Short Takes #8: Some Form Of Reincarnation
Razib Khan | Office Space | Color Me Productive | It's Not AI, It's Interest Rates | Will We Overcome Divisions In 2026?
25% of Americans believe in reincarnation, or some form of reincarnation.
| Razib Khan, Francis Young: Baltic paganism in modern times
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Paganism is deep in us.
I took a few days off at the holidays, but I will be back on a normal cadence this week.
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Office Space
McKinsey captures a bunch of data and anecdote in The future of the office, including this chart:
Fewer people downtown means lower demand for retail and residential space there, too. The downward spiral in US urban centers continues.
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Color Me Productive
After surveying scientific research, MillerKnoll came up with its own scheme for the best use of color. The company found that soothing colors such as sage green are ideal for reflection, while warm colors like oranges and yellows stimulate community socialization; cool blues are optimal for group meeting spaces, in which time seems to pass more quickly; spaces for individual focus should avoid red, which degrades analytical performance; and community assembly spaces should have a balance of warm and cool hues to foster diverse approaches.
| Brett Berk, How the Science of Color Boosts Productivity at Work
I’m a sage green sort of guy.
That article also points out that senior executives are showing an increased preference for dark colors including black, which is intended to — and does — signal their desire to be isolated from non-executives.
It’s Not AI, It’s Interest Rates
Saying the need for layoffs is the result of a long-term change in the cost of financing isn't very sexy. Better to point to AI as both an excuse for layoffs and a way to give investors hope for the future. Chen Zhao, head of economics research at the real estate firm Redfin, said many companies are struggling to balance profits with the steep cost of borrowing money. This is especially true in the housing sector, she said, because it's sensitive to the federal funds rate. She said fields like tech are similarly vulnerable.
"I think that what's happening is just simple economics," she said, adding, "But when you say that you're going to do layoffs or you're not going to be hiring as much, it doesn't sound very good to investors. It sounds a lot better if you say that you're seeing all these productivity enhancements because of AI."
They are lying their asses off.
Will We Overcome Divisions In 2026?
Just 33 percent of American voters say they believe the country is capable of overcoming its deep divisions.
Are they the same ones that believe in reincarnation?
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Houston is interesting, I remember when the company I worked for set up a branch in Houston and they said the commute traffic was terrible. A long time ago though. Auckland is interesting. The CBD is decaying and Council have done everything they can to make it less attractive. We have a multi billion dollar white elephant underground which they have been building for over 10 years and is billions over budget. When completed it will travel about 4 miles and they are hoping it will incentivise high rise apartments for people working in the city. It won't and then they will blame their predecessors.