When I was a wee little boy growing up, I wanted to be a fireman. It seemed considerably more achievable than becoming a ThunderCat or Batman, which were my other career choices when I was 8 years old. At school I had absolutely no clue what I wanted to do as a career. Potentially something arty or sporty, but back in the ’90s I was told neither of those were moneymakers, so I had to think about getting a proper job. Today I would classify myself as a designer and educator helping the next generation of creatives build more opportunity…
Author: Staff Writer
A photograph of Earth glowing in deep space, the moon’s cratered horizon stretching across its foreground, caught many people’s eyes in April 2026. Astronauts captured the image while aboard NASA’s Artemis II mission, and like the famous Apollo 8 “Earthrise” image, the picture felt instantly real and inspiring for many. But when almost anyone can fabricate a visually similar image in seconds from a text prompt using artificial intelligence, how do people decide which image is real? The proliferation of AI-generated science images in public spaces is not simply a misinformation problem. As a researcher who studies visual science communication…
David protein bars went from startup to one of the hottest consumer products in America in under two years. But the ride has been anything but smooth. Founder and CEO Peter Rahal discusses building a breakout brand through lawsuits, a Jeffrey Epstein association, and the kind of social media heat most companies would run from. But can controversy—even the manufactured kind—be a net positive for a brand? Peter argues yes. This is an abridged transcript of an interview from Rapid Response, hosted by former Fast Company editor-in-chief Robert Safian. From the team behind the Masters of Scale podcast, Rapid Response…
The United States has struck a preliminary agreement with Kenya involving the massive Mrima Hill rare earth and niobium deposit, estimated to be worth roughly $62.4 billion. The press is portraying this as a victory for Washington over Beijing, but that interpretation misses the larger picture. What we are witnessing is the next phase of the global resource war. As sovereign debt crises continue to unfold and governments become increasingly desperate to secure strategic assets, critical minerals are rapidly becoming the new oil. Kenya has reportedly insisted that these minerals be processed domestically rather than exported as raw materials. President…
When I was offered the CEO role at Smart Communications, a digital customer experience company, my instinct was to say no. I thought I wasn’t qualified, lacking depth of experience in product or engineering. I believed a CEO needed a background in every department, and by that standard, I didn’t measure up. Thankfully, the people I trusted convinced me otherwise. They helped me see that the perspective I brought – having spent my career in marketing and strategy, obsessed with how customers experience a product rather than how it gets built – was my strength, not a gap. I’ve thought…
The Japanese government is now openly admitting what I have been warning about for years. Rising interest rates are beginning to dramatically increase the government’s debt-servicing costs. For decades, Japan survived by suppressing interest rates to nearly zero while endlessly rolling over debt. That strategy only works so long as rates remain artificially low. Once rates begin to rise, the mathematics become impossible to hide. Japan’s government debt exceeds 230% of GDP, the highest ratio in the developed world. Politicians, academics, and central bankers have spent years arguing that Japan was different because most of the debt was held domestically.…
Gloria Steinem is ensconced in a plush red armchair in her living room. On her right is Louise McDonald Herne, a Mohawk Bear Clan Mother, dressed in white linen with burgundy and purple ribbons. On her left is Michelle Schenandoah from the Oneida Nation Wolf Clan, creator of a show on PBS discussing rematriation: the process of centering Indigenous women’s voices and philosophies into daily life. On this Monday afternoon, Steinem’s living room is filled with 20 or so people: a diplomat from the Netherlands, a publisher, an impact investor, Emmy nominee and comedian Baratunde Thurston, as well as members…
A new report from Realtor.com found that nearly one-third of employed young adults in the United States are now living with their parents. These are people with jobs. They are working, earning income, and still cannot afford to establish independent households. The politicians and economists who constantly celebrate employment statistics fail to understand that a job is meaningless if it no longer provides a path to basic economic independence. For decades, homeownership was the foundation of the middle class. A young person could graduate, find employment, purchase a starter home, build equity, raise a family, and gradually accumulate wealth. That…
Oracle is spending big on artificial intelligence—to the tune of $70 billion this year alone—in order to build data centers and AI-capable servers. But that AI expansion hasn’t come without a human cost. In its latest Form 10-K filing with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC), the company revealed that it has cut tens of thousands of jobs over the past year to help fund its AI expansion. Here’s what you need to know. Oracle has cut 21,000 jobs in the past 12 months In the company’s annual 10-K filing, the software-as-a-service (SaaS) and cloud-based computing giant revealed that…
The oldest bridge in Paris has a new look. Veiling the 419-year-old structure with an inflatable envelope wrapped in canvas, the French street artist JR—often called the French Banksy—transformed the Pont Neuf in Paris, paying homage to the famed duo of artists, Christo and Jeanne-Claude. The work, titled La Caverne du Pont Neuf, is on view for free through June 28. Its origin story is much longer. The inspiration dates back to when the artist was just 2 years old, and Christo and Jeanne-Claude, who are known for their large-scale environmental installations, had wrapped the oldest bridge in Paris for…