When the oceanographer Charles Moore first discovered the Great Pacific Garbage Patch–an area of the ocean where currents concentrate the plastic we throw into the ocean–in 1997, he was shocked by its magnitude and persistence. “It seemed unbelievable, but I never found a clear spot,” he wrote later in Natural History magazine. “In the week it took to cross the subtropical high, no matter what time of day I looked, plastic debris was floating everywhere: bottles, bottle caps, wrappers, fragments.” In the years since the plastic buildup has only worsened. In a recent article in the New York Times, Moore reported that the Patch, through a process of accretion, now contains “solid areas you could walk on.”
Author: knjohn
4 Ways Your Website Should Change Over the Next 5 Years | Entrepreneur
Updating your website involves more than just rearranging words and pictures on the homepage. Changing your website involves implementing new technology behind the scenes, eliminating dot-com domains and using research to optimize pages to capture your audience’s attention. Just think about your website two, five, 10 years ago. Chances are, it looked quite a bit different from the version you have today.
Leadership Isn’t About Title or Position, But Your Ability to Influence Others | Life Hack
Are people in management roles necessarily leaders? Leadership skills are subjective – you can have many different styles that work to varying degrees. Our modern day challenges mean methods of leadership are influenced by multiple factors, and adapting to these and keeping your leadership qualities high is an indicator of a good leader.
Some people find themselves in management roles without having developed these crucial skills. Perhaps you’re a manager and struggle to lead your team? Or maybe you’re not in a management role, but feel you want to create better leadership skills?
Caffeine-infused bagel perks up Einstein Bros menu | Fast Casual
Caffeine addicts have a new way to get their fix, thanks to the Espresso Buzz Bagel.
The bagel, infused with 32 milligrams of caffeine and 13 grams of protein, is now part of Einstein Bros. Bagels’ Boosted Bagels, according to a press release.
Two other bagels joining the lineup include the Cherry Chia Bagel, boasting 300 milligrams of omega-3 ALA and 12 grams of protein, and the Savory Parm Bagel, which has iron, B1, B2 and 12 grams of protein.
Happy Birthday, Dynamite: Interesting Facts About the Explosive Material | Live Science
Today (May 7), marks the 150th anniversary of one of Alfred Nobel’s patents for dynamite, which was first patented in 1867.
The explosive forever reshaped the world, revolutionizing warfare and construction, to the lifelong chagrin of its inventor Nobel. From its origins to its use in modern warfare to its eventual fate, here are some facts about the explosive.
Apple’s Promise to Create More American Jobs: Trump Shouldn’t Buy It | Fortune.com
Last week, Apple’s CEO Tim Cook announced the company would invest $1 billion in a U.S. “advanced manufacturing fund.”
As the CEO of a manufacturing company, even I have no idea what Cook means by an “advanced manufacturing fund,” and I don’t think Apple (AAPL, -0.82%) wants me or anyone else to know, which is why it makes for such good publicity. The company announced last week that its cash reserves hit $256.8 billion in the fiscal second quarter, then doesn’t give any other specifics, and saves those specifics, as Cook says, for a later date. Apple will keep beating the drum of how it’s “investing in America,” but won’t ever provide any specifics as to how the money is used other than to create more manufacturing jobs or how many American jobs it creates. And if it does, it will be harder to trace than an Iranian cash deal.
A Court Order to Terminate Hate Speech Tests Facebook | WIRED
FACEBOOK MAY WANT to see itself as a platform for others to share news, not a publisher that intervenes to filter what appears on the site. But the world keeps getting in the way.
The latest demand for Facebook to exercise something like editorial control comes from an Austrian court, which ruled yesterday that the company must take down posts identified as “hate speech” in a case brought by the country’s Green party over insults to its leader. “There’s a multitude of ways to enforce the court’s decision in case Facebook is not willing to fully comply,” says Alexander Nessler, an attorney at the firm representing Greens politician Eva Glawischnig in the case. “In the end, it’ll depend on Facebook’s actual reaction.”
Here is why Trader Joe’s is so cheap | Business Insider
Customers love Trader Joe’s because of its relatively low prices.
During a recent trip to a Trader Joe’s location in New York City, the cheapest available ground beef cost $4.99 a pound, compared with $9.99 at a New York Whole Foods location, which was selling only organic. The lowest price for a liter of extra-virgin olive oil was $6.99 at Trader Joe’s, compared with $9.99 for the same size at Whole Foods.
Consumers view Trader Joe’s as high quality but inexpensive. How can Trader Joe’s afford to keep its prices so low?
Conversational Commerce Is What Retail Is Talking About Today | Adweek
Think back to the best shopping experience you ever had. Chances are it involved a well-informed and upbeat salesperson who engaged with you, asked about your needs and guided you through the purchase. You left knowing you made the right decision.
This kind of conversation-driven sale—high on empathy and knowledge, low on price and haggling—has long been a staple of successful retail loyalty. It focuses on understanding the needs of consumers and delivering an exceptional experience. But in today’s continually upended shopping environment, that conversation between seller and buyer is as likely to take place with an AI-driven bot as it is with a friendly associate.
Welcome to the age of conversational commerce.
Can Virtual Care Shift From Vision To Reality? | Forbes
In today’s über-connected world, people are increasingly incentivized to take accountability for their health. With wearable devices tracking everything from sleep cycles to heart rates to steps taken, friends and family members hold each other accountable to healthy goals. For example, “My Fitness Pal” notifies me each time my friend walks her dog, and the app prompts me to congratulate her. And my sister can view the number of steps her husband takes each day via their connected Fitbit apps. She can intervene when he isn’t being as active as he should.
Dispatches From The Front 