Quartz Obsession

Tree planting certainly seems like a wholesome, tidy way to make up for carbon emission. Take a flight? Plant a tree. Emissions: gone. But reforestation has gone from a radical political movement to a convenient corporate gimmick to encourage conscience-free consumption in the age of climate change. But not only is tree planting not that helpful in offsetting carbon emissions—it might even be counterproductive. Sponsored by EY Episode art by Vicky Leta

Episode Five of our sister podcast: Work Reconsidered from Quartz. We all want to achieve great things. But in the wake of the pandemic, some of us have stopped to reconsider: What's the cost of all this collective desperation to succeed? From treating burnout to resisting oppressive systems, how can we get the things we want in life without sacrificing too much time, energy, and psychological well-being? Logo by Jo Minor

A growing number of companies and countries are experimenting with reducing the number of working days per week from five to four. For many organizations and their employees, there can be clear benefits. But reducing the work week doesn't affect everyone equally, and that means not everyone wins. Logo by Jo Minor

How would you feel if anyone who wanted could look up your salary on a public website? That's the case for the employees of some companies we spoke to for this episode on pay transparency. Making salaries totally transparent is one potential way to erase the persistent unfairness around pay gaps, like those around gender and race; Some countries are legislating, attempting to make it impossible to pay people unfairly. But can knowing too much about our colleagues' pay actually be damaging to our ultimate happiness? Logo by Jo Minor

Work Reconsidered is a new podcast from Quartz which we're sharing in this feed during a break between seasons of Obsession. We hope you enjoy it! Giving good, useful feedback is deceptively difficult. Managers aren't trained to give it, and performance reviews are woefully inadequate, which often leaves employees stuck with feedback that is biased, incomplete, or even threatening. From embracing radical transparency to training managers in the metaverse, here's how some companies are rethinking feedback by keeping in mind why employees need it in the first place. Logo by Jo Minor

After sitting empty for two years, offices are finally getting foot traffic again, which means they're getting renovations to match. As architects redesign the office for the ways we now use them—for both in-person and hybrid meetings—they're tossing out the old templates and finally being given room and resources to explore the fundamental question: What makes for a happy and productive work environment? Episode art by Jo Minor Transcript

We're in the middle of a work revolution. The pandemic upended our work lives overnight, but we're still seeing the true impact of that shift. Work reconsidered is Quartz's newest podcast all about what's changing about work from the people who are seeing it first hand. It's out Sept 1—subscribe now so you don't miss an episode. Logo by Jo Minor

We've partnered with Hark Audio, a podcast curation app, to share some of our all-time favorite Obsession show moments. Stay tuned to hear the fascinating stories behind the things we use, eat, and wear everyday—from Google Docs to pasta and perfume to fish sticks. And if you listen on Hark, you can jump from each moment into a full episode. Try it at harkaudio.com/obsession

Asynchronous, on-demand talk radio was a bold proposition back in 2004, when podcasts first started making waves. Less than 20 years later, podcasting is a big business. But monetization has its downsides: What began as a freewheeling, do-it-yourself space is evolving into a data-obsessed sector dominated by tech giants. Sponsored by EY. Is your technology moving fast enough to realize your ambitions? Learn more in the latest EY Tech Horizon Survey: ey.com/techhorizon Episode art by Eric Helgas, styling by Alex Citrin-Safadi Transcript: https://qz.com/2172700

Prices for goods from furniture to meat have been steadily rising for months. It's the most obvious symptom of inflation, which is when money buys less than it used to. But there's no need to panic: This is far from the first time inflation came for consumers' purchasing power. The question is, how do you make it stop? Sponsored by EY. How can you create a growth strategy where everyone wins? Learn more in EY's latest report: https://www.ey.com/en_gl/consulting/how-can-you-create-a-growth-strategy-where-everyone-wins  EY Future Consumer Index: https://www.ey.com/en_gl/future-consumer-index Episode art by Eric Helgas, styling by Alex Citrin-Safadi Transcript: https://qz.com/2171027

Shipping snafus have hit everything from Pelotons to paper towels, and they're coming for perfume. From Chanel No. 5's secret recipe to the modern proliferation of DIY scents, this global industry has supply chains as delicate as the scents captured in its tiny bottles. How does perfume adapt to a changing world? Sponsored by EY. Discover how EY can help you unlock new opportunities to reframe your future: https://www.ey.com/en_gl/reframe-your-future Episode art by Eric Helgas, styling by Alex Citrin-Safadi Transcript: https://qz.com/2167846

Though scientists have known about dyslexia for well over a century, education systems still struggle to teach students with the condition. In the English-speaking world, it's become a great unequalizer, pushing those with means into lucrative careers, and those without to the bottom of the socioeconomic ladder. But as technology mediates and alters how we read, it could level the economic playing field for people with dyslexia. Sponsored by EY. EY Work Reimagined webcast: How to prepare for renaissance and recommitment: https://www.ey.com/en_gl/webcasts/2022/05/work-reimagined-how-to-prepare-for-renaissance-and-recommitment  EY 2022 Work Reimagined Survey: https://www.ey.com/en_gl/workforce/work-reimagined-survey Episode art by Eric Helgas, styling by Alex Citrin-Safadi Transcript: https://qz.com/2166242

