Welcome to the Era of Co-Writing … With Artificial Intelligence
Whether you consider it dangerous or useful, the most likely use case for generative AI right now is as an automated tool to write faster (and perhaps better).
Disruption & Transformation
CES 2023: The 25 Non-Obvious Inventions, Technologies and Ideas To Watch
Reporting from the trade show floor at CES 2023, here are some of my picks for the most non-obvious inventions to watch and why they are so interesting.
The Most Popular Non-Obvious Stories of 2022 (Based On Reader Feedback)
Based on this combination of quantitative and qualitative data, here is a partial list of some of the most popular stories of the year, based on what my readers shared.
Magazines Create Empathy That Can Change the World. Here’s How To Save Them.
Unlike a lot of online content, the stories and images in magazines are usually professionally produced by real talented editors and creators. The long take they regularly offer is unique and their ability to select and publish stories that are timely without feeling outdated is a constant inspiration for me to try and do the same.
Millennials Move Into Childhood Bedrooms and Revisit Their Youth
Many young city dwellers left their apartments to move back home with parents when Covid-19 shut down everything. For most, that meant moving back into their childhood rooms, and having a unique forced opportunity to make peace with their own younger selves. This NY Times article explores how many are treating it as a chance … Read more
10 Futuristic Ideas Becoming Reality Faster Because Of COVID-19
For the past ten years I’ve been a collector of innovative ideas. When I write about them and interview the people behind them, I know they are far ahead of their industry. Over the past month as our entire culture has been upended by the arrival of the COVID-19 virus, one of positive side effects … Read more
5 Non-Obvious Megatrends Changing Our World In 2020
For the past ten years I have gone through an annual ritual of publishing a book about trends that describe our shifting culture and business environment. Over the past decade, my team and I have identified and written about well over 100 trends covering everything from the rise of the #metoo movement (a trend we … Read more
Scientists Regrow Teeth, Americans Need Chaos and Why Your Next Flight Might Be Delayed On Purpose | Non-Obvious Insights #181
This week the dual themes of selfishness and unselfishness emerged in the stories I’m sharing below. On the selfish side – Instagrammers sharing tone deaf posts about the Bahamas, a study finding a disturbing portion of America simply wants to destroy things and the dire side effects of Amazon’s quest for faster delivery. On the … Read more
Prosperity Preachers, HBO’s “Feel Terrible” Hit And Why Your Vacation May Worsen Climate Change
Why HBO’s Chernobyl Is The Feel-Terrible Hit Everyone NeededLike over six million viewers I have been completely engrossed in the storytelling of this startlingly accurate hit mini-series about the 80’s era nuclear disaster. The lessons for today are profound and despite casting that oddly seems to avoid any actual Russian actors in lead roles, the five episode series is … Read more
How The Non-Obvious Trend Of “RetroTrust” Started Taking Off
One of the most popular trends from this year’s edition of Non-Obvious was a trend I called RetroTrust – the idea that we trust in brands and experiences from our past. Since I wrote the chapter, I am discovering new examples of the trend in real life all the time. Last week I told the … Read more
