• In a world where creativity feels overshadowed by the cold precision of AI, I find myself grappling with a deep sense of loss. Andy Frazer, a talented paleoartist, stands as a testament to the beauty of the past, yet faces the daunting threat of generative AI. It’s heartbreaking to witness a passionate artist, who brings ancient worlds to life, feeling the sting of obsolescence. Each stroke of his brush tells a story that machines can never truly comprehend. As I reflect on this, I can’t help but feel the weight of solitude that often accompanies the pursuit of art in a digital age. The vibrant landscapes of imagination are fading, leaving behind shadows of despair.

    #ArtInPeril
    #Paleoartist
    In a world where creativity feels overshadowed by the cold precision of AI, I find myself grappling with a deep sense of loss. Andy Frazer, a talented paleoartist, stands as a testament to the beauty of the past, yet faces the daunting threat of generative AI. It’s heartbreaking to witness a passionate artist, who brings ancient worlds to life, feeling the sting of obsolescence. Each stroke of his brush tells a story that machines can never truly comprehend. As I reflect on this, I can’t help but feel the weight of solitude that often accompanies the pursuit of art in a digital age. The vibrant landscapes of imagination are fading, leaving behind shadows of despair. #ArtInPeril #Paleoartist
    Andy Frazer, un paléoartiste face à la menace de l’IA
    Découvrez les travaux d’Andy Frazer, illustrateur et paléoartiste. Il propose ses services aux paléontologues, chercheurs, musées, studios, éditeurs, mais aussi directement aux fans de créatures disparues. Mais comme beaucoup d’artistes,
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  • In a world that thrives on innovation, I find myself trapped in the shadows of nostalgia. The 2025 One-Hertz Challenge feels like a distant dream, as I hold onto my ancient HP 545A logic probe. Once a beacon of hope for debugging my SMT projects, now it stands as a haunting reminder of time's relentless passage. This 45-year-old relic, once full of promise, now echoes my own feelings of abandonment. It's hard not to feel lost when the tools that once connected us to our passions become obsolete. Loneliness looms large, a silent companion in a world rushing forward.

    #Loneliness #TechNostalgia #UnheardVoices #HPLogicProbe #TimePasses
    In a world that thrives on innovation, I find myself trapped in the shadows of nostalgia. The 2025 One-Hertz Challenge feels like a distant dream, as I hold onto my ancient HP 545A logic probe. Once a beacon of hope for debugging my SMT projects, now it stands as a haunting reminder of time's relentless passage. This 45-year-old relic, once full of promise, now echoes my own feelings of abandonment. It's hard not to feel lost when the tools that once connected us to our passions become obsolete. Loneliness looms large, a silent companion in a world rushing forward. #Loneliness #TechNostalgia #UnheardVoices #HPLogicProbe #TimePasses
    HACKADAY.COM
    2025 One-Hertz Challenge: HP Logic Probe Brought Into The Future
    [Robert Morrison] had an ancient HP 545A logic probe, which was great for debugging SMT projects. The only problem was that being 45 years old, it wasn’t quite up to …read more
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  • In a world where our mattresses can talk back, it seems we’re finally asking the big questions: Do you really need a box spring for your modern-day mattress? Spoiler alert: If you haven’t seen one lately, it’s not a ghost, just a relic of sleep history. Our expert tells us that this dinosaur may only serve a purpose for certain mattresses—how quaint!

    So, while you’re out there trying to get the best sleep of your life, don’t forget to consult your ancient artifacts. Who knew bedtime decisions would require an archaeological dig?

    #BoxSpringMysteries #SleepLikeIts2025 #MattressMadness
    In a world where our mattresses can talk back, it seems we’re finally asking the big questions: Do you really need a box spring for your modern-day mattress? Spoiler alert: If you haven’t seen one lately, it’s not a ghost, just a relic of sleep history. Our expert tells us that this dinosaur may only serve a purpose for certain mattresses—how quaint! So, while you’re out there trying to get the best sleep of your life, don’t forget to consult your ancient artifacts. Who knew bedtime decisions would require an archaeological dig? #BoxSpringMysteries #SleepLikeIts2025 #MattressMadness
    Do You Need a Box Spring for Your Modern-Day Mattress? (2025)
    If you haven’t seen a box spring in a while, it’s not your imagination—a mattress expert breaks down when you might need this dinosaur of the sleep world.
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  • Exciting times ahead, everyone! The Hurdy-Gurdy is not just an ancient instrument anymore; it's taking the spotlight in the modern world! With the Balfolk Boombox, we're witnessing the incredible transformation of this medieval wheel fiddle into a synthesizer!

    Imagine the fusion of history and innovation, where the sounds of the past meet the creativity of today! This is a wonderful reminder that we can always find new ways to express ourselves, no matter where we come from. Let's embrace the magic of music and continue to explore the endless possibilities!

    Keep dreaming, keep creating, and never stop believing in the beauty of your passions!

    #HurdyGurdy #Bal
    🎉🎶 Exciting times ahead, everyone! The Hurdy-Gurdy is not just an ancient instrument anymore; it's taking the spotlight in the modern world! 🌟 With the Balfolk Boombox, we're witnessing the incredible transformation of this medieval wheel fiddle into a synthesizer! 🎹✨ Imagine the fusion of history and innovation, where the sounds of the past meet the creativity of today! This is a wonderful reminder that we can always find new ways to express ourselves, no matter where we come from. Let's embrace the magic of music and continue to explore the endless possibilities! 💖 Keep dreaming, keep creating, and never stop believing in the beauty of your passions! 💪😊 #HurdyGurdy #Bal
    HACKADAY.COM
    Hurdy-posting Continues with the Balfolk Boombox, a Synth Gurdy
    The Hurdy-Gurdy continues to worm its way into pole position as the hacker’s instrument. How else could you explain a medieval wheel fiddle being turned into a synthesizer? Move over, …read more
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  • Remembering the magic of Chisanbop, the incredible Korean finger math that captivated our childhoods! It’s amazing how this ancient art showed us that learning can be fun and interactive! Whether we were counting with our fingers or racing against the clock, Chisanbop was a joyful way to engage our minds and spark our creativity!

    In a world filled with computers, let's not forget the simple joys of hands-on learning that bring us together. Let's celebrate the unique ways we can teach and learn, reminding ourselves that every challenge can be met with enthusiasm and a positive spirit!

    Keep shining and motivating others!

    #Chisanbop #FingerMath #LearningJoy #Positive
    🌟 Remembering the magic of Chisanbop, the incredible Korean finger math that captivated our childhoods! 🧮✨ It’s amazing how this ancient art showed us that learning can be fun and interactive! 🌈 Whether we were counting with our fingers or racing against the clock, Chisanbop was a joyful way to engage our minds and spark our creativity! In a world filled with computers, let's not forget the simple joys of hands-on learning that bring us together. Let's celebrate the unique ways we can teach and learn, reminding ourselves that every challenge can be met with enthusiasm and a positive spirit! 💪💖 Keep shining and motivating others! #Chisanbop #FingerMath #LearningJoy #Positive
    HACKADAY.COM
    Kids vs Computers: Chisanbop Remembered
    If you are a certain age, you probably remember the ads and publicity around Chisanbop — the supposed ancient art of Korean finger math. Was it Korean? Sort of. Was …read more
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  • So, there’s this thing about how Discord was ported to Windows 95 and NT 3.1. Honestly, it’s kind of interesting, but also a bit dull. Like, who even thinks about running Discord on those old systems? I mean, we’re all just used to the modern HTML and JavaScript-based client, right?

    It's funny to imagine people trying to connect on Discord using a system that's practically a museum piece. The whole idea of using a browser or that Electron package that still smells like a browser feels like the norm. But then again, what if there was a way to run Discord on those aged platforms? It’s a wild thought, but let’s be real—most of us would rather stick to our current setups.

    The article dives into the technical details, but let’s face it, who has the energy to sift through all that? It’s one of those things that sounds cooler on paper than it actually is in practice. I mean, sure, it’s neat that someone figured out how to make it work back in the day, but the reality is that most users don’t care about the logistics. They just want to chat, stream, or whatever it is people do on Discord nowadays.

    And it’s not like anyone is lining up to use Discord on Windows 95 or NT 3.1. I can’t even imagine the lag. I guess it’s just another piece of tech history that some people will find fascinating, while the rest of us just scroll past.

