Sunday 9th June 2024
  • T-Minus: How will solar storms affect Mars astronauts?

    This is T-Minus, where Freethink’s Kristin Houser breaks down the biggest developments in space, from new rocket launches to discoveries that advance our understanding of the universe and our place in it. Humanity is reaching new heights in space exploration. Make sure you’re part of the journey by subscribing here.

    Compasses stopped working, causing ships to become lost at sea. Telegraph equipment began shocking operators and, in some cases, spontaneously catching fire. Stranger still, some telegraph lines continued to work even after they were disconnected from their power supplies.

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  • Starts With A Bang podcast #106 - the troublesome hunt for Planet Nine

    One of the most swiftly forgotten revolutions in all of science is our understanding of the Solar System out beyond Neptune. Although Pluto was discovered nearly a full century ago, it wasn’t until the early 1990s that we even discovered the next object beyond Neptune that wasn’t also part of the Plutonian system. And yet, in the 30 short years that have passed since then, we’ve learned so much more about the structure of the Kuiper belt and beyond, but we also face tremendous challenges in the quest to learn more thanks to an unwelcome intruder: the rise of satellite megaconstellations.

    Although the original team of Mike Brown and Konstantin Batygin continue to advocate for a novel, massive, undiscovered world located at hundreds of times the Earth-Sun distance, they’re largely alone, as other scientists have weighed in and see no evidence for this hypothetical world. Nevertheless, more science must be conducted to know for sure, and in the meantime, the rise of satellite megaconstellations such as Starlink now poses an existential threat to all sorts of endeavors, including planetary astronomy.

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  • Want a Better Brain? Neuroscience Says Learning to Manage Stress

    The concept was first examined during the late 1980s, when researchers who performed autopsies on people who had no symptoms of brain disease before they died had nevertheless had physical brain changes that were consistent with Alzheimer's disease.

    The theory was that the reason these people never showed symptoms and were able to live normal lives was that they'd accumulated a big enough cognitive reserve during earlier life to offset whatever damage Alzheimer's had otherwise done.


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  • Success Is Not About Saying 'Yes,' It's About Saying 'No'

    Most people spend money on depreciating assets like a car. And they're wondering why they aren't rich yet. If you want to go beyond six figures, you need to spend less than you make and reinvest most of your money back into your core business, rather than upgrading your lifestyle. 

    If a bad fruit sits in the pile of good fruits, all the other fruits will go bad. That's the same with your relationships. They influence you far more than you can ever imagine. People feel bad about cutting out employees or family and friends, but these people pull them down and hold them back from success. Ask yourself: "What relationships do I need to be successful?"


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  • 3 Best Travel Credit Cards for Entrepreneurs

    So, what are they? As a frequent traveler, I consider them tools to use carefully. If you intend to have two or more return flights over the coming year, it is hands-down worth the investment. They frequently pay for themselves multiple times over. 

    I've enjoyed free flights and huge discounts on luxury hotels, and often find myself in some of the best lounges available. Before starting, one quick disclaimer: I am not being sponsored by any of these companies. This is just my experience, based on my research and travel, and I'd like to share a little of what I've learned. 


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  • 3 Lessons for Navigating the AI Transformation

    The pace of technological change has major impacts on organizations and the workforce. According to consultancy PricewaterhouseCoopers CEO survey, 45 percent of CEOs say their companies will not be viable within the next decade if they continue on the same path. Automation is set to change a third of global jobs over the next 15 to 20 years. 

    AI and the pace of change have forced leaders in every industry to answer the following question: How can your employees benefit from new tech, like GenAI, and prepare workforces to adapt as quickly as technology evolves?


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  • 5 Ways to Maximize Customer Loyalty

    The last few years have been hard on many businesses. Their retention numbers drop and customer loyalty wane. There were many reasons for these issues, such as changing budgets, lack of product market fit, and lack of customer adoption. To retain customers, understanding their needs as they match with your product is very important. 

    Customer centricity is a business philosophy that places the customer's needs at the heart of decision-making. It involves aligning every aspect of the organization around the needs and expectations of customers. Just as a fine wine takes time to develop its complex flavors and aromas, creating a customer-centric culture requires dedication, patience, and a long-term commitment. It is also an ongoing process that requires continuous effort and reinforcement, just as wine-maker tends to vines year after year. 


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  • 5 Leadership Lessons Learned From Building an All-Women Company

    Tracy Marlowe an Entrepreneurs' Organization (EO) member in Sacramento, is the founder and CEO of Creative Noggin, an award-winning branding, marketing, and communications firm. An advocate for female entrepreneurship, Tracy is a public speaker and has been honored by USA News as one of the "Top 20 Female Entrepreneurs Leading Change." We asked Tracy to share what she learned from leading an all-female team.

    Many of us carry multiple titles as we build our companies. Often, those titles collide -- creating moments of decision-making to reflect on what kind of company we want to build and what kind of entrepreneur we strive to be.


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  • 4 Ways to Boost Executive Presence

    In the summer of 2022, I invested in my presentation skills by enrolling in HEROIC, a public speaking training program, so to understand what presence means today, I knew I had to call HEROIC's co-founder, Michael Port, a renowned expert in public speaking and presentation skills and author of Steal the Show (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2015). He shared some valuable insights you can use to improve your confidence, communication, and ultimately revenue.

    Port says that executive presence means different things to different people--some see it as likability, and others see it as influence or power. But at its core, it's about being believable, influential, and engaging in a way that gives others confidence in your capabilities. It's a key differentiator for successful leaders and owners. It's not just about how you look or sound--it's about how you make others feel and think.


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  • 7 Tactics for Increasing Work Happiness and Satisfaction

    Are you one of those people who believe that happiness at work is an oxymoron? If so, maybe it's time to rethink your perspective, and perhaps start enjoying work for a change. As an adviser to new owners and new ventures, I'm seeing a refreshing new focus by Millennials on work and successful new companies with a purpose, and more productivity through happy employees.

    Results and feedback from several leading companies, including Google, Apple, and Salesforce, indicate happiness is the ultimate productivity booster. Happy employees, in this view, are more loyal, make better decisions, excel at managing their time, and develop other crucial leadership skills. There are many good articles that outline what these companies do right.


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