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What does 'Barbenheimer' really mean for Hollywood?  
One is a wacky postmodern comedy about a range of dolls known for their bright pink clothing. The other is a brooding biopic of the scientist who built the atom bomb during World War Two. One has Margot Robbie and Ryan Gosling singing and dancing on a pastel plastic beach. The other has a skeletal Cillian Murphy fretting that he might accidentally destroy the world. At first glance, Greta Gerwig's Barbie and Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer could hardly appear more different, and yet the two films are so closely linked that they have spawned a portmanteau name, much like two celebrities in a tabloid-friendly relationship. This is the summer of Barbenheimer.More like this: - Oppenheimer is a flat-out masterpiece- Barbie review: "it breaks the mould" - Why is pink so controversial? Continued here |
Bluey teaches children and parents alike about how play supports creativity - and other life lessons
Adults and kids love Bluey. This Australian animated show – hugely popular in the U.S. as well – focuses on a family of blue heeler dogs living in Brisbane. The seven-minute episodes feature 6-year-old Bluey; her 4-year-old sister, Bingo; her mom, Chilli; and her dad, Bandit. They depict the beauty of childhood and portray the realities of being a parent in our current age. As developmental scientists who study children and how they interact with the world, we sort of adore Bluey too. Continued here |
In Kyiv, signs of the ongoing war are evident - but daily life continues uninterrupted as well
I went to Kyiv, the capital of Ukraine, in June 2023 to visit an old friend and to better understand how the ongoing war with Russia is altering Ukrainians’ daily lives. I spent time talking with a wide range of people – including soldiers, civilians and priests. Continued here |
6 ways AI can make political campaigns more deceptive than ever
Political campaign ads and donor solicitations have long been deceptive. In 2004, for example, U.S. presidential candidate John Kerry, a Democrat, aired an ad stating that Republican opponent George W. Bush “says sending jobs overseas ‘makes sense’ for America.” The next day Bush responded by releasing an ad saying Kerry “supported higher taxes over 350 times.” This too was a false claim. Continued here |
Horizon Europe: how the UK's delay in rejoining EU funding scheme is damaging scientific research
Until 2020, the UK was a full member of the Horizon programme –- and net beneficiary, meaning it got more money from the scheme than it put in to join. Brexit changed that. Being outside the EU means the UK must negotiate to become an associate member of Horizon Europe – which has many but not all the benefits of full membership.These challenges include climate change, food and nutrition, infectious diseases, sustainable agriculture, the healthcare needs of ageing populations, water security, energy efficiency, initiatives to reduce carbon emissions and of course artificial intelligence (AI). Continued here |
Tony Bennett: the timeless visionary who, with a nod to America's musical heritage, embraced the future
In the history of American popular music, there have been few luminaries as enduring and innovative as Tony Bennett.With a career that spanned almost 80 years, Bennett’s smooth tones, unique phrasing and visionary musical collaborations left an indelible mark on vocal jazz and the recording industry as a whole. Continued here |
Vegan diet has just 30% of the environmental impact of a high-meat diet, major study finds
We know that meat has a substantial impact on the planet, and that plant-based diets are more environmentally sustainable. But exactly how much impact does the food we eat have on environmental outcomes and what difference would following a vegan diet make compared to consuming a high meat, or even low meat diet?We studied 55,000 people’s dietary data and linked what they ate or drank to five key measures: greenhouse gas emissions, land use, water use, water pollution and biodiversity loss. Our results are now published in Nature Food. We found that vegans have just 30% of the dietary environmental impact of high-meat eaters. Continued here |
The 4 Types of Innovation and the Problems They Solve
Innovation is, at its core, about solving problems — and there are as many ways to innovate as there are different types of problems to solve. Just like we wouldn’t rely on a single marketing tactic for the life of an organization, or a single source of financing, we need to build up a portfolio of innovation strategies designed for specific tasks. Leaders identify the right type of strategy to solve the right type of problem, just by asking two questions: How well we can define the problem and how well we can define the skill domain(s) needed to solve it. Well-defined problems that benefit from well-defined skills fall into the category of “sustaining innovation.” Most innovation happens here, because most of the time we’re trying to get better at something we’re already doing. “Breakthrough innovation” is needed when we run into a well-defined problem that’s just devilishly hard to solve. In cases like these, we need to explore unconventional skill domains. When the reverse is true — skills are well-defined, but the problem is not — we can tap into “disruptive innovation” strategies. And when nothing is well-defined, well, then we’re in the exploratory, pioneering realm of basic research. There are always new problems to solve; learn to apply the solution that best fits your current problem. Continued here |
