BUSINESS & ECONOMICS EDITOR'S PICK Inside Elon Musk’s Social Media Empire Key Takeaway: Elon Musk’s social media platform, X, has become a dominant force in U.S. presidential politics, capturing unprecedented engagement and becoming a megaphone for President Trump’s campaign. Musk’s vision for transforming X into an “everything app” akin to China’s WeChat has been unveiled, with his net worth reaching $300 billion. However, challenges such as […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
EDITOR'S PICK FINANCE SOCIOLOGY The Rise Of “Even Money” Profits Key Takeaway: The origins of commercial gambling can be traced back to the mid-1600s when mathematical probability emerged. In 1713, mathematician brothers Johann and Jacob Bernoulli introduced the “Golden Theorem,” later known as the law of large numbers, or long averages. This led to a “probability revolution” in gambling, transforming the industry in Britain and […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
EDITOR'S PICK TECHNOLOGY Is Artificial Intelligence Inevitable? Key Takeaway: The hype surrounding artificial intelligence (AI) is a long-standing belief in technological determinism, which suggests that once a technology is developed, its widespread adoption is unavoidable. However, this perspective is oversimplified and misleading when it comes to AI. Evidence of AI’s impact on productivity remains sparse, and there’s little consensus on its utility […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
EDITOR'S PICK SCIENCE Xenolinguistics: The Key To Understanding Alien Language Key Takeaway: In the 2016 sci-fi film “Arrival,” humanity faces the challenge of deciphering an alien language composed of circular, palindromic symbols. AI research, known as “emergent communication,” allows researchers to study language formation within a controlled environment, mimicking how linguistic structures could emerge from scratch. AI agents, or digital “beings,” evolve ways to describe […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
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
EDITOR'S PICK PSYCHOLOGY SCIENCE Why Forgetting Is Essential: The Hidden Power Of Memory Loss Key Takeaway: Memory research has long explored the reasons behind forgetting, with the “forgetting curve” illustrating that people lose details of new information quickly after learning it. Memory formation involves strengthening synapses, making the memory more resilient. Memory is also adaptive, constantly evolving to handle new information. This adaptability is vital for navigating minor changes […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
EDITOR'S PICK SCIENCE The Big Bang: Inside The Explosive Origin Of Everything Key Takeaway: The Big Bang theory describes the universe’s birth as a massive explosion nearly 14 billion years ago, sparking everything we know today. Scientists discovered this event in 1929 with Edwin Hubble’s discovery of distant galaxies moving away from each other. The cosmic microwave background (CMB) in 1964 provided direct evidence for the Big […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
EDITOR'S PICK PHILOSOPHY The Philosophy Of Ghosts Key Takeaway: Philosophers like Henri Bergson and William James were drawn to the field of “psychical research,” which delved into supernatural phenomena like telepathy, clairvoyance, and ghosts. These mysteries led to the development of theories on ghosts, life beyond death, and the strange powers exhibited by trance-induced mediums. C.D. Broad, a Cambridge professor, introduced the […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
EDITOR'S PICK SCIENCE Insomnia: The Science Behind Sleep Patterns Key Takeaway: Night owls, who have energy and alertness peak in the evening, often struggle to align with societal demands like early work hours, family schedules, or morning meetings. This misalignment is rooted in biological differences known as “chronotypes,” which are the body’s internal rhythm that regulates various systems, including hormone release and body temperature. […] Saving Bookmark this article Bookmarked
EDITOR'S PICK SCIENCE Tiny Titans In Space: A Revolution In Space Exploration Key Takeaway: CubeSats, affordable, lightweight satellites, are revolutionizing space exploration by focusing on single scientific goals like observing asteroids or tracking water on the Moon. They travel as secondary payloads, minimizing space debris and accelerating discovery. CubeSats are also unlocking mysteries of distant worlds, paving the way for humanity’s dreams of becoming a multiplanetary species. […] 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