2.1—that's how many children every woman “needs to have.” Any fewer, and a country's population will eventually stop growing, age, and shrink, which could inhibit its economic growth and drain government coffers. But it's easier said than done: China has been well below replacement rate for some time; India is just hitting that number. What happens to the world when 2.1 stops being a guarantee? Sponsored by EY EY Work Reimagined webcast: How to prepare for renaissance and recommitment: https://bit.ly/3MZdDLR  EY 2022 Work Reimagined Survey: https://bit.ly/3P7QzMI Episode art by Eric Helgas, styling by Alex Citrin-Safadi Transcript: https://qz.com/2162845

Pasta's path to pantries all over the world is inextricably tied to Italy, the country that used technology and mass production to turn a homemade food into a commercial product. Even as pasta-makers market an idealized version of the Italian lifestyle to the world and to Italians themselves, some of the things that make pasta the taste of home might be due for a rethink. Sponsored by EY. Discover how EY can help you unlock new opportunities to reframe your future: https://www.ey.com/en_gl/reframe-your-future Episode art by Eric Helgas, styling by Alex Citrin-Safadi Transcript: https://qz.com/2160804

As individuals, we know it's not great to have too much debt. But at the macro level, that narrative falls apart. In fact, most governments need some debt to take care of their people, especially in the wake of a crisis like a pandemic. How a country invests in itself—and how its leaders talk about that investment—says a lot about how it sees its future. Sponsored by EY Is your technology moving fast enough to realize your ambitions? Learn more in the latest EY Tech Horizon Survey: ey.com/techhorizon Episode art by Eric Helgas, styled by Alex Citrin-Safadi Transcript: https://qz.com/2158771

Between lab-grown meat and veganism going mainstream, we're in an age of abundance for alternative protein options. But one hasn't been getting as much attention as the others: Edible insects, popular in places like Ghana and Mexico, are nutritious, plentiful, and much less damaging to the environment than, say, a steak. What would it take to put insects in more kitchens around the world? Episode art by Eric Helgas, styling by Alex Citrin-Safadi Sponsored by EY. Learn more about sustainable supply chain research from EY: https://www.ey.com/en_gl/assurance/is-your-esg-data-unlocking-long-term-value'

Trust us, the economy has never been more fascinating.

After the release of a great film, it seems natural to us now that they'd want to make another. But this was not always the case. Now that Hollywood seems to almost compulsively turn successful films into franchises, reboots, and cinematic universes, are there good reasons to keep making sequels? Sponsored by Alumni Ventures Photo by Eric Helgas, styling by Alex Citrin-Safadi

Athletes at the 2020 Tokyo Paralympics had prosthetics perfectly designed to help them run, jump, or swim as the events required. Now the technology behind those prosthetics is coming to everyday people who need it—and, possibly, to people who don't. Augmenting able bodies for super-human functions: What could go wrong? Sponsored by Alumni Ventures Photo by Eric Helgas; styling by Alex Citrin-Safadi

They tried to kill disco, but it will never die. The stubbornly upbeat genre came out of an economically turbulent moment—one to which we see a lot of parallels today. So what is it about a crisis that just makes us want to dance? Sponsored by Alumni Ventures Episode art by Eric Helgas, styling by Alex Citrin-Safadi

Fish sticks are more than just an easy way to get kids to eat healthy food. They're the ocean's little problem solvers, swimming in to solve a seafood glut after World War II, and to help working parents in need of cheap and easy meals. Now fish sticks might even help solve our latest challenge: an epidemic of global overfishing.   Photo by Eric Helgas; styling by Alex Citrin=Safadi

It's the stuff of Bollywood dreams, come to life—the big fat Indian wedding has withstood the test of time, economic turbulence, social reform, and even modern technology. But when you factor in pent-up pandemic demand, can India's $50 billion industry possibly keep it up? Episode art by Eric Helgas; styling by Alex Citrin-Safadi

Google docs has revolutionized the way we work, and now it even functions as a tool for social sharing and political dissent. This is all because the world shifted from saving files locally to storing them in the cloud. But does life in the cloud present risks we aren't thinking about enough? 

As more people aren't sure whether or when to have kids, a growing number of them are turning to egg freezing, a relatively new and expensive procedure that could help women become parents outside their biological bounds. But how realistic is any promise of parenthood entirely on your terms? Photo by Eric Helgas, styling by Alex Citrin-Safadi