Byelection losses are terrible for the Conservatives -
It says much of the Conservatives’ current plight that a win of just 495 votes is being hailed with relief inside the party.The Conservatives narrowly avoided a total wipeout in the July 20 trio of byelections, successfully defending Boris Johnson’s former seat in Uxbridge and South Ruislip with the election of Steve Tuckwell. The unpopularity of London Labour Mayor’s Sadiq Khan’s expansion of the ultra low emissions zone (Ulez) undoubtedly contributed to the Conservative defence of Uxbridge. Continued here |
I watched Christopher Nolan's Oppenheimer in Ukraine: his Greek tragedy is our reality
PhD Candidate, School of Modern Languages and Social Anthropology, University of St Andrews Following the recent release of Wes Anderson’s Asteroid City, Christopher Nolan’s Oppenheimer continues to infuse summer 2023 with atomic energy. Stylistically, of course, the two couldn’t be more different. What Anderson shows as a blast outside a diner’s window that doesn’t so much as interrupt the characters’ coffee, Nolan shapes into a three-hour epic. And as a Ukrainian, I am grateful for that. Continued here |
The Elements of Good Judgment
Judgment—the ability to combine personal qualities with relevant knowledge and experience to form opinions and make decisions—is “the core of exemplary leadership,” according to Noel Tichy and Warren Bennis (the authors of Judgment: How Winning Leaders Make Great Calls). It is what enables a sound choice in the absence of clear-cut, relevant data or an obvious path. Likierman believes that a more precise understanding of what exactly gives someone good judgment may make it possible for people to learn and improve on it. He approached CEOs at a range of companies, from some of the world’s largest right down to start-ups, along with leaders in the professions: senior partners at law and accountancy firms, generals, doctors, scientists, priests, and diplomats. He asked them to share their observations of their own and other people’s exercise of judgment so that he could identify the skills and behaviors that collectively create the conditions for fresh insights and enable decision makers to discern patterns that others miss. As a result, he has identified six key elements that collectively constitute good judgment: learning, trust, experience, detachment, options, and delivery. He describes these elements and offers suggestions for improvement in each one. Continued here |
How after-school clubs became a new battleground in the Satanic Temple's push to preserve separation of church and state
As the start of the school year rapidly approaches, controversy can’t be far behind. But not all hot-button topics in education are about what goes on in class.Over the past few years, conflict has trailed attempts to establish After School Satan Clubs sponsored by the Satanic Temple, which the U.S. government recognizes as a religious group. Continued here |
Oppenheimer review: A "magnificent" story of a tragic American genius
Bursts of fire fill the screen throughout Oppenheimer, at times making it seem as if a thousand volcanoes were about to engulf us. But they aren't the only fiery images in Christopher Nolan's magnificent film, as it tells the story of the man who helped create the atomic bomb and wrestled for the rest of his life with the deadly consequences. At times circles race across empty darkness or wiry orange strands of light appear, depicting the fears and the science occupying Oppenheimer's mind. Those artful images are sporadic in a film that never loses its sense of story and drama, but they reveal how boldly imaginative and sure-footed the film is. Oppenheimer is Nolan's most mature work, combining the explosive, commercially-enticing action of The Dark Knight trilogy with the cerebral underpinnings that go back more than 20 years to Memento and run through Inception and Tenet.More like this:-Barbie review: "it breaks the mould" - Why is pink so controversial?- The real-life inspiration for Barbie Continued here |
Prickly pear cactus tacos
Rita Garcia rose to an inky black sky peppered with stars. Quietly, she grabbed a small flashlight on her bedside table, slipped on her shoes, and walked out into the warm desert air to a covered makeshift kitchen. Inside, Garcia sat down on a plastic chair, reached into a large bucket, and carefully grabbed the first nopal (pad of a prickly pear cactus) in just the right place to avoid its thorns. Using a small pocketknife, she skilfully made swift, angled motions turning the pear-shaped nopal ever so slightly to cut off the thorns to perfection.Once completed, Garcia tossed it into a burlap sack and continued. It was just 03:00 and she had only three more hours until the truck arrived at her family's small ranch to collect her precious cargo – 11 bags in all – and bring them to the market. Like her ancestors, Garcia is continuing a long-held tradition of harvesting nopales, one of Mexico's most beloved food staples. Continued here |
How to Stop Overthinking and Start Trusting Your Gut