    So, yeah, that’s pretty much it. Discord on ancient systems is a thing. It happened. People did it. But let’s not pretend that it’s something we’re all eager to dive into. Honestly, I’d rather just scroll through memes or something.

    #Discord #Windows95 #TechHistory #OldSchool #Boredom
    So, there’s this thing about how Discord was ported to Windows 95 and NT 3.1. Honestly, it’s kind of interesting, but also a bit dull. Like, who even thinks about running Discord on those old systems? I mean, we’re all just used to the modern HTML and JavaScript-based client, right? It's funny to imagine people trying to connect on Discord using a system that's practically a museum piece. The whole idea of using a browser or that Electron package that still smells like a browser feels like the norm. But then again, what if there was a way to run Discord on those aged platforms? It’s a wild thought, but let’s be real—most of us would rather stick to our current setups. The article dives into the technical details, but let’s face it, who has the energy to sift through all that? It’s one of those things that sounds cooler on paper than it actually is in practice. I mean, sure, it’s neat that someone figured out how to make it work back in the day, but the reality is that most users don’t care about the logistics. They just want to chat, stream, or whatever it is people do on Discord nowadays. And it’s not like anyone is lining up to use Discord on Windows 95 or NT 3.1. I can’t even imagine the lag. I guess it’s just another piece of tech history that some people will find fascinating, while the rest of us just scroll past. So, yeah, that’s pretty much it. Discord on ancient systems is a thing. It happened. People did it. But let’s not pretend that it’s something we’re all eager to dive into. Honestly, I’d rather just scroll through memes or something. #Discord #Windows95 #TechHistory #OldSchool #Boredom
    How Discord Was Ported to Windows 95 and NT 3.1
    On the desktop, most people use the official HTML and JavaScript-based client for Discord in either a browser or a still-smells-like-a-browser Electron package. Yet what if there was a way …read more
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  • Brick Journey / Volume Matrix studio

    Brick Journey / Volume Matrix studioSave this picture!© Prayoon Tesprateep•Bangkok, Thailand

    Architects:
    Volume Matrix studio
    Area
    Area of this architecture project

    Area: 
    1500 m²

    Year
    Completion year of this architecture project

    Year: 

    2025

    Photographs

    Photographs:Prayoon Tesprateep

    Lead Architects:

    Kasin Sornsri

    More SpecsLess Specs
    this picture!
    Text description provided by the architects. Brick Journey is an architectural project that harmonizes conceptual interpretation with spatial design, blending various functions and local aesthetics. This vibrant space encompasses a residence, café, and art galleries. The initial concept is inspired by the journey of the owner, a doctor with a profound passion for ancient art. As an art collector, he has traveled the world to acquire unique masterpieces. He envisioned his home not only as a place to live but also as a sanctuary for his cherished collection. The architect responded to this vision by creating a spatial narrative that encourages exploration. A curving wall weaves through the layout, guiding and distorting the circulation to create a sense of wandering-inviting visitors to discover the space as their own personal journey.this picture!this picture!this picture!this picture!this picture!Upon approaching the site, the first impression is marked by a small, enclosed entrance framed by the curved wall. This design element creates a sense of tension and curiosity, gently pushing visitors to step inside. Above this entrance lies an observation area, symbolizing a point where beginning and end converge. Passing through the threshold, visitors encounter a small pond on the right, accompanied by an empty frame moment of reflection that the owner holds dear. This area includes a multipurpose space used for temporary exhibitions and gatherings, and includes bathroom facilities. This room is connected to an outdoor courtyard, which also takes advantage of the beautiful view and ventilation.this picture!this picture!On the left side of the site lies the café and reception area. A significant feature here is the expansive courtyard, which benefits from the shade of a large, existing tree that has grown since the owner's childhood. The café is designed with floor-to-ceiling windows, providing unobstructed views of the courtyard and artifacts suspended throughout the space. A unique element is the incorporation of antique doors from the owner's collection, seamlessly merging art and architecture.this picture!this picture!The second floor is dedicated primarily to galleries. A staircase leads to a temporary exhibition space suitable for smaller-scale paintings. The two main buildings are connected via a steel bridge, which leads to the upper level of the café. This section houses an exhibition featuring pieces from the Indian subcontinent. Turning at this point leads visitors back to the multipurpose area via an original Art Nouveau staircase, while continuing forward completes the journey, returning to the elevated observation point—the symbolic end of the path.this picture!this picture!This architecture prominently features brick; the choice of using brick as the main material is due to the revival of ancient architecture, as brick used to be the dominant material used in building and construction. Therefore, utilizing various types of brick and construction techniques to create texture, depth, and a sense of timelessness throughout the project is metaphorical to a journey of brick building this architectural piece.this picture!

    Project gallerySee allShow less
    About this officeVolume Matrix studioOffice•••
    MaterialBrickMaterials and TagsPublished on June 16, 2025Cite: "Brick Journey / Volume Matrix studio" 16 Jun 2025. ArchDaily. Accessed . < ISSN 0719-8884Save世界上最受欢迎的建筑网站现已推出你的母语版本!想浏览ArchDaily中国吗?是否
    You've started following your first account!Did you know?You'll now receive updates based on what you follow! Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors, offices and users.Go to my stream
    #brick #journey #volume #matrix #studio
    Brick Journey / Volume Matrix studio
    Brick Journey / Volume Matrix studioSave this picture!© Prayoon Tesprateep•Bangkok, Thailand Architects: Volume Matrix studio Area Area of this architecture project Area:  1500 m² Year Completion year of this architecture project Year:  2025 Photographs Photographs:Prayoon Tesprateep Lead Architects: Kasin Sornsri More SpecsLess Specs this picture! Text description provided by the architects. Brick Journey is an architectural project that harmonizes conceptual interpretation with spatial design, blending various functions and local aesthetics. This vibrant space encompasses a residence, café, and art galleries. The initial concept is inspired by the journey of the owner, a doctor with a profound passion for ancient art. As an art collector, he has traveled the world to acquire unique masterpieces. He envisioned his home not only as a place to live but also as a sanctuary for his cherished collection. The architect responded to this vision by creating a spatial narrative that encourages exploration. A curving wall weaves through the layout, guiding and distorting the circulation to create a sense of wandering-inviting visitors to discover the space as their own personal journey.this picture!this picture!this picture!this picture!this picture!Upon approaching the site, the first impression is marked by a small, enclosed entrance framed by the curved wall. This design element creates a sense of tension and curiosity, gently pushing visitors to step inside. Above this entrance lies an observation area, symbolizing a point where beginning and end converge. Passing through the threshold, visitors encounter a small pond on the right, accompanied by an empty frame moment of reflection that the owner holds dear. This area includes a multipurpose space used for temporary exhibitions and gatherings, and includes bathroom facilities. This room is connected to an outdoor courtyard, which also takes advantage of the beautiful view and ventilation.this picture!this picture!On the left side of the site lies the café and reception area. A significant feature here is the expansive courtyard, which benefits from the shade of a large, existing tree that has grown since the owner's childhood. The café is designed with floor-to-ceiling windows, providing unobstructed views of the courtyard and artifacts suspended throughout the space. A unique element is the incorporation of antique doors from the owner's collection, seamlessly merging art and architecture.this picture!this picture!The second floor is dedicated primarily to galleries. A staircase leads to a temporary exhibition space suitable for smaller-scale paintings. The two main buildings are connected via a steel bridge, which leads to the upper level of the café. This section houses an exhibition featuring pieces from the Indian subcontinent. Turning at this point leads visitors back to the multipurpose area via an original Art Nouveau staircase, while continuing forward completes the journey, returning to the elevated observation point—the symbolic end of the path.this picture!this picture!This architecture prominently features brick; the choice of using brick as the main material is due to the revival of ancient architecture, as brick used to be the dominant material used in building and construction. Therefore, utilizing various types of brick and construction techniques to create texture, depth, and a sense of timelessness throughout the project is metaphorical to a journey of brick building this architectural piece.this picture! Project gallerySee allShow less About this officeVolume Matrix studioOffice••• MaterialBrickMaterials and TagsPublished on June 16, 2025Cite: "Brick Journey / Volume Matrix studio" 16 Jun 2025. ArchDaily. Accessed . < ISSN 0719-8884Save世界上最受欢迎的建筑网站现已推出你的母语版本!想浏览ArchDaily中国吗?是否 You've started following your first account!Did you know?You'll now receive updates based on what you follow! Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors, offices and users.Go to my stream #brick #journey #volume #matrix #studio
    WWW.ARCHDAILY.COM
    Brick Journey / Volume Matrix studio
    Brick Journey / Volume Matrix studioSave this picture!© Prayoon Tesprateep•Bangkok, Thailand Architects: Volume Matrix studio Area Area of this architecture project Area:  1500 m² Year Completion year of this architecture project Year:  2025 Photographs Photographs:Prayoon Tesprateep Lead Architects: Kasin Sornsri More SpecsLess Specs Save this picture! Text description provided by the architects. Brick Journey is an architectural project that harmonizes conceptual interpretation with spatial design, blending various functions and local aesthetics. This vibrant space encompasses a residence, café, and art galleries. The initial concept is inspired by the journey of the owner, a doctor with a profound passion for ancient art. As an art collector, he has traveled the world to acquire unique masterpieces. He envisioned his home not only as a place to live but also as a sanctuary for his cherished collection. The architect responded to this vision by creating a spatial narrative that encourages exploration. A curving wall weaves through the layout, guiding and distorting the circulation to create a sense of wandering-inviting visitors to discover the space as their own personal journey.Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!Save this picture!Upon approaching the site, the first impression is marked by a small, enclosed entrance framed by the curved wall. This design element creates a sense of tension and curiosity, gently pushing visitors to step inside. Above this entrance lies an observation area, symbolizing a point where beginning and end converge. Passing through the threshold, visitors encounter a small pond on the right, accompanied by an empty frame moment of reflection that the owner holds dear. This area includes a multipurpose space used for temporary exhibitions and gatherings, and includes bathroom facilities. This room is connected to an outdoor courtyard, which also takes advantage of the beautiful view and ventilation.Save this picture!Save this picture!On the left side of the site lies the café and reception area. A significant feature here is the expansive courtyard, which benefits from the shade of a large, existing tree that has grown since the owner's childhood. The café is designed with floor-to-ceiling windows, providing unobstructed views of the courtyard and artifacts suspended throughout the space. A unique element is the incorporation of antique doors from the owner's collection, seamlessly merging art and architecture.Save this picture!Save this picture!The second floor is dedicated primarily to galleries. A staircase leads to a temporary exhibition space suitable for smaller-scale paintings. The two main buildings are connected via a steel bridge, which leads to the upper level of the café. This section houses an exhibition featuring pieces from the Indian subcontinent. Turning at this point leads visitors back to the multipurpose area via an original Art Nouveau staircase, while continuing forward completes the journey, returning to the elevated observation point—the symbolic end of the path.Save this picture!Save this picture!This architecture prominently features brick; the choice of using brick as the main material is due to the revival of ancient architecture, as brick used to be the dominant material used in building and construction. Therefore, utilizing various types of brick and construction techniques to create texture, depth, and a sense of timelessness throughout the project is metaphorical to a journey of brick building this architectural piece.Save this picture! Project gallerySee allShow less About this officeVolume Matrix studioOffice••• MaterialBrickMaterials and TagsPublished on June 16, 2025Cite: "Brick Journey / Volume Matrix studio" 16 Jun 2025. ArchDaily. Accessed . <https://www.archdaily.com/1031113/brick-journey-volume-matrix-studio&gt ISSN 0719-8884Save世界上最受欢迎的建筑网站现已推出你的母语版本!想浏览ArchDaily中国吗?是否 You've started following your first account!Did you know?You'll now receive updates based on what you follow! Personalize your stream and start following your favorite authors, offices and users.Go to my stream
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  • The stunning reversal of humanity’s oldest bias

