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The Crocs Engagement Ring Is Here for Couples Who Want to Stand Out (and Think Style Is Overrated)

How do you reinvent something as staid and traditional as the engagement ring? One jeweler in the UK had the bright idea to create this “Croc wedding charm” that is custom designed, uses flat back screws to ensure a secure fit, and starts at £1,790. In their words, “we love pushing the boundaries of jewelry … and we’re looking … Read more

Student Who Ate $120k Banana from Modern Artwork Tells His Story

Last year, a US judge issued a landmark ruling that an artist “cannot copyright duct tape or bananas.” These were the two primary materials used by Italian artist Maurizio Cattelan when he taped a banana to a wall, called it art and then was promptly sued by another artist who said he was actually the first to duct tape fruit to a … Read more

Extreme Pride in Being American Remains Near Record Low

A new Gallup poll released just in time for the 4th of July leads with the eye-catching headline that extreme pride in being American is at a record low. As often is the case with sensational headline summaries like this, the true insight of the poll is buried further in the results. First of all, while … Read more

Four Inspiring Things To Watch on Election Day (Instead of Doomscrolling)

This is not a good day to watch the news. As the votes get cast and counted throughout the United States, it is hard for most of us to resist the temptation to tune into the constant “breaking news” as media pundits engage in minute by minute mostly irrelevant guesswork about who is surging ahead … 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

Why The Brazilian National Museum Fire Matters

brazil fire

The story of the devastating fire this week at the National Museum of Brazil made me unexplainably sad. Yet on three different trips to Brazil, I never went there. So why am I so upset about it? Experts estimate nearly 20 million artifacts may have been lost. Even though many museums have ways to protect their … Read more

Customers Are Not Always Right (And Sometimes Don’t Deserve Nice Things)

Yes, Elon Musk finally released his flame throwers to the consumer market … and people promptly began using them in totally inappropriate ways. It is a predictable side effect of our culture of Everyday Stardom that consumers behave badly … just because they can. This week, there were plenty of examples that maybe we don’t … Read more

The Mask That Displays Your Emotions In Real Time

Rather than wearing your emotions on your sleeve, a new product called the Hyperface lets you wear them on your face. The idea from London-based designer Eun Kyung Shin is to use a visor-like headset to create a new visual method for communications where we could understand each other more deeply without depending on emotional … Read more

How To Spot A Fake Viral Video

For a crash course in figuring out what is real and what isn’t online, who better to turn to than a YouTuber who has built a reputation out of debunking viral videos and showing what techniques they have used. While you could go frame by frame to see the tricks, the more useful conclusion from … Read more

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Rohit is the author of 10 books on trends, the future of business, building a more human brand with storytelling and how to create a more diverse and inclusive world.

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