#18 The Weekend Download – Catching Up on What Matters
Essential insights you need to stay ahead
📩 Issue #18 – 21/06/2025
⚡ Quick Hits – What You Need to Know
💰 23andMe Buyback for $305 Million
Co-founder Anne Wojcicki is buying back the company (and its vast genetic database) in a bold new direction.
🔗 Read More (CNBC)
🌐 Iran Cuts Internet Amid Escalating Conflict
In response to rising tensions with Israel, Iran has started shutting off online access – a modern tactic of control.
🔗 Read More (The Verge)
🤖 NY State Flags AI-Driven Layoffs
Companies must now report if job cuts are AI-related, a first-in-the-nation policy that could set precedent.
🔗 Read More (Bloomberg)
🏆 All the Cannes Lions 2025 Grand Prix Winners
From joy to justice, this year’s top ad campaigns reflect a mix of optimism and cultural commentary.
🔗 Read More (The Drum)
🔥 Top Insights
👷♂️ AI Is Creating New Kinds of Jobs
From prompt engineers to AI ethicists, the tech isn’t just replacing roles, it’s inventing entirely new ones.
🔗 Read More (NYT)
📱 It’s Not Screen Time, It’s the Addiction
A major study found no link between longer screen time and suicide risk. The real danger? Kids who feel addicted, even with limited use.
🔗 Read More (NYT)
📊 Numbers to Watch
⚖️ Gender Equality Is Still a Century Away
The World Economic Forum’s 2025 report shows sluggish progress, full gender parity is projected to be 123 years away.
🔗 Read More (WEF)
📰 Social Media Overtakes TV as Top News Source
For the first time, Americans get more news from social platforms than from television – a major media milestone.
🔗 Read More (Nieman Lab)
💡 Something to Think About
🧠 Is ChatGPT Making Us Lazy and Dumb?
Some argue generative AI is making people intellectually passive, handing over critical thinking to the bots.
🔗 Read More (Dazed)
👯 Tinder Launches Double Date Feature
To appeal to Gen Z’s preference for group experiences, Tinder introduces a new way to swipe as a team.
🔗 Read More (Business Insider)
📚 AI Scraping Archives at Scale
Bots are quietly mining digital libraries and museum databases, raising concerns about intellectual property and access.
🔗 Read More (404 Media)
🎭 Broadway Is Betting on Men
With productions like Glengarry Glen Ross and Dog Day Afternoon, theaters are crafting a season tailored to male audiences and box office returns suggest it's working.
🔗 Read More (WSJ)
🌀 Offbeat & Unexpected
🐱 AI Wants to Translate Your Cat’s Meows
New tools aim to decode feline vocalisations, potentially bringing us one step closer to a cat-human dictionary.
🔗 Read More (Scientific American)
🕺 Boston Dynamics Robots Dance on AGT
The famous bots took to the America’s Got Talent stage, showing off choreography (and raising eyebrows).
🔗 Read More (TechCrunch)
🖼️ JPEG Shaped the Internet
From early memes to your camera roll, JPEG quietly became the visual backbone of the web. Here’s how one format changed everything.
🔗 Read More (IEEE Spectrum)