Weekend Briefing No. 127
Welcome To The Weekend
Hello from Kentucky! I’ve been here this week celebrating the birth of my twin niece and nephew. I’m a proud uncle! This week Black Lives Matters protests continued around the country. Portugal defeated France in the moth-plagued Euro 2016 final. The UK has a new Prime Minister – Teresa May. Meanwhile on the campaign trail, Bernie endorsed Hillary and Trump selected Mike Pence as his running mate. And of course, the world’s going nuts over Pokemon Go. If you want some tunes for this weekend, check out my Summer Pop playlist.
Data Is The New Oil
Google, Amazon and Facebook were only able to train their computers to perform difficult artificial intelligence feats because they have the enormous quantities of data required to train their system. Companies that want to use AI will need to either have or acquire copious amounts of data. When it comes to competition, it’s the data these companies possess that’s more important than the actual AI software they release to the public. Learn more at Fortune.
The Right To Surf
A new resolution from the UN condemns countries that deliberately disrupt the internet access of their citizens. The resolution stresses that “the same rights that people have offline must also be protected online” particularly with regards to the freedom of expression. Resolutions like this one aren’t legally binding, however, they do put pressure on governments using this as a method of controlling citizens in nations like China and Turkey. Learn more at The Independent.
Transform The Hustle
My friend Catherine Hoke’s favorite place in the world is prison. She spends a lot of time there working to “transform the hustle” of talent locked inside those walls. As the Founder of Defy Ventures, she has created an innovative business model that is reducing recidivism rates across the country at a fraction of the typical cost. In California, the cost for incarcerating one person for just one year is $47,000. Defy’s program costs $500 and they have a 3.2% recidivism rate. Last year she shared her story at SOCAP learn more about her story and sign up for the conference this year at SOCAP (featured briefing).
E-Wasted
New York City’s residential e-waste, which translated to over 2 million pounds in 2015 alone. Where does it all go? Recycling electronic waste requires the ability to collect, sort, dismantle, and extract recyclable materials and precious metals from a whole range of devices, while also separating out non-recyclable and hazardous waste. Follow the surprisingly interesting journey of your e-waste at The Verge.
$694 Billion
Green investments may be much bigger than you think. A record $46 billion of green bonds were issued worldwide last year, and annual issuance may reach $56 billion in 2016. However, a recent report commissioned by HSBC Bank Plc shows that the total global $118 billion of securities officially labeled as “green bonds” are only the tip of the iceberg of the $694 billion wider market of investments that will rein in pollution and curtail climate change regardless of how they’re classified. Learn more at Bloomberg.
Material Girl
How do you teach your kids to avoid materialism? Here are some tips: 1. Spell out family values. If you want your kids to absorb your core beliefs, carve out some occasional family time and ask them to come up with what they think are the five most important values. 2. Make gratitude a habit. Materialism comes from a state of dissatisfaction or unhappiness, and looking outside yourself for happiness and fulfillment. Focusing on life’s positive experiences builds happiness, a crucial weapon in the battle against covetousness. Learn more at Lifehacker.
Drone Pics
In the hands of photographers, smaller unmanned vehicles can capture beautiful, unique images that would otherwise go unseen. For the third year in a row, the international Dronestagram contest has recognized outstanding drone photos in this emerging field. Check out the winners at National Geographic.
About The Weekend Briefing
The Weekend Briefing is a selection of this week’s top stories on innovation and society, curated by Kyle Westaway – author of Profit & Purpose and Managing Partner of Westaway. Thanks for making the Weekend Briefing a part of your Saturday morning routine. Have a restful and thoughtful weekend.