Fast Company
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Getty’s Thousands Of New Stock Photos Will Make You Rethink Gender Norms
Getty Images is working to change perceptions around women in tech and men in the home with photo sets that debunk outdated stereotypes.<p>A picture is worth much more than a thousand words.<p>Neuroscientists from MIT recently discovered that the human brain can process entire images in just 13 …
GenderSome of the ridiculously long and weird company names just banned by China
After banning “bizarre” buildings last year, China’s State Administration for Industry and Commerce launched a campaign this week against a not-uncommon phenomenon in the country: weird and long company names. Monikers that are paragraphs or long sentences, or that include sensitive language or …
ChinaAfter Charlottesville, It’s Up To Cities To Lead on Inclusion
While the president tweets his support for Confederate statues, city leaders are standing up for their communities.<p><i>This story reflects the views of this author, but not necessarily the editorial position of</i> Fast Company.<p>Divisions are roiling America. Walls–both real and imagined–are being erected …
RacismCan We All Agree That Plastic Straws Are Totally Unnecessary?
With a Strawless September campaign in Seattle, local businesses will swap out plastic straws for sustainable paper options–and just encourage customers to say, “no, thanks.”<p>We suck. Some of us suck more than others, but really, we all do, or have at sometime.<p>We suck because collectively, we toss …
RecyclingHow A Pop Song Could “Watch” You Through Your TV
Your phone, TV, or connected device could become a sonar spy, as white hat hackers at the University of Washington give new meaning to bad music.<p>Forget your classic listening device: Researchers at the University of Washington have demonstrated that phones, smart TVs, Amazon Echo-like assistants, …
University of WashingtonHow Trump’s Climate Report Dismissal Would Put Americans In Harm’s Way
Trump’s rejection of the national climate report would do more damage than exiting the Paris Agreement, says an economist who worked on the last report.<p>A scientific report done every four years has been thrust into the spotlight because its findings directly contradict statements from the president …
ClimateDonald Trump’s Arts Council just resigned, and they want him to do the same
Artist Chuck Close, author Jhumpa Lahiri, musician Paula Boggs, and actor Kal Penn were among the <b>16 members of the President’s Committee on the Arts and Humanities who resigned today in the wake of President Trump’s response to the events in Charlottesville, Virginia.</b> They issued a harsh rebuke of …
Donald TrumpTech’s Swift Reaction To Hate Groups Was Years In The Making
Advocates like the Anti-Defamation League have been cajoling Silicon Valley for years to cut off violent white-supremacist groups.<p>The sometimes-uncomfortable relationship between online service providers and their more unsavory customers changed in the wake of the Charlottesville tragedy. Companies …
RacismNearly a quarter of Donald Trump’s weeks as president have been his “worst week”
How many bad weeks can a person have in one year? If your name is Donald Trump, many.<p>According to more than a few headlines, this past week has been his worst. After a slow and ineffective response to the deadly rallies in Charlottesville, pressure is mounting against Trump—even from within his own …
Donald TrumpCan Ionic Materials Design A Rechargeable Battery That Unseats The Lithium-Ion?
Lithium-ion–the kind of battery used in your computer and in Teslas–has a lot of good qualities, and some serious drawbacks. A new battery company is looking for a less combustible, less expensive solution.<p>Most of the world is betting on lithium-ion as the future of batteries–Elon Musk for one. …
BatteriesZuck wants Facebook on your face: Patent shows augmented reality glasses design
Mark Zuckerberg has been clear and outspoken about his belief that some type of glasses will eventually replace smartphones as our go-to computing device. <b>Facebook is already spending R&D resources on developing those stylish glasses.</b> Today we see a new patent that offers some clues: The AR glasses …
Augmented RealityReport: Trump is finally ousting Steve Bannon
It looks like the inevitable has come to pass. Donald Trump has told his aides that he’s decided to remove Steve Bannon from his post as the White House’s chief strategist, according to sources speaking with the <i>New York Times</i>.<p>Many have been calling for Bannon’s ousting for months. He helped Trump’s …
Donald TrumpThe Girl Scouts just teamed up with SETI for STEM classes and space merit badges
Girl Scouts of the USA have always learned to be good citizens of this planet, but now they are aiming a little higher. <b>Your favorite cookie sellers have teamed up with the SETI Institute for a five-year program called Reaching for the Stars: NASA Science for Girl Scouts</b>. While the program, which is …
Girl ScoutsPresident Trump’s Entire Committee On The Arts And The Humanities Just Resigned
The members, including architect Thom Mayne and painter Chuck Close, submitted their letter of resignation to Trump–and implored him to do the same.<p>After President Trump blamed “both sides” for a white supremacist rally that left a counter-protestor dead in Charlottesville last week, business …
HumanitiesHow Marco Ramirez Brought Marvel’s “The Defenders” To Life
The executive producer faced the unique challenge of bringing together four very different (and very independent) heroes into one cohesive show.<p>When Marco Ramirez scored his dream job of writing Marvel’s superhero mash-up series <i>The Defenders</i> for Netflix, he quickly realized it was also going to be …
ComicsFour Reasons You Might Regret Taking That New Job Or Promotion
Sometimes, a step forward is a step backwards.<p>It’s easy to think that there’s one direction you should be moving in your career: forward. You’re supposed to keep putting one foot in front of the other until you finally reach the top of that proverbial ladder.<p>But here’s the thing: Career paths …
EmploymentApple and Hollywood studios could be heading for a big game of chicken against theater chains
For years, Hollywood studios have wanted to offer earlier access to new movies at home, only to get shot down by theater chains. Now, at least a couple of studios are reportedly looking to play hardball. <b>Warner Bros. and Universal Pictures are among several studios talking with Apple and Comcast</b> …
MoviesCan Connecting Rent To Income, Not Market Rates, Change The Affordability Of Cities?
