OH BOY
Another month, another grim start. I pray a positive resolution emerges from the current ill-conceived Iranian actions, and that the voices of people in the region who actually want stability and peace begin to gain traction. I’m optimistic we will once again see the richness of vibrant Persian culture fully back on the global stage.
BLACK CULTURE COLLECTS ITS FLOWERS
A few weeks ago on Threads, the unbelievable happened. A typical MAGA poster (likely a bot) asked the internet: “Dear non Americans - I get you have pretty good reasons to maybe dislike America, these days I see a lot of disdain for the USA and I get it. But just on a different note, without being sarcastic, is anything you like about the USA? Whether it’s our entertainment, food, or what ever.”
The top responses? Overwhelming praise for the cultural contributions of Black Americans, with Black Women specifically called out.
Let me be clear: This never happens
So, in celebration of my birthday today, I’m taking those rare internet flowers and sharing them with my people, who frankly have had very little to celebrate in America lately.
QUANTUM LEAP: THE END OF HEAT
Researchers at Rice University have solved a massive problem in quantum materials: how to move light with virtually no energy loss or signal decay. The key is a class of atom-thin semiconductors called Janus materials. Researchers proved that light can be "topologically shielded," forcing it onto a specific quantum path that it flow around imperfections without scattering.
The result is lossless transport—stable even at room temperature.
The immediate impact? Energy-efficient computing.
Our current chips run hot because moving electrons creates friction. But if data can move through light-based circuits instead, processors could become exponentially faster while generating also no heat. Breakthroughs like this could fundamentally change economics of computing, gutting the electricity and cooling costs of global data centers, which currently hog about 2% of the world’s power.
Expect this discovery to supercharge a new generation of tech
THE ANTI-SCREEN GENERATION
Parents are already in an a panic over their kids' screen time, but acounter-trendis quietly building: kids are choosing less tech.
Exhibit A: My 9-year-old’s current favorite possession is the TinCan phone.
For the uninitiated, it’s an old-school landline landline style device running on VOIP. The phones are a brilliant hit of nostalgia, but the real genius is the control: Parents mutually approve contacts, set usage hours,recieve a timestamped call log.
TinCan-to-TinCan calls are free. A line for non-TInCan users is $99 a year.
No texting, no screens, just conversation.
Suddenly, the next generation looks a lot smarter.
SPEAKING OF NOSTALGIA
Kicked off my birthday week with a spectacular LCD Soundsystem show on Saturday night. I’m living for the 90’s and 00’s nostalgia reunion tours.
Last summer's highlight was the Oasis show at Soldier Field. Now LCD Soundsystem played three sold-out nights in Chicago. The only question left is when Radiohead will finally get back on the road in the US.
Brands should take note. These nostalgia tours concentrate massive amounts of disposable income, attention and passion in one place and advertisers have been surprisingly slow to catch on.
CHAOTIC NEUTRAL? PROBABLY CHAOTIC EVIL
Meta just acquired Moltbook, which is probably not a good sign.
Moltbook is essentially where AI agents interact with each other, sharing ideas, discussing problems and even forming communities. Humans are welcome to observe.
Watching AI agents introduce themselves, obsess over their failures, and create religions is fascinating and a little terrifying. Meta plans to it into its Superintelligence Labs as a verified registry for AI agents.
In other words: the machines are starting to organize. Every science fiction story says this is the moment where things get interesting.
BUT PEOPLE ARE STILL MORE INTERESTING
I was in San Francisco last week leading a Big Idea Lab with the SF-Seould Sister City Committe.
Yes, I rode in a Waymo and a Tesla self-driving-car. But the unexpected highlight was meeting actor Julie Fogh, who also helps people become better storytellers.
She challenged me to pay closer attention to the words people use, the origins of phrases and the ides they carry, and how they shape modern American culture.
I won’t say more and steal her thunder, but I can’t stop thinking about it. Now I’m listening to everyone much more carefully.
REVAMPED
If you are a Buffy fan (IYKYK) go see this one-man show immediately. I laughed so hard I cried.
Listen to the Spotify playlist inspired by this blog post!
Schedule a meeting with The Big Idea Catalyst!
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