    Perhaps the oldest, most pernicious form of human bias is that of men toward women. It often started at the moment of birth. In ancient Athens, at a public ceremony called the amphidromia, fathers would inspect a newborn and decide whether it would be part of the family, or be cast away. One often socially acceptable reason for abandoning the baby: It was a girl. Female infanticide has been distressingly common in many societies — and its practice is not just ancient history. In 1990, the Nobel Prize-winning economist Amartya Sen looked at birth ratios in Asia, North Africa, and China and calculated that more than 100 million women were essentially “missing” — meaning that, based on the normal ratio of boys to girls at birth and the longevity of both genders, there was a huge missing number of girls who should have been born, but weren’t. Sen’s estimate came before the truly widespread adoption of ultrasound tests that could determine the sex of a fetus in utero — which actually made the problem worse, leading to a wave of sex-selective abortions. These were especially common in countries like India and China; the latter’s one-child policy and old biases made families desperate for their one child to be a boy. The Economist has estimated that since 1980 alone, there have been approximately 50 million fewer girls born worldwide than would naturally be expected, which almost certainly means that roughly that nearly all of those girls were aborted for no other reason than their sex. The preference for boys was a bias that killed in mass numbers.But in one of the most important social shifts of our time, that bias is changing. In a great cover story earlier this month, The Economist reported that the number of annual excess male births has fallen from a peak of 1.7 million in 2000 to around 200,000, which puts it back within the biologically standard birth ratio of 105 boys for every 100 girls. Countries that once had highly skewed sex ratios — like South Korea, which saw almost 116 boys born for every 100 girls in 1990 — now have normal or near-normal ratios. Altogether, The Economist estimated that the decline in sex preference at birth in the past 25 years has saved the equivalent of 7 million girls. That’s comparable to the number of lives saved by anti-smoking efforts in the US. So how, exactly, have we overcome a prejudice that seemed so embedded in human society?Success in school and the workplaceFor one, we have relaxed discrimination against girls and women in other ways — in school and in the workplace. With fewer limits, girls are outperforming boys in the classroom. In the most recent international PISA tests, considered the gold standard for evaluating student performance around the world, 15-year-old girls beat their male counterparts in reading in 79 out of 81 participating countries or economies, while the historic male advantage in math scores has fallen to single digits. Girls are also dominating in higher education, with 113 female students at that level for every 100 male students. While women continue to earn less than men, the gender pay gap has been shrinking, and in a number of urban areas in the US, young women have actually been outearning young men. Government policies have helped accelerate that shift, in part because they have come to recognize the serious social problems that eventually result from decades of anti-girl discrimination. In countries like South Korea and China, which have long had some of the most skewed gender ratios at birth, governments have cracked down on technologies that enable sex-selective abortion. In India, where female infanticide and neglect have been particularly horrific, slogans like “the Daughter, Educate the Daughter” have helped change opinions. A changing preferenceThe shift is being seen not just in birth sex ratios, but in opinion polls — and in the actions of would-be parents.Between 1983 and 2003, The Economist reported, the proportion of South Korean women who said it was “necessary” to have a son fell from 48 percent to 6 percent, while nearly half of women now say they want daughters. In Japan, the shift has gone even further — as far back as 2002, 75 percent of couples who wanted only one child said they hoped for a daughter.In the US, which allows sex selection for couples doing in-vitro fertilization, there is growing evidence that would-be parents prefer girls, as do potential adoptive parents. While in the past, parents who had a girl first were more likely to keep trying to have children in an effort to have a boy, the opposite is now true — couples who have a girl first are less likely to keep trying. A more equal futureThere’s still more progress to be made. In northwest of India, for instance, birth ratios that overly skew toward boys are still the norm. In regions of sub-Saharan Africa, birth sex ratios may be relatively normal, but post-birth discrimination in the form of poorer nutrition and worse medical care still lingers. And course, women around the world are still subject to unacceptable levels of violence and discrimination from men.And some of the reasons for this shift may not be as high-minded as we’d like to think. Boys around the world are struggling in the modern era. They increasingly underperform in education, are more likely to be involved in violent crime, and in general, are failing to launch into adulthood. In the US, 20 percent of American men between 25 and 34 still live with their parents, compared to 15 percent of similarly aged women. It also seems to be the case that at least some of the increasing preference for girls is rooted in sexist stereotypes. Parents around the world may now prefer girls partly because they see them as more likely to take care of them in their old age — meaning a different kind of bias against women, that they are more natural caretakers, may be paradoxically driving the decline in prejudice against girls at birth.But make no mistake — the decline of boy preference is a clear mark of social progress, one measured in millions of girls’ lives saved. And maybe one Father’s Day, not too long from now, we’ll reach the point where daughters and sons are simply children: equally loved and equally welcomed.A version of this story originally appeared in the Good News newsletter. Sign up here!See More:
    #stunning #reversal #humanitys #oldest #bias
    The stunning reversal of humanity’s oldest bias
    Perhaps the oldest, most pernicious form of human bias is that of men toward women. It often started at the moment of birth. In ancient Athens, at a public ceremony called the amphidromia, fathers would inspect a newborn and decide whether it would be part of the family, or be cast away. One often socially acceptable reason for abandoning the baby: It was a girl. Female infanticide has been distressingly common in many societies — and its practice is not just ancient history. In 1990, the Nobel Prize-winning economist Amartya Sen looked at birth ratios in Asia, North Africa, and China and calculated that more than 100 million women were essentially “missing” — meaning that, based on the normal ratio of boys to girls at birth and the longevity of both genders, there was a huge missing number of girls who should have been born, but weren’t. Sen’s estimate came before the truly widespread adoption of ultrasound tests that could determine the sex of a fetus in utero — which actually made the problem worse, leading to a wave of sex-selective abortions. These were especially common in countries like India and China; the latter’s one-child policy and old biases made families desperate for their one child to be a boy. The Economist has estimated that since 1980 alone, there have been approximately 50 million fewer girls born worldwide than would naturally be expected, which almost certainly means that roughly that nearly all of those girls were aborted for no other reason than their sex. The preference for boys was a bias that killed in mass numbers.But in one of the most important social shifts of our time, that bias is changing. In a great cover story earlier this month, The Economist reported that the number of annual excess male births has fallen from a peak of 1.7 million in 2000 to around 200,000, which puts it back within the biologically standard birth ratio of 105 boys for every 100 girls. Countries that once had highly skewed sex ratios — like South Korea, which saw almost 116 boys born for every 100 girls in 1990 — now have normal or near-normal ratios. Altogether, The Economist estimated that the decline in sex preference at birth in the past 25 years has saved the equivalent of 7 million girls. That’s comparable to the number of lives saved by anti-smoking efforts in the US. So how, exactly, have we overcome a prejudice that seemed so embedded in human society?Success in school and the workplaceFor one, we have relaxed discrimination against girls and women in other ways — in school and in the workplace. With fewer limits, girls are outperforming boys in the classroom. In the most recent international PISA tests, considered the gold standard for evaluating student performance around the world, 15-year-old girls beat their male counterparts in reading in 79 out of 81 participating countries or economies, while the historic male advantage in math scores has fallen to single digits. Girls are also dominating in higher education, with 113 female students at that level for every 100 male students. While women continue to earn less than men, the gender pay gap has been shrinking, and in a number of urban areas in the US, young women have actually been outearning young men. Government policies have helped accelerate