🧠 #BrainFood 12.18.24

KCRW’s top 30 songs of 2024

That’s right, it’s time to check out KCRW’s year in music — strictly by the numbers. From the unstoppability of UK dance maestro Jamie xx, to the IE’s finest souldies crew Brainstory. From Belgian-Japanese duo Aili’s synth-pop fantasia, to St. Vincent’s irresistibly melodic primal scream: These are the 2024 jams that really had us “bumpin’ that.”

Why is it so hard to buy things that work well?

SPOILER ALERT: Companies don’t want to sell you things that last for a long time.

Persistent inefficiencies in markets and firms: Despite theoretical arguments for efficiency, inefficiencies in hiring, product quality, and service delivery often persist for decades. For example, companies frequently fail to exploit mispriced labor or address fundamental design flaws in widely used products, such as data sync tools that corrupt data or fail to scale properly .

Challenges with outsourcing and vendor reliability: Firms often face significant issues when outsourcing critical functions or relying on third-party products. Even leading vendors’ solutions can fail to meet basic operational requirements, forcing companies to build in-house solutions despite higher costs and inefficiencies, as seen with tech firms and logistics providers like Amazon .

Consumer and expert decision-making flaws: Both consumers and experts frequently make suboptimal decisions due to misinformation or lack of expertise. Examples include consumers choosing inferior products based on PR narratives or experts providing incorrect advice, such as misjudging air conditioner noise levels or overlooking better alternatives

Dezeen’s Top 10 product designs of 2024

And yes, a re-envisioned brick made the list.

1. Cloudboom Strike LS trainer by On

2. Polestar 4 (world’s first mass-market car without a rear window)

3. Cob bricks (low-carbon building material by Tavs Jorgensen)

4. Protest Street Seats by Pneuhaus (inflatable self-defence devices)

5. Filter Cap by Filsa and Ogilvy Colombia (hand-held water filtration device)

6. Air Swipe bag by Coperni (99% air bag made from silica aerogel)

7. Toja sofa (sustainable sofa made from 99% natural materials)

8. Octo Finissimo Ultra Cosc by Bulgari (world’s thinnest mechanical watch at 1.7 mm)

9. Brännboll gaming chair by IKEA (inflatable gaming chair)

10. Bathtope by LIXIL (hammock-style fabric bathtub)

The Secret Life of The Pope, According To AI

🧠 #BrainFood 12.16.24

Formula 1’s triumphant marketing strategy that gained them 50M new fans(I'm one), TikTok dominance, and became the fastest growing global sport.

It was one tweet that took me from knowing very little about F1 to becoming a super-fan. I can’t find the exact tweet but it went something like:

“I’ve never watched something that made me care so much about something I’ve cared so little about”

Netflix’s “Drive to Survive”: Formula 1 partnered with Netflix to create a documentary series that showcased the drama, rivalries, and human stories behind the sport. This approach attracted a younger and more diverse audience by presenting the sport beyond just cars racing in circles.

Turning Drivers into Influencers: F1 drivers have become relatable influencers by engaging with fans on platforms like Instagram, YouTube, and Twitch. This direct connection has made the sport more appealing and helped F1 dominate social media.

Fan-First Strategies: F1 shifted its focus to fan engagement through exclusive content like behind-the-scenes videos, live Q&A sessions, and interactive experiences such as AR filters and fan-voted polls during races.

Global Expansion with Localized Appeal: F1 has aggressively entered new markets, exemplified by launching events like the Miami Grand Prix tailored for specific audiences, particularly in the United States.

Researchers uncover new class of magnetism that could revolutionize digital devices

This discovery might represent the next quantum leap in digital infrastructure, offering unprecedented performance improvements that could reshape how businesses process and store information.

Magnetic Breakthrough: Meet the Game-Changing “Altermagnets”

Researchers at the University of Nottingham discovered a groundbreaking third class of magnetism called “altermagnetism” that combines the best properties of ferromagnetic and antiferromagnetic materials, offering unprecedented potential for digital devices and spintronic technologies.

Zero Net Magnetization, Infinite Possibilities

Altermagnets exhibit no net magnetization, making them highly energy-efficient and compatible with superconductors, while retaining strong spin-current effects that could revolutionize memory systems, quantum computing, and neuromorphic technologies.

The Future of Tech is Nano-Magnetic

By manipulating magnetic states at nanoscale resolution using advanced techniques like X-ray magnetic circular dichroism, scientists demonstrated that altermagnetic materials like manganese telluride can create more compact, faster, and more reliable digital devices with potential applications across multiple scientific disciplines.

11 of the Best Music Documentaries Ever Made

1. Don’t Look Back (1967), Streaming on: Max, Criterion Channel

2. The Velvet Underground (2021), Streaming on: Apple TV+

3. Ornette: Made In America (1985), Streaming on: Criterion Channel, Kanopy

4. Marley (2012), Rental: Prime Video

5. Searching for Sugarman (2012), Rental: Prime Video

6. It Might Get Loud (2008), Streaming: Tubi (free with ads)

7. Hallelujah: Leonard Cohen, a Journey, a Song (2022), Streaming: Hulu

8. Freestyle 101: Hip-Hop History (2023), Rental: Prime Video

9. Hype! (1996), Streaming: Prime Video, Tubi, Pluto TV (free with ads)

10. Hot Potato: The Story of the Wiggles (2023), Streaming: Prime Video

11. 20 Feet From Stardom (2013), Rental: Prime Video

You must listen to this Swahili(I think) country singer

@emmanuelgetthepointNi wimbo ambao umebeba ujumbe kwa pamoja katika usiku kuu na wimbo huo waweza mtia matumaini mwanadamu anapoangukaaa ni wimbo mtamu waweza fungua minyororo kwa walio fungwa awali waweza kuwa na hakika kupitia wimbo njia yako ya kupitia Chorus Nitauimba wimbo huu wimbo ulio wa kusifu roho nzito ya huzuni iwe huru ntaendelea kwa sifa iliyobeba siri kwamba kwa yesu kuna uhuru nitazisima sauti zinazovuta watu kwa shimo La kukata tamaa kwa wimbo mtamu wa furaha anakuja upesi kwa ajili yangu nawe@Gaither Music

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It’s fascinating. He sounds like Alan Jackson & George Strait, but in Swahili. And his people are JAMMING!

Teddy Pendergrass (1977)