Today’s Big Story

Mercury Retrograde

Let’s talk about the mysterious phenomenon, because it likely isn't what you think

I’d like to blame all my current problems on a distant planet, mucking up things here on Earth. But is it really that simple? You see, Mercury retrograde is back again. During this period, Mercury will appear to move backward in the sky, apparently creating disruptions and confusion in its wake.

But doesn’t it feel like Mercury is always in retrograde? It does actually reverse quite often (three to four times a year). In the world of astrology, Mercury is named after the Roman messenger god, so the planet oversees everything from communication (emails and texts to contracts) to travel plans and financial transactions. Like its mythological namesake, the planet Mercury moves fast. Really fast. As the planet closest to the Sun, one year on Mercury is just 88 days long.

According to The Cut’s astrologer, the planets, of course, don’t actually go backward in the sky. When Earth passes a slower-moving outer planet or is passed by a faster inner planet (like Mercury), the other planet appears to move backward in the sky, creating the illusion of retrograde motion. “That doesn’t mean we’re off the hook, though,” she says. “Like fun-house mirrors and nauseating augmented-reality experiences, optical illusions can be extremely disorienting in and of themselves.”

A NASA physicist told Mashable that there’s nothing unusual about the phenomenon. And astrologer Wade Caves jokes, “if we didn't have Mercury retrograde, who would people blame their disorganization on?”

Most astrologers who put stock in these celestial movements say there is an upside: That these Mercury Retrograde-isms have a purpose. They're teaching you to slow down and review your choices, behaviors, and habits—especially when it comes to Mercury-ruled areas of life like communication, technology and transportation. That way, you can assess what isn’t working and fix the problems. In any case, be careful out there and just so you know, Mercury comes out of retrograde on Wednesday, August 28th.

New Temperatures Point to Record Hottest Year

But, then again, what’s new?

It’s becoming fairly routine, right? Climate change, heat advisories and records being broken … but that doesn’t make them any less dire. And the latest global temperature data is in, and—surprise!—it shows July was ever so slightly warmer than the previous record, which occurred last year.

And while we all long for the cooler autumn days ahead, heat isn’t only a summer issue. The year 2023 was the hottest ever, with even winter months setting records, with serious consequences. Heat contributed to more than 2,300 deaths in the U.S. last summer, the Associated Press reported after a review of data from the CDC.

Now, experts say that the data signals that 2024 is likely to be slightly warmer than 2023, setting a milestone for the warmest year. Climate change and the strong El Niño in recent years are two reasons global and regional surface temperatures have gone off the charts, one scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, told Bloomberg.

Brands and Politics … a Dangerous Combination

Fewer Americans want companies to take stance on politics

Your grandmother would’ve said the same thing … don’t bring politics up at a dinner party. It spoils the fun, it could anger some people and leave others feeling left out. And the same could be said for big brands. Fewer Americans want companies to take a public stand on current events and public policy, new results from a Gallup-Bentley University study reveal.

Just 38% think businesses in general should take a public stance on current events, according to the survey of 5,835 U.S. adults fielded from late April to early May. That's a decline of more than 10 percentage points from just two years ago. “We may be seeing a shift over a three-year period due to none other than fatigue,” Cynthia Clark, a professor and one of the creators of the survey, told Axios. Companies have to tread carefully about what they say and who their audience is, she said.

In addition to avoiding direct political statements that may alienate customers, or just come across as inauthentic, brands are also analyzing their influencer partnerships. This explains why some marketing firms are using artificial intelligence to help analyze influencers and predict whether they will opine about the election.

Banksy Unveils Animal-Themed Collection in London

Conjecture has been rife on social media about the meaning behind the series

Banksy is back and has clearly been busy. The reknowned street artist has been presenting new works on his Instagram every afternoon since Monday, August 5th and just revealed the eighth artwork in his animal-themed collection in London.

His first piece depicted a goat and was followed by silhouettes of elephants, monkeys, a wolf, pelicans, and a cat as well as artwork of piranhas, which have all popped up in various locations across London. His latest graffiti design, located on Westmoor Street in the Charlton neighborhood of south-east London, is situated on the side of a building and has been designed to look as though the rhino is climbing on to a car parked next to the property.

Conjecture has been rife on social media about the meaning behind the series. But one thing is for sure—unlike many modern Banksy works which are secured and preserved, these seem to be more ephemeral. Those piranhas swimming in a police box? Gone. The howling wolf on a satellite dish (which looked like the animal was howling at the Moon)? It was removed and carried down the street by a couple of guys just hours after it was discovered. The artist’s press team confirmed to the BBC that Banksy is neither connected to nor endorses the theft of the wolf design and they have “no knowledge as to the dish's current whereabouts.”

The Long Read

Why do we keep putting women into subcultures?

Look on the bright side.