that shift, in part because they have come to recognize the serious social problems that eventually result from decades of anti-girl discrimination. In countries like South Korea and China, which have long had some of the most skewed gender ratios at birth, governments have cracked down on technologies that enable sex-selective abortion. In India, where female infanticide and neglect have been particularly horrific, slogans like “the Daughter, Educate the Daughter” have helped change opinions. A changing preferenceThe shift is being seen not just in birth sex ratios, but in opinion polls — and in the actions of would-be parents.Between 1983 and 2003, The Economist reported, the proportion of South Korean women who said it was “necessary” to have a son fell from 48 percent to 6 percent, while nearly half of women now say they want daughters. In Japan, the shift has gone even further — as far back as 2002, 75 percent of couples who wanted only one child said they hoped for a daughter.In the US, which allows sex selection for couples doing in-vitro fertilization, there is growing evidence that would-be parents prefer girls, as do potential adoptive parents. While in the past, parents who had a girl first were more likely to keep trying to have children in an effort to have a boy, the opposite is now true — couples who have a girl first are less likely to keep trying. A more equal futureThere’s still more progress to be made. In northwest of India, for instance, birth ratios that overly skew toward boys are still the norm. In regions of sub-Saharan Africa, birth sex ratios may be relatively normal, but post-birth discrimination in the form of poorer nutrition and worse medical care still lingers. And course, women around the world are still subject to unacceptable levels of violence and discrimination from men.And some of the reasons for this shift may not be as high-minded as we’d like to think. Boys around the world are struggling in the modern era. They increasingly underperform in education, are more likely to be involved in violent crime, and in general, are failing to launch into adulthood. In the US, 20 percent of American men between 25 and 34 still live with their parents, compared to 15 percent of similarly aged women. It also seems to be the case that at least some of the increasing preference for girls is rooted in sexist stereotypes. Parents around the world may now prefer girls partly because they see them as more likely to take care of them in their old age — meaning a different kind of bias against women, that they are more natural caretakers, may be paradoxically driving the decline in prejudice against girls at birth.But make no mistake — the decline of boy preference is a clear mark of social progress, one measured in millions of girls’ lives saved. And maybe one Father’s Day, not too long from now, we’ll reach the point where daughters and sons are simply children: equally loved and equally welcomed.A version of this story originally appeared in the Good News newsletter. Sign up here!See More: #stunning #reversal #humanitys #oldest #bias
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    The stunning reversal of humanity’s oldest bias
    Perhaps the oldest, most pernicious form of human bias is that of men toward women. It often started at the moment of birth. In ancient Athens, at a public ceremony called the amphidromia, fathers would inspect a newborn and decide whether it would be part of the family, or be cast away. One often socially acceptable reason for abandoning the baby: It was a girl. Female infanticide has been distressingly common in many societies — and its practice is not just ancient history. In 1990, the Nobel Prize-winning economist Amartya Sen looked at birth ratios in Asia, North Africa, and China and calculated that more than 100 million women were essentially “missing” — meaning that, based on the normal ratio of boys to girls at birth and the longevity of both genders, there was a huge missing number of girls who should have been born, but weren’t. Sen’s estimate came before the truly widespread adoption of ultrasound tests that could determine the sex of a fetus in utero — which actually made the problem worse, leading to a wave of sex-selective abortions. These were especially common in countries like India and China; the latter’s one-child policy and old biases made families desperate for their one child to be a boy. The Economist has estimated that since 1980 alone, there have been approximately 50 million fewer girls born worldwide than would naturally be expected, which almost certainly means that roughly that nearly all of those girls were aborted for no other reason than their sex. The preference for boys was a bias that killed in mass numbers.But in one of the most important social shifts of our time, that bias is changing. In a great cover story earlier this month, The Economist reported that the number of annual excess male births has fallen from a peak of 1.7 million in 2000 to around 200,000, which puts it back within the biologically standard birth ratio of 105 boys for every 100 girls. Countries that once had highly skewed sex ratios — like South Korea, which saw almost 116 boys born for every 100 girls in 1990 — now have normal or near-normal ratios. Altogether, The Economist estimated that the decline in sex preference at birth in the past 25 years has saved the equivalent of 7 million girls. That’s comparable to the number of lives saved by anti-smoking efforts in the US. So how, exactly, have we overcome a prejudice that seemed so embedded in human society?Success in school and the workplaceFor one, we have relaxed discrimination against girls and women in other ways — in school and in the workplace. With fewer limits, girls are outperforming boys in the classroom. In the most recent international PISA tests, considered the gold standard for evaluating student performance around the world, 15-year-old girls beat their male counterparts in reading in 79 out of 81 participating countries or economies, while the historic male advantage in math scores has fallen to single digits. Girls are also dominating in higher education, with 113 female students at that level for every 100 male students. While women continue to earn less than men, the gender pay gap has been shrinking, and in a number of urban areas in the US, young women have actually been outearning young men. Government policies have helped accelerate that shift, in part because they have come to recognize the serious social problems that eventually result from decades of anti-girl discrimination. In countries like South Korea and China, which have long had some of the most skewed gender ratios at birth, governments have cracked down on technologies that enable sex-selective abortion. In India, where female infanticide and neglect have been particularly horrific, slogans like “Save the Daughter, Educate the Daughter” have helped change opinions. A changing preferenceThe shift is being seen not just in birth sex ratios, but in opinion polls — and in the actions of would-be parents.Between 1983 and 2003, The Economist reported, the proportion of South Korean women who said it was “necessary” to have a son fell from 48 percent to 6 percent, while nearly half of women now say they want daughters. In Japan, the shift has gone even further — as far back as 2002, 75 percent of couples who wanted only one child said they hoped for a daughter.In the US, which allows sex selection for couples doing in-vitro fertilization, there is growing evidence that would-be parents prefer girls, as do potential adoptive parents. While in the past, parents who had a girl first were more likely to keep trying to have children in an effort to have a boy, the opposite is now true — couples who have a girl first are less likely to keep trying. A more equal futureThere’s still more progress to be made. In northwest of India, for instance, birth ratios that overly skew toward boys are still the norm. In regions of sub-Saharan Africa, birth sex ratios may be relatively normal, but post-birth discrimination in the form of poorer nutrition and worse medical care still lingers. And course, women around the world are still subject to unacceptable levels of violence and discrimination from men.And some of the reasons for this shift may not be as high-minded as we’d like to think. Boys around the world are struggling in the modern era. They increasingly underperform in education, are more likely to be involved in violent crime, and in general, are failing to launch into adulthood. In the US, 20 percent of American men between 25 and 34 still live with their parents, compared to 15 percent of similarly aged women. It also seems to be the case that at least some of the increasing preference for girls is rooted in sexist stereotypes. Parents around the world may now prefer girls partly because they see them as more likely to take care of them in their old age — meaning a different kind of bias against women, that they are more natural caretakers, may be paradoxically driving the decline in prejudice against girls at birth.But make no mistake — the decline of boy preference is a clear mark of social progress, one measured in millions of girls’ lives saved. And maybe one Father’s Day, not too long from now, we’ll reach the point where daughters and sons are simply children: equally loved and equally welcomed.A version of this story originally appeared in the Good News newsletter. Sign up here!See More:
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  • Archaeologists Stumble Onto Sprawling Ancient Roman Villa During Construction of a Road in France