Puffer jackets have been worn by outdoorsmen, rappers, the military, luxury shoppers, and—eventually—everyone. Today, the market is still heating up. But as puffer jackets are worn by more people around the world, the difference between high- and low-end options can be increasingly difficult to parse. Are North Face jackets worth their price tag? Does "puffiness" automatically equal warmth? What do puffers from Prada and Uniqlo have in common? Evening jacket (aka pneumatic coat) designed by Charles James, 1937 George Finch's Everest puffer, 1922 Eddie Bauer's Blizzard-Proof Jacket aka the Skyliner and 1940 patent Responsible Down Standard Fill power Norma Kamali's sleeping bag coat, 1973 The Notorious B.I.G, "Party and bullshit" (1993), "Dead wrong" (1999) Why is a good puffer so hard to find? FT, 2021 Drake, "Hotline bling" and subsequent memes Brandy, "Baby" (1994) Missy Elliott, "The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)" (1997) DMX, "What's my name" (1999) Prada belted puffer 2016 Balenciaga A-line swing coat Vladimir Putin's eiderdown puffer

A podcast so nice we're doing it (at least) twice. In season two, Kira and Quartz journalists from around the world dig into the fascinating backstories behind everyday ideas, and what they tell us about the forces changing the way we live and work today.

We learned a lot over the course of season 1. Here are some of our favorite nuggets of information.

In the early 2000s, GE was the world's most powerful company, and its CEO Jack Welch was a firm believer in the Six Sigma system for eliminating errors in manufacturing. With GE as its poster child, management consultants spread the gospel of Six Sigma to companies everywhere. Now, as GE's fortunes diminished, so has interest in Six Sigma. But what made this system so special in the first place, and how much is still useful today? Sponsored by American Express Episode art: Photo by Eric Helgas, styling by Alex Citrin-Safadi

Everyone working from home knows just how painful it is to sit in the wrong kind of chair. Over the course of centuries, the modern office chair has emerged as the pinnacle of ergonomic comfort and support. Today, as a growing number of jobs are behind desks and computers, that design is more important than ever. Please take our survey to help us improve the Quartz Obsession Sponsored by American Express Photo by Eric Helgas; styling by Alex Citrin-Safadi

After spending decades in relative obscurity, Japanese whisky is finally getting global appreciation for its masterful flavors. Global demand is high, with prices to match. There's just one problem: There's no technical definition of Japanese whisky, or formal system to regulate it. Does it matter if not all Japanese whisky is strictly from Japan? Sponsored by American Express Episode art: Photograph by Eric Helgas, styling by Alex Citrin-Safadi Please take our survey to help us improve the Quartz Obsession

A group of 17 elements make up a little-known group called rare earth metals. They are notoriously tricky to extract, which is unfortunate since they're key components in smartphones, batteries, motors, and wind turbines, and essential to a clean-energy future. China has a near monopoly on the mining and processing of rare earth metals, but as demand for them rises, other countries are looking to get into the game. Sponsored by American Express Photograph by Eric Helgas, styling by Alex Citrin-Safadi

Kudzu, an ornamental vine from Japan, first appeared on US soil in 1876. More than a century later, the plant has proliferated so uncontrollably that it threatens to choke out native plants in the American South. As the world looks for creative solutions to confront climate change, are we fated to keep repeating our same mistakes? Sponsored by American Express Image credits: Photograph by Eric Helgas, styling by Alex Citrin-Safadi

If you're concerned about sustainability and wellness, chances are you're a consumer of oat milk, the latest star in the alternative milk scene. But does oat milk have appeal around the world? And who will lose out as big dairy muscles into the alt milk space? Sponsored by American Express Episode art: Photograph by Eric Helgas, styling by Alex Citrin-Safadi

Bigger seat, more legroom, even silk pajamas: Flying business class comes with major perks for travelers. It's also crucial to the entire airline business model. But given the seats' outsized carbon footprint, how ethical is it to keep flying business class? Sponsored by American Express Episode art credit: Photograph by Eric Helgas, styling by Alex Citrin-Safadi

The beat-heavy, electronic music from Nigeria has been gaining a global fan base and is a point of pride across Africa. It's also finally helping local artists make real money. But is Afrobeats establishing a path to global domination that other genres can follow, or is an entire continent being reduced to one country's signature sound? Sponsored by American Express Photograph by Eric Helgas, styling by Alex Citrin-Safadi

Those internet security tests that ask you to retype blurry numbers or pick out photos of traffic lights have an important job: They stop robots from gumming up the internet. But by using them everywhere, we're training computers to see the world like we do, and they're getting really good at it. What happens as it gets harder to prove our humanity online? Sponsored by American Express Photograph by Eric Helgas, styling by Alex Citrin-Safadi

It's anonymous, it's stable, and it's accepted pretty much everywhere. And despite the rise of mobile payments and the ubiquity of credit cards, it's still moving everything around us; more cash is in circulation than ever. We talk about the pros and cons of cash in a world increasingly dominated by mobile payments, and try to figure out if cash is here to stay. Sponsored by American Express Episode art: Photograph by Eric Helgas, styling by Alex Citrin-Safadi

The global economy needs true randomness to encrypt messages and make sure elections are honest. But not all randomness is random enough, and humans and computers alike are really bad at generating it. So we turn to natural sources like seismic waves, radioactive decay, and lava lamps (yes, lava lamps) to generate it for us. Sponsored by American Express Art credits: photograph by Eric Helgas, styling by Alex Citrin-Safadi

Let's go down the rabbit hole, together. Coming Oct. 12, 2021.