It’s Summer!
Well Singapore is the land of perpetual summer, but the rest of the northern hemisphere is now on the other side of the solstice. Weather aside, I like the idea of summer - a time to consume more books, spend more time outdoors and find the elusive “song of the summer”.
Back to art as a habit and not just a hobby, I tried some loose sketching of Bangkok’s skyline.
Here are your finds for this week:
- SMALL ANNOYANCES A largely forgotten psychological concept helps explain the insidiousness of minor problems – and what to do about it. It’s called the region-beta paradox. ‘A lifetime of things being a little bit crappy can be worse than an afternoon of things being agonizing’
- CREATION ENGINEERING How do you name a new prescription drug? Like poets who write Elizabethan sonnets rather than free verse, pharmaceutical namers must make difficult decisions based on arcane rules, but their work is still a form of artistry.
- GEOPOLITICS OF CLOTHES Vietnamese labels are finding fans online as fashionistas and celebrities embrace them. The items are of better quality and more sustainable than Chinese fast fashion. As consumers and retailers try to decouple with old ways of manufacturing, a mix of celebrity, social media and a commitment to staying small is putting Vietnam on the map.
- GOBBLED TRAFFIC Every year, Reuters publishes their Digital News Report. Traffic to news pubs from social channels is dwindling, made worse with the rise of video - i.e. people would rather watch the video and move on than click on the source. Then there are issues of trustworthiness. Podcasts are on the up, giving hope for longer form and nuanced discussions!
- FRUITS OF PREDICTION Scientists have trained an AI algorithm to count the number of flowers on fruit trees using only smartphone images. The system could predict the size of a harvest months in advance — saving farmers time, money, and water.