    Cool Finds

    Archaeologists Stumble Onto Sprawling Ancient Roman Villa During Construction of a Road in France
    Located near Auxerre, the grand estate once possessed an exorbitant level of wealth, with thermal baths and heated floors

    Aerial view of the villa, with thermal baths at the bottom right, the garden and fountain in the center, and the agricultural fields expanding to the left
    Ch. Fouquin / INRAP

    In ancient times, all roads led to Rome—or so the saying goes. Nowadays, new roads can lead to Roman ruins.
    During construction on an alternative route to D606, a regional road just under two miles outside of Auxerre, in central France, salvage archaeologists unearthed a sprawling Roman villa complete with a stately garden, a fountain and an elaborate system of underfloor heating known as a hypocaust, according to a statement from the French National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research.
    While researchers have been aware of the ruins on the outskirts of the Gallo-Roman settlement of Autissiodorumsince the 19th century, previous excavations have been limited. The most recent dig, in 1966, found a 7,500-square-foot building with ten rooms and amenities that suggested its residents enjoyed great wealth and regional power.

    The site of Sainte-Nitasse, adjacent to a regional highway

    Ch. Fouquin / INRAP

    But until now, the true scale of the villa known as Sainte-Nitasse and its surrounding agricultural estates along the River Yonne was unclear. Archaeologists at INRAP have since discovered a 43,000-square-foot building thought to date to between the first and third centuries C.E. It suggests a previously unimagined level of grandeur.
    INRAP identifies the site as one of the “grand villas of Roman Gaul,” according to the statement. Grand villas are typified by their vast dimensions and sophisticated architectural style. They typically encompass both agricultural and residential portions, known in Latin as pars rustica and pars urbana, respectively. In the pars urbana, grand villas tend to feature stately construction materials like marble; extensive mosaics and frescoes; and amenities like private baths, fountains and gardens.
    So far, the excavations at Sainte-Nitasse have revealed all these features and more.
    The villa’s development is extensive. A 4,800-square-foot garden is enclosed by a fountain to the south and a water basin, or an ornamental pond, to the north. The hypocaust, an ancient system of central heating that circulated hot air beneath the floors of the house, signals a level of luxury atypical for rural estates in Roman Gaul.

    A section of the villa's hypocaust heating system, which circulated hot air beneath the floor

    Ch. Fouquin / INRAP

    “We can imagine it as an ‘aristocratic’ villa, belonging to someone with riches, responsibilities—perhaps municipal, given the proximity to Auxerre—a landowner who had staff on site,” Alexandre Burgevin, the archaeologist in charge of the excavations with INRAP, tells France Info’s Lisa Guyenne.
    Near the banks of the Yonne, a thermal bath site contains several pools where the landowner and his family bathed. On the other side of the garden, workers toiled in the fields of a massive agricultural estate.
    Aside from its size and amenities, the villa’s level of preservation also astounded archaeologists. “For a rural site, it’s quite exceptional,” Burgevin tells L’Yonne Républicaine’s Titouan Stücker. “You can walk on floors from the time period, circulate between rooms like the Gallo-Romans did.”Over time, Autissiodorum grew to become a major city along the Via Agrippa, eventually earning the honor of serving as a provincial Roman capital by the fourth century C.E. As Gaul began slipping away from the Roman Empire around the same time, the prominence of the city fluctuated. INRAP archaeologists speculate that the site was repurposed during medieval times, around the 13th century.
    Burgevin offers several explanations for why the site remained so well preserved in subsequent centuries. The humid conditions along the banks of the river might have prevented excess decay. Since this portion of the River Yonne wasn’t canalized until the 19th century, engineers may have already been aware of the presence of ruins. Or, perhaps the rubble of the villa created “bumpy,” intractable soil that was “not easy to pass over with a tractor,” he tells France Info.
    While the site will briefly open to the public on June 15 for European Archaeology Days, an annual event held at sites across the continent, excavations will continue until September, at which time construction on the road will resume. Much work is to be done, including filling in large gaps of the site’s chronology between the Roman and medieval eras.
    “We have well-built walls but few objects,” says Burgevin, per L’Yonne Républicaine. “It will be necessary to continue digging to understand better.”