Intuition is frequently dismissed as mystical or unreliable — but there’s a deep neurological basis for it. When you approach a decision intuitively, your brain works in tandem with your gut to quickly assess all your memories, past learnings, personal needs, and preferences and then makes the wisest decision given the context. The author offers strategies to learn how to leverage your intuition as a helpful decision-making tool in your career: 1) discern gut feeling from fear, 2) start by making minor decisions, 3) test drive your choices, 4) try the snap judgment test, and 5) fall back on your values. Continued here |
What Germany's quest to define dignity - both before and after 1945 - tells us about society
We all know what dignity looks like when it is taken from us. From job losses and income deprivation, to discrimination, systemic racism or oppression, throughout history there have been constant and countless instances of people being deprived, humiliated and dehumanised, their dignity refused.The second world war – and the atrocities committed by the National Socialist regime in particular – represents a salient instance of dignity denied, of crimes against humanity. At its conclusion, in 1945, legal scholars, politicians and the wider public agreed that life without dignity was meaningless. Continued here |
The UK is still not prepared for extreme temperatures - here's what it should do
While massive heatwaves are affecting southern Europe, China, the US and many other places, it’s rainy and not particularly warm in the UK. But that doesn’t mean there’s no risk of intense heat: on this exact week last year, the UK broke 40°C for the first time. Even if countries were to deliver on their emission reduction pledges, set under the Paris agreement, the UN Environment Programme estimates that we will still see at least a 2.5°C rise in global temperature. For the UK, the new reality is that 40°C temperatures are possible and eventually will be commonplace, and the country must adapt urgently. Continued here |
WHO expert cancer group states that the sweetener aspartame is a possible carcinogen, but evidence is limited - 6 questions answered
The World Health Organization declared on July 14, 2023, that the widely used synthetic sweetener aspartame could be a “possible” carcinogen, or cancer-causing agent, on the basis of “limited evidence for cancer in humans.” But the agency also concluded that the currently available data does not warrant a change of the acceptable daily intake of aspartame at this time. Continued here |
Research: A Little Nature in the Office Boosts Morale and Productivity
Research on “micro-nature” — the incorporation of small, affordable natural elements into workplaces — demonstrates its positive impact on employee performance and well-being. Studies show exposure to nature at work boosted productivity, helpfulness, and creativity, with no evidence of negative effects. Recommendations include both real and artificial nature, extending beyond the office environment, utilizing underused spaces, and encouraging nature exposure outside work hours. The integration of nature in workplaces enhances overall business performance. Continued here |
Russia-Africa summit provides a global stage for Moscow to puff up its influence
Forty-three African heads of state attended the 2019 Russia-Africa summit. They had high hopes that Russia would emerge as a new source of investment and trade for the continent. Russian president Vladimir Putin promised to double Russian trade with Africa in five years to US$40 billion.Since then, Russian trade with the continent has contracted to US$14 billion. It is lopsided, with Russia exporting seven times as much as it imports from Africa. Additionally, 70% of this trade is concentrated in just four countries: Egypt, Algeria, Morocco and South Africa. Continued here |
How to Build Upon the Legacy of Your Family Business -- and Make It Your Own
Family companies often have a strong sense of history and tradition. Although these legacies can create advantages, they sometimes leave next-generation leaders feeling handcuffed or constrained by the way their ancestors ran things. To overcome that, they should seek to reformulate the company’s story in a way that creates advantages for the present. Continued here |
What VUCA Really Means for You
It’s become a trendy managerial acronym: VUCA, short for volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity, and a catchall for “Hey, it’s crazy out there!” It’s also misleading: VUCA conflates four distinct types of challenges that demand four distinct types of responses. That makes it difficult to know how to approach a challenging situation and easy to use VUCA as a crutch, a way to throw off the hard work of strategy and planning—after all, you can’t prepare for a VUCA world, right? Continued here |
How Information Gives You Competitive Advantage
Most general managers know that the revolution is under way, and few dispute its importance. As more and more of their time and investment capital is absorbed in information technology and its effects, executives have a growing awareness that the technology can no longer be the exclusive territory of EDP or IS departments. As they see their rivals use information for competitive advantage, these executives recognize the need to become directly involved in the management of the new technology. In the face of rapid change, however, they don’t know how. Continued here |
Is it really hotter now than any time in 100,000 years?
