Rohit Bhargava's Blog, page 27

The Surprising Appeal of the Lovable Loser

The Chicago White Sox are having a historically bad season. Like, a season that could be the worst in the history of baseball. It’s so bad even their own social media team is forced to find a way to make the situation slightly better for fans by tweeting entertaining game summaries after losses, like “FINAL: the other team scored more runs than us.” The team, too, is coping with humor because what else can they do? It’s a season they will want to quickly forget.

With their tragic year, th...

Can Tech in Cars Make Us More Considerate or Better Drivers?

As part of our Olympics trip this summer, we made a side visit to Lyon and drove across the border to Switzerland. Driving in Europe, one thing that became immediately clear is that drivers there understand the concept of a passing lane. In most places across the US, this seems to be a concept that most American drivers struggle with. Especially in Florida. So I was immediately on board when I read this week about Nissan’s new advanced driver system that includes a feature called “Passing Assist...

The Non-Obvious Book of the Week: “Dead Wrong” by Dr. Geeta Nayyar

For every new video we see on social media about a miracle remedy, there’s a medical professional who is generally suffering in silence watching the misinformation baked into many of these supposed “cures.” The effects of some can be relatively innocent, like suffering through drinking more glasses of celery juice than necessary. Other online health information can literally have life or death consequences. In Dead Wrong, “Dr. G” (as Dr. Geeta Nayyar is widely known online) lays out the reasons ...

Human Eyeballs, Fake Tongues and Freeze-Dried Butterflies: Inside the World’s Most Discomforting Restaurant

Alchemist restaurant in Copenhagen is the creation of famous Danish chef Rasmus Munk. Like many similarly exclusive Michelin-star worthy dining experiences, there’s a 10,000-person waiting list for a spot at Alchemist and the meal itself will run you $800 per person for 40+ inventive courses. What’s different about this experience is just how committed he is to making food into art … on every level. When asked about his inspiration for a long profile piece written by Rebecca Mead and featured in...

This Chatbot Could Actually Change Minds … Using Facts?!

The prevailing wisdom about human behaviors and beliefs today is that facts are not persuasive in changing minds or shifting beliefs. Usually, it’s true. That’s one reason why there is so much focus on becoming a better storyteller and why every category from politicians to breakfast cereal marketers primarily relies on stories to connect with people. Stories do work, but a recent study featuring a chatbot called the DebunkBot is challenging this long-held idea as profiled in a recent NY Times a...

What “Jobs You’ve Never Heard Of” Can Teach You About a Better Way to Work

Sometimes a good roundup post is exactly what you need to give you a new perspective on work. That’s what this compilation from the team at Pocket did for me as I read this fun list of “jobs you didn’t know existed.” Professional mermaids, mountain bike trailer builders and falconers all made the list – and there are plenty of others who could have been included too, like the professional pacer who sets the pace during marathons.

The interesting thing, aside from reading about unusual jobs, i...

The Flappy Bird Creator Once Did the Unthinkable. Now He’s Doing It Again.

In 2013 the inventor of a viral gaming app did the unthinkable. His name was Dong Nguyen, and he was the developer who created the popular game Flappy Bird. The game had taken over culture in a matter of months and was quickly getting attention for extensions like a movie, tv series and plenty more. Then abruptly, Nguyen shut down the whole project. At the time, he explained his reasoning this way in a rare interview with Forbes:

“Flappy Bird was designed to play in a few minutes when you are...

The Non-Obvious Book of the Week: Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man by Emmanuel Acho

This is the best kind of book about important questions. One that doesn’t preach or try to convert with the answers, but rather focuses on how to ask the questions with empathy … and to really listen to the answers.

Should you call someone Black or African American? Is there a difference? When the author writes about really being Nigerian American – not African American, I could relate. I’m Asian American, but I’m also Indian American. Which is, of course, entirely different from being Americ...

UK Non-Profit Ties Baby Slings on Statues to Fight for Paternity Leave

Across London this week, people have been encountering an unusual sight. Statues of famous men are adorned with wraparound baby carriers filled with dolls. The exhibits are part of a campaign from non-profit Dad Shift to get the UK government to pass legislation allowing for greater paternity leave for new dads (the UK has the worst terms across Europe). Here’s how the founder describes the motivation and mission:

“We meant it to be a positively provocative sight. There’s such an imbalance in...

4 Ways Tupperware Could Have Saved Itself

The iconic food storage brand Tupperware just filed for bankruptcy protection. Officially, Tupperware aims to “protect its beloved brand as it shifts towards a digital-first, technology-led company … to enhance its omni-channel capabilities.” At the same time, the company has promised to retain agreements with independent sales consultants, who “remain a core part of the company’s sales strategy.”

Wading through all the corporate doublespeak, the demise of this once popular brand should becom...