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    #archaeologists #stumble #onto #sprawling #ancient
    Archaeologists Stumble Onto Sprawling Ancient Roman Villa During Construction of a Road in France
    Cool Finds Archaeologists Stumble Onto Sprawling Ancient Roman Villa During Construction of a Road in France Located near Auxerre, the grand estate once possessed an exorbitant level of wealth, with thermal baths and heated floors Aerial view of the villa, with thermal baths at the bottom right, the garden and fountain in the center, and the agricultural fields expanding to the left Ch. Fouquin / INRAP In ancient times, all roads led to Rome—or so the saying goes. Nowadays, new roads can lead to Roman ruins. During construction on an alternative route to D606, a regional road just under two miles outside of Auxerre, in central France, salvage archaeologists unearthed a sprawling Roman villa complete with a stately garden, a fountain and an elaborate system of underfloor heating known as a hypocaust, according to a statement from the French National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research. While researchers have been aware of the ruins on the outskirts of the Gallo-Roman settlement of Autissiodorumsince the 19th century, previous excavations have been limited. The most recent dig, in 1966, found a 7,500-square-foot building with ten rooms and amenities that suggested its residents enjoyed great wealth and regional power. The site of Sainte-Nitasse, adjacent to a regional highway Ch. Fouquin / INRAP But until now, the true scale of the villa known as Sainte-Nitasse and its surrounding agricultural estates along the River Yonne was unclear. Archaeologists at INRAP have since discovered a 43,000-square-foot building thought to date to between the first and third centuries C.E. It suggests a previously unimagined level of grandeur. INRAP identifies the site as one of the “grand villas of Roman Gaul,” according to the statement. Grand villas are typified by their vast dimensions and sophisticated architectural style. They typically encompass both agricultural and residential portions, known in Latin as pars rustica and pars urbana, respectively. In the pars urbana, grand villas tend to feature stately construction materials like marble; extensive mosaics and frescoes; and amenities like private baths, fountains and gardens. So far, the excavations at Sainte-Nitasse have revealed all these features and more. The villa’s development is extensive. A 4,800-square-foot garden is enclosed by a fountain to the south and a water basin, or an ornamental pond, to the north. The hypocaust, an ancient system of central heating that circulated hot air beneath the floors of the house, signals a level of luxury atypical for rural estates in Roman Gaul. A section of the villa's hypocaust heating system, which circulated hot air beneath the floor Ch. Fouquin / INRAP “We can imagine it as an ‘aristocratic’ villa, belonging to someone with riches, responsibilities—perhaps municipal, given the proximity to Auxerre—a landowner who had staff on site,” Alexandre Burgevin, the archaeologist in charge of the excavations with INRAP, tells France Info’s Lisa Guyenne. Near the banks of the Yonne, a thermal bath site contains several pools where the landowner and his family bathed. On the other side of the garden, workers toiled in the fields of a massive agricultural estate. Aside from its size and amenities, the villa’s level of preservation also astounded archaeologists. “For a rural site, it’s quite exceptional,” Burgevin tells L’Yonne Républicaine’s Titouan Stücker. “You can walk on floors from the time period, circulate between rooms like the Gallo-Romans did.”Over time, Autissiodorum grew to become a major city along the Via Agrippa, eventually earning the honor of serving as a provincial Roman capital by the fourth century C.E. As Gaul began slipping away from the Roman Empire around the same time, the prominence of the city fluctuated. INRAP archaeologists speculate that the site was repurposed during medieval times, around the 13th century. Burgevin offers several explanations for why the site remained so well preserved in subsequent centuries. The humid conditions along the banks of the river might have prevented excess decay. Since this portion of the River Yonne wasn’t canalized until the 19th century, engineers may have already been aware of the presence of ruins. Or, perhaps the rubble of the villa created “bumpy,” intractable soil that was “not easy to pass over with a tractor,” he tells France Info. While the site will briefly open to the public on June 15 for European Archaeology Days, an annual event held at sites across the continent, excavations will continue until September, at which time construction on the road will resume. Much work is to be done, including filling in large gaps of the site’s chronology between the Roman and medieval eras. “We have well-built walls but few objects,” says Burgevin, per L’Yonne Républicaine. “It will be necessary to continue digging to understand better.” Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday. #archaeologists #stumble #onto #sprawling #ancient
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    Archaeologists Stumble Onto Sprawling Ancient Roman Villa During Construction of a Road in France
    Cool Finds Archaeologists Stumble Onto Sprawling Ancient Roman Villa During Construction of a Road in France Located near Auxerre, the grand estate once possessed an exorbitant level of wealth, with thermal baths and heated floors Aerial view of the villa, with thermal baths at the bottom right, the garden and fountain in the center, and the agricultural fields expanding to the left Ch. Fouquin / INRAP In ancient times, all roads led to Rome—or so the saying goes. Nowadays, new roads can lead to Roman ruins. During construction on an alternative route to D606, a regional road just under two miles outside of Auxerre, in central France, salvage archaeologists unearthed a sprawling Roman villa complete with a stately garden, a fountain and an elaborate system of underfloor heating known as a hypocaust, according to a statement from the French National Institute for Preventive Archaeological Research (INRAP). While researchers have been aware of the ruins on the outskirts of the Gallo-Roman settlement of Autissiodorum (as Auxerre was once known) since the 19th century, previous excavations have been limited. The most recent dig, in 1966, found a 7,500-square-foot building with ten rooms and amenities that suggested its residents enjoyed great wealth and regional power. The site of Sainte-Nitasse, adjacent to a regional highway Ch. Fouquin / INRAP But until now, the true scale of the villa known as Sainte-Nitasse and its surrounding agricultural estates along the River Yonne was unclear. Archaeologists at INRAP have since discovered a 43,000-square-foot building thought to date to between the first and third centuries C.E. It suggests a previously unimagined level of grandeur. INRAP identifies the site as one of the “grand villas of Roman Gaul,” according to the statement. Grand villas are typified by their vast dimensions and sophisticated architectural style. They typically encompass both agricultural and residential portions, known in Latin as pars rustica and pars urbana, respectively. In the pars urbana, grand villas tend to feature stately construction materials like marble; extensive mosaics and frescoes; and amenities like private baths, fountains and gardens. So far, the excavations at Sainte-Nitasse have revealed all these features and more. The villa’s development is extensive. A 4,800-square-foot garden is enclosed by a fountain to the south and a water basin, or an ornamental pond, to the north. The hypocaust, an ancient system of central heating that circulated hot air beneath the floors of the house, signals a level of luxury atypical for rural estates in Roman Gaul. A section of the villa's hypocaust heating system, which circulated hot air beneath the floor Ch. Fouquin / INRAP “We can imagine it as an ‘aristocratic’ villa, belonging to someone with riches, responsibilities—perhaps municipal, given the proximity to Auxerre—a landowner who had staff on site,” Alexandre Burgevin, the archaeologist in charge of the excavations with INRAP, tells France Info’s Lisa Guyenne. Near the banks of the Yonne, a thermal bath site contains several pools where the landowner and his family bathed. On the other side of the garden, workers toiled in the fields of a massive agricultural estate. Aside from its size and amenities, the villa’s level of preservation also astounded archaeologists. “For a rural site, it’s quite exceptional,” Burgevin tells L’Yonne Républicaine’s Titouan Stücker. “You can walk on floors from the time period, circulate between rooms like the Gallo-Romans did.”Over time, Autissiodorum grew to become a major city along the Via Agrippa, eventually earning the honor of serving as a provincial Roman capital by the fourth century C.E. As Gaul began slipping away from the Roman Empire around the same time, the prominence of the city fluctuated. INRAP archaeologists speculate that the site was repurposed during medieval times, around the 13th century. Burgevin offers several explanations for why the site remained so well preserved in subsequent centuries. The humid conditions along the banks of the river might have prevented excess decay. Since this portion of the River Yonne wasn’t canalized until the 19th century, engineers may have already been aware of the presence of ruins. Or, perhaps the rubble of the villa created “bumpy,” intractable soil that was “not easy to pass over with a tractor,” he tells France Info. While the site will briefly open to the public on June 15 for European Archaeology Days, an annual event held at sites across the continent, excavations will continue until September, at which time construction on the road will resume. Much work is to be done, including filling in large gaps of the site’s chronology between the Roman and medieval eras. “We have well-built walls but few objects,” says Burgevin, per L’Yonne Républicaine. “It will be necessary to continue digging to understand better.” Get the latest stories in your inbox every weekday.
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  • Turning Points: Accept & Proceed

    12 June, 2025

    In our turning points series, design studios share some of the key moments that shaped their business. This week, we meet Accept & Proceed.

