A serial entrepreneur is working to transform one-of-a-kind gems into a tradable commodity Diamonds may be forever, but only a few of the biggest, most precious examples have been taken seriously as an investment vehicle. The problem’s been that each one is unique—they aren’t a tradable, undifferentiated commodity like oil, gold, corn or pork bellies. … Continued
Carving out a decent career doesn’t require spending four years and a king’s ransom in pursuit of a bachelor’s degree Career training has expanded so much lately that it’s creating alternatives to expensive four-year college degrees. Fifty years ago, vocational-technical education primed high school students for jobs like meat cutting or auto mechanics—almost anything that … Continued
Don’t view the value of a liberal arts college education solely through an economic lens. This professor has the stats to support that idea. It’s not so much what you study but how you study it that leads to financial success and personal fulfillment. That’s one of the big ideas that emerged from a study … Continued
The pandemic convinced homebound homeowners to extend their living space out onto the lawn
Publishers are determined to keep committing ink to paper Familiar magazines are moving online at a startling pace, but that doesn’t mean print publications will disappear from America’s nightstands, coffee tables or waiting rooms. In fact, print is making something of a comeback on the strength of four trends: one-off editions, brand ownership, tightly focused … Continued
Although far from perfect, modules that sequester CO2 could help limit climate change Nuclear fusion won’t produce usable power until at least the end of this century, long after unchecked climate change could wreak untold damage, according to L.J. Reinders, a European researcher, attorney and author. So, instead of chasing the pipe dream of fusion, … Continued
As technology advances, each generation gets its own version of hyperbolic advertising, promotion and manipulation. That’s both good and bad. Hype resides in the eye of the beholder. while some consider it exaggeration or even deception, others define it as anything that attracts the public’s attention. Viewed as the latter, hype can promote a … Continued
Luckbox examines data, trends, probabilities and human behavior to find better ways of handling our money and living our lives. It’s a process that requires the ability to distinguish between signals and noise. Signals are defined as useful, actionable messages based on verifiable facts. Anything inaccurate, incomplete or deceptive qualifies as noise. But lately, we’ve … Continued
Here’s the case for basing art and architecture on numbers from the Fibonacci sequence—and the case against it The golden ratio has been capturing the imagination of scholars for more than 2,000 years. Countless mathematicians, physicists, botanists, chemists and psychologists have pondered its meaning. Painters, sculptors, architects, composers and poets have embraced it for the … Continued
Like the stories that form this issue’s feature section, the illustration on the right represents a thematic mashup of the art market’s old guard and newest players: Grant Wood’s American Gothic meets the blinged-out billion-dollar NFT collection Bored Ape Yacht Club. But if there’s one thing art traditionalists and NFT enthusiasts have in common, it’s … Continued