This week’s highlights: The Future of Work, Runners Who Hate to Run, and A.I. Picture Creation.
Fifteen on Friday – 01/11/18 – Issue 268
A quick word of welcome to a number of new readers this week (pushing us through the thousand subscriber mark for the first time!). As a quick refresher – Fifteen on Friday is a weekly newsletter delivered every Friday afternoon, curating a thoughtful list of the most interesting articles of the week, across a wide range of subjects from arts, culture, economics, to science, and technology. Feel free to come and go at any time – there is an easy unsubscribe link at the bottom of the email.
- Original Content this week. 8 Things Every High School Senior Should Know About College. A younger cousin of mine was just accepted to my Alma Mater, Wake Forest. I wrote her an email recently reflecting on what I wish I had known about college given what I know now. With a gentle push from my aunt, I am sharing it more broadly.
All the best,
David
Food for Thought:
- Politico – The Real Future of Work. Outsourcing to independent contractors is already changing the face of the American workforce. Artificial intelligence will only add to this transformation.
- Wired – Inside China’s Vast New Experiment in Social Ranking – Credit MB. America invented the three-digit credit score. Now companies in China are taking the idea to the extreme, using big data to track and rank what you do—your purchases, your pastimes, your mistakes.
- Medium – Why Calendars are More Effective Than To Do Lists
- WashPo – Run, don’t walk, to replace your iPhone battery for $29
- NYT – Why Nick Saban Is the Ultimate Masochist
Business/Economics:
- Fortune – BlackRock’s Edge: Why Technology Is Creating The Amazon Of Wall Street
- Glossy – ‘Retail is the only growth channel left’: Digitally native brands are investing in, and changing, the store
- BusinessWeek – Brooks Needs Runners Who Hate to Run. The $500 million company has conquered runners. Now it has to figure out everyone else.
- LinkedIn – Bootstrapping vs. Raising and Why You Should Do Both. A counter intuitive approach to startup fund raising.
- BI – Luxury brands are cleaning up their image — and it could be bad news for TJ Maxx
Culture/Tech/Science:
- QZ – The secret lives of students who mine cryptocurrency in their dorm rooms
- NYT – Why Self-Compassion Beats Self-Confidence
- BBC – The Real Reason Spaniards Eat Late. – Credit to Farnam Street – Many travellers believe Spain’s late mealtimes are a reflection of the country’s laidback attitude, but that couldn’t be further from the truth.
- NYT – How an A.I. ‘Cat-and-Mouse Game’ Generates Believable Fake Photos
- NYP – Why Daniel Day-Lewis had to go to fashion boot camp. DDL’s reputation as a method actor is well established. Yet even this piece was eye opening as to the depths he goes in developing a character.