How the pandemic has created a new breed of tech worker

18 months in, COVID-19 has forced Silicon Valley to end its obsession with optimization. Here we are, entering the 18th month of a pandemic that has brought constant upheaval to virtually every aspect of our lives. We’re adjusting to increased risks from a more potent variant, the omnipresent strain of a new set of restrictions, and the slow pace...

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Fossil fuel companies and advertisers could soon face their Big Tobacco moment

Top executives from Exxon, BP, Chevron, Shell, and others are being called to testify before Congress at a hearing about climate change disinformation. Congress announced yesterday that it has launched an investigation, and will hold hearings, into the reported role of the fossil fuel industry in a long-running, industry-wide campaign to spread disinformation...

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Synthetic biology’s biggest cheerleader takes his company public

Gingko Bioworks, a company that engineers cells, is going public with a $15 billion valuation on the promise of a burgeoning synthetic biology market. Sitting in his living room in a white lounge chair, Ginkgo Bioworks CEO Jason Kelly is holding up a worn copy of Michael Crichton’s Jurassic Park. “I was like, I’ve got to nerd out. I haven’t read...

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Beyond AOC’s ‘Tax the Rich’ dress: 5 acts of fashion provocation that changed history

Social change needs its visual forms. Fashion is one of them. Democratic congresswoman Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez has ignited both controversy and celebration after wearing a gown to the Met Gala emblazoned in red graffiti text with the statement “Tax the Rich.”Read Full Story

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Religious exemptions to the COVID-19 vaccine: Here’s what faiths leaders actually say

Few organized religions object to vaccinations of any kind, according to lists compiled by Vanderbilt University and Johns Hopkins. This week, the United States hit a somber pandemic milestone: 1 in 500 Americans have now died from COVID-19. It coincides with the week’s other discouraging COVID news: that the number of people claiming religious exemptions...

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Why you should let your employees switch to a different team

Consider it a formative experience for your employees, especially for those who need help getting out of a rut. Have you ever considered trying a new role at your company, but you were too nervous to ask? What were you afraid of exactly? That your boss would be upset? That your coworkers would see you as abandoning them? Too often, employees feel...

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Toilet paper really is terrible for the planet. Here’s what you can do about it

No, you don’t have to stop wiping. Are you concerned about the devastating impact of climate change? Take a closer look at your toilet paper.Read Full Story

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See the Black-centered design motif Nordstrom, Sonos, and The Inside can’t get enough of

Sixteen years ago, Sheila Bridges revamped the iconic toile pattern to celebrate Black culture. Today, you can find it at several major retailers and The Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian Design Museum. For centuries, Toile de Jouy has conjured a sense of luxury and refinement. Characterized by repeated motifs and illustrative pastoral scenes, the pattern...

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iPhone 13 preorders: when sales start based on timezone

Depending on where you are, you may have to get up very early if you want to grab an iPhone 13 on Day 1. Apple’s iPhone 13 series of phones begin preorders today. The 2021 lineup includes the iPhone 13, iPhone 13 mini, iPhone 13 Pro, and iPhone 13 Pro Max. Preorders start today at 5 a.m. PDT September 17 and are likely to begin shipping soon after...

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This collaboration aims to make dream homes for the 99%

These cheaper custom homes combine prefab, virtual reality, and the touch of an architect. What could be better than a custom-designed home? It can be shaped precisely based on any whim or wish, with an architect standing by to turn visions into bespoke built form. It can also be incredibly expensive.Read Full Story

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