    Accept & Proceed is a London based brand and design studio that works with clients like NASA, Nike and LEGO.
    Founder David Johnston talks us through some of the decisions that defined his business.
    In 2006, Johnston took the leap to start his own business, armed with a good name and a willingness to bend the truth about his team…
    I’d gone through my career learning from big organisations, and one small organisation, and I felt like I wasn’t happy where I was. It was my dad who encouraged me to take a leap of faith and try and go it alone. With nothing more than a month’s wages in the bank and a lot of energy, I decided to go and set up an agency.
    That really just means giving yourself a name and starting to promote yourself in the world.
    Accept & Proceed founder David Johnston
    I think the name itself is a very important thing. I wanted something that was memorable but also layered in meaning. A name that starts with an “a” is very beneficial when you’re being listed in the index of books and things like that.
    But it became a bit of a compass for the way that we wanted to create work, around accepting the status quo for what it is, but with a continual commitment to proceed nonetheless.
    Because I didn’t have anyone to work with, in those early months I just made up email addresses of people that didn’t exist. That allowed me to cost projects up for multiple people. That’s obviously a degree of hustle I wouldn’t encourage in everyone, but it meant I was able to charge multiple day rates for projects where I was playing the role of four or five people.
    Self-initiated projects have long been part of the studio’s DNA and played a key role in building key client relationships.
    A&P by… was a brief to explore these letterforms without any commercial intent apart from the joy of creative expression. I started reaching out to illustrators and artists and photographers and designers that I really rated, and the things that started coming back were incredible.
    I was overwhelmed by the amount of energy and passion that people like Mr Bingo and Jason Evans were bringing to this.
    I think in so many ways, the answer to everything is community. I’ve gone on to work with a lot of the people that created these, and they also became friends. It was an early example of dissolving these illusionary boundaries around what an agency might be, but also expanding and amplifying your potential.
    The first of Accept & Proceed’s Light Calendars
    Then in 2006, I was trying to establish our portfolio and I wanted something to send out into the world that would also be an example of how Accept & Proceed thinks about design. I landed on these data visualisations that show the amount of light and darkness that would happen in London in the year ahead.
    I worked with a freelance designer called Stephen Heath on the first one – he is now our creative director.
    This kickstarted a 10-year exploration, and they became a rite of passage for new designers that came into the studio, to take that very similar data and express it in completely new ways. It culminated in an exhibition in London in 2016, showing ten years’ of prints.
    They were a labour of love, but they also meant that every single year we had a number of prints that we could send out to new potential contacts. Still when I go to the global headquarters of Nike in Beaverton in Portland, I’m amazed at how many of these sit in leaders’ offices there.
    When we first got a finance director, they couldn’t believe how much we’d invested as a business in things like this – we even had our own gallery for a while. It doesn’t make sense from a purely numbers mindset, but if you put things out there for authentic reasons, there are ripple effects over time.
    In 2017, the studio became a B-corp, the fourth creative agency in the UK to get this accreditation.
    Around 2016, I couldn’t help but look around – as we probably all have at varying points over the last 10 years – and wondered, what the fuck is going on?
    All these systems are not fit for purpose for the future – financial systems, food systems, relationship systems, energy systems. They’re not working. And I was like shit, are we part of the problem?
    Accept & Proceed’s work for the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory
    I’ve always thought of brand as a piece of technology that can fundamentally change our actions and the world around us. That comes with a huge responsibility.
    We probably paid four months’ wages of two people full-time just to get accredited, so it’s quite a high bar. But I like that the programme shackles you to this idea of improvement. You can’t rest on your laurels if you want to be re-accredited. It’s like the way design works as an iterative process – you have to keep getting better.
    In 2019, Johnston and his team started thinking seriously about the studio’s own brand, and created a punchy, nuanced new positioning.
    We got to a point where we’d proven we could help brands achieve their commercial aims. But we wanted to hold a position ourselves, not just be a conduit between a brand and its audience.
    It still amazes me that so few agencies actually stand for anything. We realised that all the things – vision, mission, principles – that we’ve been creating for brands for years, we hadn’t done for ourselves.
    It’s a bit like when you see a hairdresser with a really dodgy haircut. But it’s hard to cut your own hair.
    So we went through that process, which was really difficult, and we landed on “Design for the future” as our promise to the world.
    And if you’re going to have that as a promise, you better be able to describe the world you’re creating through your work, which we call “the together world.”
    Accept & Proceed’s work for Second Sea
    We stand at this most incredible moment in history where the latest technology and science is catching up with ancient wisdom, to know that we must become more entangled, more together, more whole.
    And we’ve assessed five global shifts that are happening in order to be able to take us towards a more together world through our work – interbeing, reciprocity, healing, resilience and liberation.
    The year before last, we lost three global rebrand projects based on our positioning. Every one of them said to me, “You’re right but we’re not ready.”
    But this year, I think the product market fit of what we’ve been saying for the last five years is really starting to mesh. We’re working with Arc’teryx on their 2030 landscape, evolving Nike’s move to zero, and working with LEGO on what their next 100 years might look like, which is mind-boggling work.
    I don’t think we could have won any of those opportunities had we not been talking for quite a long time about design for the future.
    In 2023, Johnston started a sunrise gathering on Hackney Marshes, which became a very significant part of his life.
    I had the flu and I had a vision in my dreamy fluey state of a particular spot on Hackney Marshes where people were gathering and watching the sunrise. I happened to tell my friend, the poet Thomas Sharp this, and he said, “That’s a premonition. You have to make it happen.”
    The first year there were five of us – this year there were 300 people for the spring equinox in March.
    I don’t fully know what these gatherings will lead to. Will Accept & Proceed start to introduce the seasons to the way we operate as a business? It’s a thought I’ve had percolating, but I don’t know. Will it be something else?
    One of the 2024 sunrise gatherings organised by Accept & Proceed founder David Johnston
    I do know that there’s major learnings around authentic community building for brands. We should do away with these buckets we put people into, of age group and location. They aren’t very true. It’s fascinating to see the breadth of people who come to these gatherings.
    Me and Laura were thinking at some point of moving out of London, but I think these sunrise gatherings are now my reason to stay. It’s the thing I didn’t know I needed until I had it. They have made London complete for me.
    There’s something so ancient about watching our star rise, and the reminder that we are actually just animals crawling upon the surface of a planet of mud. That’s what’s real. But it can be hard to remember that when you’re sitting at your computer in the studio.
    These gatherings help me better understand creativity’s true potential, for brands, for the world, and for us.