As scorching heat grips large swaths of the Earth, a lot of people are trying to put the extreme temperatures into context and asking: When was it ever this hot before?Globally, 2023 has seen some of the hottest days in modern measurements, but what about farther back, before weather stations and satellites? Continued here |
Decision Trees for Decision-Making
Possibly demand will be high during the initial two years but, if many initial users find the product unsatisfactory, will fall to a low level thereafter. Or high initial demand might indicate the possibility of a sustained high-volume market. If demand is high and the company does not expand within the first two years, competitive products will surely be introduced. Continued here |
Ice Cream Is Good for You
According to nutritionists, wine will either extend your life or shorten it. Until recently, I was unaware that the same can be said of ice cream. An article in The Atlantic reported on a funny phenomenon: to the surprise, dismay, and—to read between the lines—embarrassment of experts, more than one legitimate scientific study has suggested that the consumption of ice cream might mitigate or even prevent diabetes. And so, depending on how you read the data, a visit to Caleta, a natural-wine bar slash ice-cream parlor in the East Village (131 Ave. A; bar bites and ice cream $5.50-$16), is either an exercise in hedonistic excess or a wellness retreat. Perhaps it’s the same difference when you consider the mental-health potential: by the end of a recent date there, a friend and I were both very, very happy.We started with bar bites, all of them. There was a dish of glossy mixed olives, marinated with piparra peppers in yuzu-kosho olive oil, and a crusty, squishy half of a sourdough baguette, which we ripped into hunks to smear with butter or to sandwich with Comté cheese, housemade blackberry jam, and folds of thinly sliced mortadella arranged like a blooming pink peony. A soft pretzel dressed with mustard and a tin of mussels escabeche (from Minnow, the preserved-fish line by the owners of Cervo’s and Hart’s), served with matzo and more butter, made for a perfect second course. To drink: rosé (providing a dose of resveratrol, a compound found in wine which some believe protects the heart) and Figlia Fiore, a non-alcoholic aperitif made with rose extract, bitter orange rind, and ginseng, among other ingredients. Continued here |
Here's how China is responding to US sanctions - with blocking laws and other countermeasures
After a recent meeting between U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen and officials in Beijing, China released a statement demanding “practical action” over the issue of sanctions. The implication was that the punitive measures – imposed by the U.S. government on hundreds of Chinese individuals and entities over the past few years – impede any alleviation of the strained relations between the two economic giants.The statement followed a testy encounter in May 2023 in which Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu refused to meet his American counterpart because of sanctions. Clearly, the economic measures are hurting China – prompting not only tough words but also countermeasures to limit their impact. Continued here |
What's Your Cultural Profile?
Take this assessment to understand how well you understand cultural differences within the workplace. Continued here |
The ABCs of the Critical Path Method
Recently added to the growing assortment of quantitative tools for business decision making is the Critical Path Method—a powerful but basically simple technique for analyzing, planning, and scheduling large, complex projects. In essence, the tool provides a means of determining (2) which jobs or activities, of the many that comprise a project, are “critical” in their effect on total project time, and (2) how best to schedule all jobs in the project in order to meet a target date at minimum cost. Widely diverse kinds of projects lend themselves to analysis by CPM, as is suggested in the following list of applications: Continued here |
UK government wants to make pension pots bigger with riskier investments - but it faces big challenges
The pension market in the UK has expanded to become the largest in Europe, worth over £2.5 trillion in 2021. Successive British governments have encouraged this growth, especially through the auto-enrolment scheme which made workplace pension contributions compulsory. But they haven’t yet managed to channel those funds in ways that really boost the economy and make people better off. Now the UK chancellor Jeremy Hunt is attempting to tackle this with reforms aimed at making fund managers invest more boldly, expanding tomorrow’s pensions pots at the same time as providing an economic jolt today. Continued here |
