Rohit Bhargava's Blog, page 47

The Mystery of Why So Many Ancient Statues Have Broken Noses

Historical images are filled of statues with broken noses from all cultures. There are many theories to explain this. Ancient Egyptians thought that a life force would enter statues through the nose, so breaking the nose from a statue would (in theory) render it useless. Destroying artifacts has long been used by conquerors to cripple a culture in order to overtake it. Damaging the likeness of a past leader was also a frequent tactic used by new leaders to elevate themselves. 

There is, also, the...

How Citizen Surveillance Might Be Killing San Francisco

There was a time when I would travel to San Francisco every week for a client meeting. During that moment of my career, I felt so close to the city and the people there that I attended the team holiday party for our SF office rather than the one for my “home” office in Washington DC. I haven’t had reason to be back in the city for more than a year. In that time, I’ve been hearing plenty of stories about it. How the city is worse, crime is higher and some spots are unrecognizable. 

How much of the...

Cyber Monday: 15 Non-Obvious Holiday Gifts

Economists predict consumers will be in a bargain hunting mindset this season, ready to overspend on cheap stuff they don’t really need. Still, this season does bring many once-a-year prices for gifts for yourself and others. In this special edition of my newsletter, I’ll share a few products and experiences that are both non-obvious, and offer some gift ideas that you could use for any loved one in your life.

Why buy cheap useless junk? Instead, seek out non-obvious gifts for the people you love...

15 Non-Obvious Holiday Gifts To Buy This Black Friday

Today is Black Friday, a day that has earned a negative reputation as an unnecessary celebration of excess consumerism.

Economists predict consumers will be in a bargain hunting mindset this season, ready to overspend on cheap stuff they don’t really need. Still, this season does bring many once-a-year prices for gifts for yourself and others. In this special edition of my newsletter, I’ll share a few products and experiences that are both non-obvious, and offer some gift ideas that you could...

Is It Possible to Be Too Beautiful?

What if being beautiful or athletically gifted isn’t as great as most people think?

It is true that being good looking is often linked to getting opportunities you otherwise wouldn’t have and this so-called “pretty privilege” often results in gifts, special access and even better career opportunities. Similarly, those who excel at sports are often socially popular at a young age, gaining more confidence early in life. But is there a downside to having more beauty or greater athletic ability? In o...

Cultural Themes from Apple’s App of the Year Award Finalists

Apple announced all the finalists for their App of the Year awards and the majority are the sorts of apps you would expect. Image manipulation tools and productivity apps to help you create better images, videos, or content. Buried within the awards announcement, though, is a category that stood out: apps that deliver “Cultural Impact.” The eight selections in this group are fascinating. 

Shortlisted apps in this category include an app to help women track menopause symptoms, an “eco-conscious ad...

Waze Launches New Danger Zone Alert to Tell You If You’re Entering an Accident-Prone Area

I admit I’m not generally a fan of Waze for driving directions. I find the constant alerts and questions asking if an area is still a speed trap (for example) to be quite distracting. Their latest innovation, though, could change my opinion. Using the vast data stores they and parent company Google have access to, the app now offers “crash history alerts for accident-prone roads” using a combination of AI and user reports to alert drivers when they enter an area where many others have had accide...

The Next Magical Space Material Might Be … Wood

Back in 2022 three different wood samples were sent to the International Space Station (ISS) as part of the Japanese Experimental Kibo Module. After ten months of exposure to space, the researchers reported that “wood’s ability to withstand simulated low earth orbit – or LEO – conditions astounded us.” Based on this early success, the Japanese space agency (JAXA) is teaming up with NASA to design and launch a wooden satellite into space in 2024.

Most of the stories about this effort focus on the ...

Why Airline Passengers Are Assholes (And How We Can Fix It)

I take a lot of flights and listening to someone singing or promoting themselves is near the bottom of things I would want to listen to. It’s a pretty close second to those desperate pitches to try and get me to fill out an application for an airline credit card.

An unwelcome private concert is what passengers on a recent Delta flight were subjected to when a singer named Bobbi Storm turned her flight into a stage for herself and refused to stop singing claiming she was “doing what the Lord i...

The Beautiful Empathy of Common App’s New Direct Admissions Program

Applying to college can be an intimidating and humbling experience. Even more so for the student who may be the first in their family to consider going to a university. Lots of things can happen along the way to cause a young person to question their credentials and perhaps abandon the whole process. Now through a newly announced program, a student who just “created a Common App account and provided enough academic information” (but has not yet completed their application) can be offered admissi...