The Stupidity of Dying Rivers Green, 10 Breakthrough Technologies and How Pubes Can Save The Planet

Dear <<First Name>>,

Welcome to a week filled with breakthrough technologies, ecologically stupid traditions, the possible end of daylight savings time and the story of a non-profit that believes your pubes could save the planet. Those are just a few of the stories you’ll read below in this week’s edition of the Non-Obvious Insights Newsletter. I also shared a recap (with photos!) yesterday on LinkedIn of some of my favorite moments from this year’s SXSW Festival. Enjoy that recap AND all the stories this week. As always, I’d love to hear what ideas they spark for you. Just hit reply to this message to share your comment directly with me, and I’ll be back again next Thursday with a new curated list of stories for you! 

The Ecologically Stupid Tradition of Dying Rivers Green For St. Paddy’s Day

Dumping a bunch of green dye into a river on purpose to celebrate a holiday should seem like a bad idea for many reasons. While government officials promise the dyes used to transform the color of the Chicago River are harmless, apparently no one really knows if that is true. Even if the dye used isn’t environmentally destructive, which seems unlikely, the practice encourages people in other parts of the country to use unapproved dye in other waterways.

Not to mention, as another site notes, “it could influence people to dump whatever they want into the river, essentially using it as a ‘trash can.’ We are trying our best to save the rivers as a nation, as many rivers across the country have been ravaged by pollution. So, this could exude a negative message.” The message that we can do whatever we want to the environment is exactly the kind of disrespect for the natural world that we should all be fighting against, not celebrating. 

How Activists Are Using Ads To Sneak Real News Into Russia About Ukraine

The first rule in the playbook for any authoritarian government is to discredit and silence the media. Some regimes do it by trying to convince the public that all media is fake. Others create an information firewall to censor and control what the public is able to see. Activists have pioneered a clever way around the firewall in Russia, using online advertising to “sneak” real news into Russia about what is actually happening in the Ukraine.

Combined with the recent news that a deep fake video of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy calling on citizens to “lay down arms” was widely and quickly debunked, it is clear that digital marketing and media will continue to be a huge part of the battle for perception related to Russia’s invasion of the Ukraine. 

“Design Decoder” Software Makes Ecommerce Accessible For Color Blind

At the Adobe Summit this week, the brand unveiled a new tool that allows ecommerce stores to create images and tools that help shoppers who are color blind to more easily see hidden patterns and get a truer sense of the colors in a particular product before purchasing. Despite the unnecessary celebrity promo video, the tool itself is a great example of inclusive design and one that demonstrates how design software is a powerful tool in helping to create more accessible online experiences. The real challenge, of course, is getting enough brands to see the value in utilizing these tools to evolve their online experiences to be more accessible in the first place. 

Pubes For The Planet Offers An Unusual Vision For Saving The World

The reason you use shampoo is because human hair collects oil. What if that hair could be used to clean up oil spills? That’s the unique founding principle behind a 20+ year old charity called Matter of Trust. In that time, the non-profit has been collecting donations from salons, pet groomers and farmers of human and animal hair to make petroleum spill clean-up booms. In addition, the hair that gets collected and used for this helps keep stormdrains and waterways free of hair, which creates problems there.

All of which brings us to “Pubes For The Planet” – a quirky idea that takes a certain type of hair from a specific bodily region and uses it not only for oil cleanup, but also in gardens to help “nourish the soil and help the land grow healthy happy plants.” According to their research, pubic hair can help fight soil erosion. So, their pitch boils down to this: “Let’s start treating all kinds of hair like the precious renewable resource it is. Even pubes!” In other words, your pubes could save the world.

The End of Passwords and Other 2022 Breakthrough Technologies

MIT Technology Review’s annual roundup of “breakthrough technologies” is a compelling read, as usual. On the list is the end of passwords, how AI protein folding could accelerate drug development, the malaria vaccine, verifying cryptocurrency using 99.95% less energy, synthetic data and a carbon removal factory. Each of these technologies have vast potential affects and could transform how we live and change entire industries. Whether you’re a technologist or not, they are all worth reading. 

Even More Non-Obvious Stories …

Every week I always curate more stories than I’m able to explore in detail. Instead of skipping those stories, I started to share them in this section so you can skim the headlines and click on any that spark your interest: 

• Psychologist Ricardo Muñoz Is On A Mission To “Give Psychology Away” Worldwide
• No More Switching Clocks: Senate Passes Act To Make Daylight Saving Time Permanent
• At SXSW, In-Person Networking Resumes – Along With the Struggle To Tame Tech
• Buick See Her Greatness Campaign Puts Spotlight On Female Athletes

How are these stories curated?

Every week I spend hours going through hundreds of stories in order to curate this email. Want to discuss how I could bring my best thinking to your next event as a keynote speaker or facilitator? Watch my new 2022 speaking reel on YouTube >>

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