the right conditions, a shower of electrons cascading into Earth’s atmosphere can be caused by electromagnetic waves produced by lightning. This groundbreaking finding sheds new light on how Earth’s storms interact with space weather, […] Written by Empirics Asia February 13, 2025February 13, 2025 Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
The Philosophical Truth About Self-Love Key Takeaway: Love is a crucial aspect of life, defining relationships, identity, and self-worth. The popular belief that self-love is necessary for romantic love is often questioned, as some philosophers argue that excessive focus on oneself can lead to narcissism. However, the absence of self-love can manifest as a fundamental lack of self-worth, leaving individuals […] Written by Empirics Asia February 12, 2025February 12, 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