Community land trusts–now getting a boost from state funds now New York–have the opportunity to increase affordability in expensive cities and promote development in struggling markets.<p>When Bill de Blasio became mayor of New York City in 2014, he made no secret of his intent to place affordable …
HousingFrom Brain Foods To Addressing Charlottesville: This Week’s Top Leadership Stories
This week’s top stories examine the best brain fuel and revisit Peter Drucker’s views on corporations’ societal obligations.<p>This week, we explored what it’s like to spend a week adjusting your diet to fuel your brain (not just your body), which interview answers hiring managers just can’t abide, …
Peter DruckerCongrats to Julian Assange for getting that coveted Donald Trump Jr. Twitter follow
This morning the very helpful Twitter bot “TrumpAlert” informed us that President Trump’s son Donald Trump Jr. has followed Wikileaks founder Julian Assange on Twitter. There’s a lot to unpack here.<p><b>Why would a member of Trump’s family follow Assange now? Well, it just so happens that Republican</b> …
Donald TrumpNot Everyone Found Tina Fey’s “Sheetcaking” Funny, And Here’s Why
Tina Fey appeared on SNL’s Weekend Update last night to introduce ‘sheetcaking,’ a response to white supremacists that many thought sent the wrong message.<p>There have been several times when Tina Fey sat at <i>SNL’s</i> Weekend Update Desk and became the right person to say the right thing at the right …
ComedyThe Hardest Working Office Design In America Encrypts Your Data–With Lava Lamps
This wall of 100 lava lamps at the San Francisco office of infosec firm Cloudflare aren’t just for kitsch effect–they’re quietly encrypting information.<p>When you walk into the San Francisco office of the cloud network and security firm Cloudflare, you’re greeted by a receptionist–and a giant wall of …
CryptographySprout Social’s Bot Builder tool comes to Facebook Messenger
Well, it just got easier for brands to unleash custom-tailored customer service chatbots in Facebook Messenger. Analytics firm Sprout Social said yesterday it brought it’s Bot Builder tool to the popular instant-messaging app. Bot Builder, which Sprout Social introduced for Twitter DMs earlier this …
FacebookAlways #LikeAGirl Returns To Fight The Fear Of Failure
<b>What:</b> A new ad in the award-winning #LikeAGirl campaign, that focuses on young girls’ self-confidence and fear of failure.<p><b>Who:</b> Always, Leo Burnett<p><b>Why we care:</b> Given the monstrous success of #LikeAGirl over the years, any new addition is worth noting. And while this spot itself doesn’t have the …
Leo BurnettCould The Tech Purge Of Hate Sites Backfire And Actually Harden The Views Of Extremists?
The crackdown helps make hate speech less visible online, but it also serves to further ostracize extremists and could harden their convictions, say former extremists turned peacemakers.<p>The tech crackdown on hate sites has been fast and furious: In the four days since white supremacists and …
RacismThe Insanely Simple Way I Learned To Be Useful In Every Meeting
Hint: It’s not about being the smartest person in the room.<p><i>“Have more than thou showest/Speak less than thou knowest.”</i><p>That’s a quote from <i>King Lear</i>, a play by William Shakespeare, who was very good at writing things. As far as the plot goes, it probably revolves around a guy named King Lear who–I’m …
William ShakespeareHow Pentagram Helped Samsung Rethink Its Design Language
Samsung tapped the design powerhouse to overhaul the S8’s interface and establish a cohesive design language.<p>Samsung isn’t known for its UI design, but the company is now trying to change that, and boost its brand, with a signature interface style that debuted on its new S8 phone. To design it, …
Graphic DesignAirbnb is offering free housing to those affected by the disaster in Barcelona
Airbnb has set up free housing for those affected by the violence that took place in Barcelona. The company launched its disaster response program last night after the incident took place, emailing hosts and asking them to volunteer up spaces for anyone who was unable to get home or to a hotel as a …
HousingGoogle Is Using The Eclipse To Improve Its Machine Learning
It’s been a century since the U.S. has seen an eclipse like this–and Google has spent years preparing to learn from it.<p>On Monday, as the entire country points their phones at the sky in hopes of capturing the highly anticipated solar eclipse, a team at Google has its own plans.<p>The company’s Making …
Machine LearningThis Is How I Managed To Finally Squeeze Meditation Into My Busy, Distracted Life
Research shows that practicing mindfulness has tons of advantages for mental and physical health, but I could never find the time. Until now.<p>It’s not easy to achieve a state of zen on a bumpy Megabus on the highway in Northern New Jersey. But it doesn’t stop me from trying. I’m hell-bent on keeping …
Mindfulness