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    #turning #points #accept #ampamp #proceed
    Turning Points: Accept & Proceed
    12 June, 2025 In our turning points series, design studios share some of the key moments that shaped their business. This week, we meet Accept & Proceed. Accept & Proceed is a London based brand and design studio that works with clients like NASA, Nike and LEGO. Founder David Johnston talks us through some of the decisions that defined his business. In 2006, Johnston took the leap to start his own business, armed with a good name and a willingness to bend the truth about his team… I’d gone through my career learning from big organisations, and one small organisation, and I felt like I wasn’t happy where I was. It was my dad who encouraged me to take a leap of faith and try and go it alone. With nothing more than a month’s wages in the bank and a lot of energy, I decided to go and set up an agency. That really just means giving yourself a name and starting to promote yourself in the world. Accept & Proceed founder David Johnston I think the name itself is a very important thing. I wanted something that was memorable but also layered in meaning. A name that starts with an “a” is very beneficial when you’re being listed in the index of books and things like that. But it became a bit of a compass for the way that we wanted to create work, around accepting the status quo for what it is, but with a continual commitment to proceed nonetheless. Because I didn’t have anyone to work with, in those early months I just made up email addresses of people that didn’t exist. That allowed me to cost projects up for multiple people. That’s obviously a degree of hustle I wouldn’t encourage in everyone, but it meant I was able to charge multiple day rates for projects where I was playing the role of four or five people. Self-initiated projects have long been part of the studio’s DNA and played a key role in building key client relationships. A&P by… was a brief to explore these letterforms without any commercial intent apart from the joy of creative expression. I started reaching out to illustrators and artists and photographers and designers that I really rated, and the things that started coming back were incredible. I was overwhelmed by the amount of energy and passion that people like Mr Bingo and Jason Evans were bringing to this. I think in so many ways, the answer to everything is community. I’ve gone on to work with a lot of the people that created these, and they also became friends. It was an early example of dissolving these illusionary boundaries around what an agency might be, but also expanding and amplifying your potential. The first of Accept & Proceed’s Light Calendars Then in 2006, I was trying to establish our portfolio and I wanted something to send out into the world that would also be an example of how Accept & Proceed thinks about design. I landed on these data visualisations that show the amount of light and darkness that would happen in London in the year ahead. I worked with a freelance designer called Stephen Heath on the first one – he is now our creative director. This kickstarted a 10-year exploration, and they became a rite of passage for new designers that came into the studio, to take that very similar data and express it in completely new ways. It culminated in an exhibition in London in 2016, showing ten years’ of prints. They were a labour of love, but they also meant that every single year we had a number of prints that we could send out to new potential contacts. Still when I go to the global headquarters of Nike in Beaverton in Portland, I’m amazed at how many of these sit in leaders’ offices there. When we first got a finance director, they couldn’t believe how much we’d invested as a business in things like this – we even had our own gallery for a while. It doesn’t make sense from a purely numbers mindset, but if you put things out there for authentic reasons, there are ripple effects over time. In 2017, the studio became a B-corp, the fourth creative agency in the UK to get this accreditation. Around 2016, I couldn’t help but look around – as we probably all have at varying points over the last 10 years – and wondered, what the fuck is going on? All these systems are not fit for purpose for the future – financial systems, food systems, relationship systems, energy systems. They’re not working. And I was like shit, are we part of the problem? Accept & Proceed’s work for the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory I’ve always thought of brand as a piece of technology that can fundamentally change our actions and the world around us. That comes with a huge responsibility. We probably paid four months’ wages of two people full-time just to get accredited, so it’s quite a high bar. But I like that the programme shackles you to this idea of improvement. You can’t rest on your laurels if you want to be re-accredited. It’s like the way design works as an iterative process – you have to keep getting better. In 2019, Johnston and his team started thinking seriously about the studio’s own brand, and created a punchy, nuanced new positioning. We got to a point where we’d proven we could help brands achieve their commercial aims. But we wanted to hold a position ourselves, not just be a conduit between a brand and its audience. It still amazes me that so few agencies actually stand for anything. We realised that all the things – vision, mission, principles – that we’ve been creating for brands for years, we hadn’t done for ourselves. It’s a bit like when you see a hairdresser with a really dodgy haircut. But it’s hard to cut your own hair. So we went through that process, which was really difficult, and we landed on “Design for the future” as our promise to the world. And if you’re going to have that as a promise, you better be able to describe the world you’re creating through your work, which we call “the together world.” Accept & Proceed’s work for Second Sea We stand at this most incredible moment in history where the latest technology and science is catching up with ancient wisdom, to know that we must become more entangled, more together, more whole. And we’ve assessed five global shifts that are happening in order to be able to take us towards a more together world through our work – interbeing, reciprocity, healing, resilience and liberation. The year before last, we lost three global rebrand projects based on our positioning. Every one of them said to me, “You’re right but we’re not ready.” But this year, I think the product market fit of what we’ve been saying for the last five years is really starting to mesh. We’re working with Arc’teryx on their 2030 landscape, evolving Nike’s move to zero, and working with LEGO on what their next 100 years might look like, which is mind-boggling work. I don’t think we could have won any of those opportunities had we not been talking for quite a long time about design for the future. In 2023, Johnston started a sunrise gathering on Hackney Marshes, which became a very significant part of his life. I had the flu and I had a vision in my dreamy fluey state of a particular spot on Hackney Marshes where people were gathering and watching the sunrise. I happened to tell my friend, the poet Thomas Sharp this, and he said, “That’s a premonition. You have to make it happen.” The first year there were five of us – this year there were 300 people for the spring equinox in March. I don’t fully know what these gatherings will lead to. Will Accept & Proceed start to introduce the seasons to the way we operate as a business? It’s a thought I’ve had percolating, but I don’t know. Will it be something else? One of the 2024 sunrise gatherings organised by Accept & Proceed founder David Johnston I do know that there’s major learnings around authentic community building for brands. We should do away with these buckets we put people into, of age group and location. They aren’t very true. It’s fascinating to see the breadth of people who come to these gatherings. Me and Laura were thinking at some point of moving out of London, but I think these sunrise gatherings are now my reason to stay. It’s the thing I didn’t know I needed until I had it. They have made London complete for me. There’s something so ancient about watching our star rise, and the reminder that we are actually just animals crawling upon the surface of a planet of mud. That’s what’s real. But it can be hard to remember that when you’re sitting at your computer in the studio. These gatherings help me better understand creativity’s true potential, for brands, for the world, and for us. Design disciplines in this article Brands in this article What to read next Features Turning Points: Cultural branding agency EDIT Brand Identity 20 Nov, 2024 #turning #points #accept #ampamp #proceed
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    Turning Points: Accept & Proceed
    12 June, 2025 In our turning points series, design studios share some of the key moments that shaped their business. This week, we meet Accept & Proceed. Accept & Proceed is a London based brand and design studio that works with clients like NASA, Nike and LEGO. Founder David Johnston talks us through some of the decisions that defined his business. In 2006, Johnston took the leap to start his own business, armed with a good name and a willingness to bend the truth about his team… I’d gone through my career learning from big organisations, and one small organisation, and I felt like I wasn’t happy where I was. It was my dad who encouraged me to take a leap of faith and try and go it alone. With nothing more than a month’s wages in the bank and a lot of energy, I decided to go and set up an agency. That really just means giving yourself a name and starting to promote yourself in the world. Accept & Proceed founder David Johnston I think the name itself is a very important thing. I wanted something that was memorable but also layered in meaning. A name that starts with an “a” is very beneficial when you’re being listed in the index of books and things like that. But it became a bit of a compass for the way that we wanted to create work, around accepting the status quo for what it is, but with a continual commitment to proceed nonetheless. Because I didn’t have anyone to work with, in those early months I just made up email addresses of people that didn’t exist. That allowed me to cost projects up for multiple people. That’s obviously a degree of hustle I wouldn’t encourage in everyone, but it meant I was able to charge multiple day rates for projects where I was playing the role of four or five people. Self-initiated projects have long been part of the studio’s DNA and played a key role in building key client relationships. A&P by… was a brief to explore these letterforms without any commercial intent apart from the joy of creative expression. I started reaching out to illustrators and artists and photographers and designers that I really rated, and the things that started coming back were incredible. I was overwhelmed by the amount of energy and passion that people like Mr Bingo and Jason Evans were bringing to this. I think in so many ways, the answer to everything is community. I’ve gone on to work with a lot of the people that created these, and they also became friends. It was an early example of dissolving these illusionary boundaries around what an agency might be, but also expanding and amplifying your potential. The first of Accept & Proceed’s Light Calendars Then in 2006, I was trying to establish our portfolio and I wanted something to send out into the world that would also be an example of how Accept & Proceed thinks about design. I landed on these data visualisations that show the amount of light and darkness that would happen in London in the year ahead. I worked with a freelance designer called Stephen Heath on the first one – he is now our creative director. This kickstarted a 10-year exploration, and they became a rite of passage for new designers that came into the studio, to take that very similar data and express it in completely new ways. It culminated in an exhibition in London in 2016, showing ten years’ of prints. They were a labour of love, but they also meant that every single year we had a number of prints that we could send out to new potential contacts. Still when I go to the global headquarters of Nike in Beaverton in Portland, I’m amazed at how many of these sit in leaders’ offices there. When we first got a finance director, they couldn’t believe how much we’d invested as a business in things like this – we even had our own gallery for a while. It doesn’t make sense from a purely numbers mindset, but if you put things out there for authentic reasons, there are ripple effects over time. In 2017, the studio became a B-corp, the fourth creative agency in the UK to get this accreditation. Around 2016, I couldn’t help but look around – as we probably all have at varying points over the last 10 years – and wondered, what the fuck is going on? All these systems are not fit for purpose for the future – financial systems, food systems, relationship systems, energy systems. They’re not working. And I was like shit, are we part of the problem? Accept & Proceed’s work for the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory I’ve always thought of brand as a piece of technology that can fundamentally change our actions and the world around us. That comes with a huge responsibility. We probably paid four months’ wages of two people full-time just to get accredited, so it’s quite a high bar. But I like that the programme shackles you to this idea of improvement. You can’t rest on your laurels if you want to be re-accredited. It’s like the way design works as an iterative process – you have to keep getting better. In 2019, Johnston and his team started thinking seriously about the studio’s own brand, and created a punchy, nuanced new positioning. We got to a point where we’d proven we could help brands achieve their commercial aims. But we wanted to hold a position ourselves, not just be a conduit between a brand and its audience. It still amazes me that so few agencies actually stand for anything. We realised that all the things – vision, mission, principles – that we’ve been creating for brands for years, we hadn’t done for ourselves. It’s a bit like when you see a hairdresser with a really dodgy haircut. But it’s hard to cut your own hair. So we went through that process, which was really difficult, and we landed on “Design for the future” as our promise to the world. And if you’re going to have that as a promise, you better be able to describe the world you’re creating through your work, which we call “the together world.” Accept & Proceed’s work for Second Sea We stand at this most incredible moment in history where the latest technology and science is catching up with ancient wisdom, to know that we must become more entangled, more together, more whole. And we’ve assessed five global shifts that are happening in order to be able to take us towards a more together world through our work – interbeing, reciprocity, healing, resilience and liberation. The year before last, we lost three global rebrand projects based on our positioning. Every one of them said to me, “You’re right but we’re not ready.” But this year, I think the product market fit of what we’ve been saying for the last five years is really starting to mesh. We’re working with Arc’teryx on their 2030 landscape, evolving Nike’s move to zero, and working with LEGO on what their next 100 years might look like, which is mind-boggling work. I don’t think we could have won any of those opportunities had we not been talking for quite a long time about design for the future. In 2023, Johnston started a sunrise gathering on Hackney Marshes, which became a very significant part of his life. I had the flu and I had a vision in my dreamy fluey state of a particular spot on Hackney Marshes where people were gathering and watching the sunrise. I happened to tell my friend, the poet Thomas Sharp this, and he said, “That’s a premonition. You have to make it happen.” The first year there were five of us – this year there were 300 people for the spring equinox in March. I don’t fully know what these gatherings will lead to. Will Accept & Proceed start to introduce the seasons to the way we operate as a business? It’s a thought I’ve had percolating, but I don’t know. Will it be something else? One of the 2024 sunrise gatherings organised by Accept & Proceed founder David Johnston I do know that there’s major learnings around authentic community building for brands. We should do away with these buckets we put people into, of age group and location. They aren’t very true. It’s fascinating to see the breadth of people who come to these gatherings. Me and Laura were thinking at some point of moving out of London, but I think these sunrise gatherings are now my reason to stay. It’s the thing I didn’t know I needed until I had it. They have made London complete for me. There’s something so ancient about watching our star rise, and the reminder that we are actually just animals crawling upon the surface of a planet of mud. That’s what’s real. But it can be hard to remember that when you’re sitting at your computer in the studio. These gatherings help me better understand creativity’s true potential, for brands, for the world, and for us. Design disciplines in this article Brands in this article What to read next Features Turning Points: Cultural branding agency EDIT Brand Identity 20 Nov, 2024
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