 |
|
|
|||||
In American culture, importance and attention are often misaligned. This disconnect is one of the greatest challenges we in the STEM world face. Too often, societys most essential stories are drowned out by the drama of the momentpushed aside by the next headline or fleeting scroll. Todays media environment is a relentless battle for attention, which is why, when a cultural moment aligns with science, we must seize it. Elevate it. Share it. Right now, we have just such a moment: the discovery of a new exoplanet reminiscent of Luke Skywalkers home world, the upcoming launch of Andor Season 2, and the arrival of May 4thalso known as National Star Wars Day (a decades-old pun: May the Fourth be with you). Its a rare convergence of science fiction, astronomy, and pop culture. And its also an incredible opportunityto spark imaginations, inspire curiosity, and mobilize the millions who believe in the importance of STEM (science, technology, engineering, and mathematics). Because heres the truth: STEM needs new hooks. We cannot afford to be elitist or ignore the signals that culture is sending. Without making STEM accessible and engaging, we risk losing our competitive edge as a nation. Understanding how media and storytelling work is no longer optionalits a national imperative. The Coolness of the Coincidence Lets start with the exoplanet discovery. Astronomers recently identified a planet orbiting a pair of young brown dwarf stars at an unusual 90-degree tilta real-world echo of Tatooine, Luke Skywalkers fictional home with its iconic twin suns. As the site Phys.org put it: This is a real-life twist on a scene etched into the minds of Star Wars fans. Once again, life imitates art. Aspirational science fiction becomes inspirational science fact. And it couldnt have come at a better time. The discovery coincides with the highly anticipated Andor Season 2 and culminates on May 4, Star Wars Day. Whats remarkable is that Star Wars Day didnt start as a corporate promotion from Lucasfilm or Disney. It began organically, as a grassroots celebration that eventually gained support from the franchise itself. If fans can build a movement around Star Wars Day, imagine what we could do with National STEM Week. A bill is currently pending in Congress, and Im working hard to help it pass. When Culture and the Classroom Work Together We all know the impact a great teacher can have. Scientists like Jocelyn Bell Burnell, Stephen Hawking, and Neil deGrasse Tyson were shaped by mentors who inspired their journeys. But the STEM education crisis is too deep to rely on classrooms alone. Can a nation thrive when only 38% of fourth graders and 22% of 12th graders are proficient in science? We need to activate every source of inspiration we canand science fiction has a proven track record. Science Fiction: The Hidden Engine of Innovation The stories we love often shape the futures we build. For more than a century, science fiction has fueled real-world breakthroughs. Robert Goddard, father of modern rocketry, was inspired by Jules Vernes From the Earth to the Moon. Leó Szilárd, who conceived the nuclear chain reaction, was influenced by H.G. Wellss The World Set Free. Martin Cooper, the inventor of the first portable cellphone, credited Star Treks communicator as the spark that lit his imagination. And today, countless female scientistshighlighted by the Society of Women Engineerscite Star Wars as a defining inspiration. Mobilizing the Public: A 360-degree Strategy In our fractured media landscape, no single message can create change alone. Thats why the movement for STEM must be multifacetedspanning education policy, nonprofit engagement, corporate investment, and yes, pop culture moments like this one. Science fiction and fantasy account for up to 15% of adult fiction salesabout 120 million books. These fans already understand that todays wild ideas often become tomorrows realities. They are an untapped STEM army. If we can rally this communityget sci-fi lovers to pressure leaders at every level to invest in STEMwe could empower a new generation of brilliant minds. Not only to discover the next exoplanets, but to find ways to reach them.
Category:
E-Commerce
Chilis Grill & Bar turned 50 this year. But as a new generation of diners is learning, its still got it. Thanks to a series of well-timed marketing effortsand at least one viral hit appetizerdiners are flocking to the restaurants, which just posted a same-store sales increase of more than 30 percent in its last fiscal quarter. Traffic is up more than 20 percent. Kevin Hochman, CEO of Chilis parent Brinker International, credits some of this success to operational adjustments: better kitchen technology, better cook training, and a recent dishwasher-listening tour in which the often invisible, but absolutely vital, employees who clean the chains dishes were asked what they needed to make their jobs easier. Marketing is driving guests in, Hochman told analysts and investors on Tuesdays earnings call. Operations is bringing guests back. {"blockType":"creator-network-promo","data":{"mediaUrl":"https:\/\/images.fastcompany.com\/image\/upload\/f_webp,q_auto,c_fit\/wp-cms-2\/2025\/03\/Expedite-Icon-E-white-background.jpg.jpg","headline":"Expedite","description":"Restaurant technology and the big ideas shaping the future of hospitality, by Kristen Hawley. To learn more visit expedite.news","substackDomain":"https:\/\/www.expedite.news\/","colorTheme":"salmon","redirectUrl":""}} Chilis had some misses on the road to modernization. Hochman assumed the top role at Brinker in 2022. Shortly after, he fired a fleet of rolling robotic servers deployed in 60 locations to help human staff deliver food and bus tables. Less than a year later, Chilis closed its online-only delivery brand It’s Just Wings, which tapped into the fleeting ghost kitchen craze during the pandemic. Turns out diners are responding to comfort and nostalgianot modern bells and whistlesat the decades-old brand. Heres more of whats working, according to Hochman. The food Six months ago, the Chilis Triple Dipper appetizer went viral on TikTok, boosting sales of the pick-three combo. The appetizer now makes up 12% of sales. Chilis also introduced a new burger to compete with fast-food brands that have been forced to raise prices over time, and has spent time coaching its cooks on how to make properly smashed, seasoned, and consistent burgers. Later this year, the chain plans to introduce a revamped version of its once-popular ribs, which now make up only 3% of sales. Hochman also teased a new queso in order to reinvent Chilis nachos. The drinks Margaritas landed on the menu at Chilis more than 30 years ago. This year, Chilis made a 15-minute Lifetime movie titled Ill Be Home for National Margarita Day, which aired in February. The short film combined two reliable sources of comforta cheesy Lifetime movie and a night out at Chilisaccording to Chilis chief marketing officer George Felix. But mostly, Hochman said during Tuesdays call, the move was meant to drive sales and awareness of the cocktail that has been a Chilis staple since 1994. (Its newest margarita campaign features 1990s “it girl” Tiffani Thiessen promoting a 90s-themed, limited-time Radical Rita that changes colors when its stirred.) The vibes In April, Chilis opened its Scranton Branch, a new location outside of Scranton, Pennsylvania, the famous home of The Office, the decades-old hit comedy thats reemerged as a streaming favorite. Its decked out with décor from a 2005 Chilis-themed episode, including a special booth made for social media sharing. And it features a nostalgic menu item, the Awesome Blossom, a deep-fried onion that was dropped from the menu in 2008. Fans are reacting to the one-off location: Hochman said the stores opening generated over 9 billion media impressions. {"blockType":"creator-network-promo","data":{"mediaUrl":"https:\/\/images.fastcompany.com\/image\/upload\/f_webp,q_auto,c_fit\/wp-cms-2\/2025\/03\/Expedite-Icon-E-white-background.jpg.jpg","headline":"Expedite","description":"Restaurant technology and the big ideas shaping the future of hospitality, by Kristen Hawley. To learn more visit expedite.news","substackDomain":"https:\/\/www.expedite.news\/","colorTheme":"salmon","redirectUrl":""}}
Category:
E-Commerce
In the future, your roof could generate power not only from the sun but also from falling rain. In a recent study, scientists demonstrated a new way to capture renewable energy from rainwater. There is a large amount of energy in rain,” says Siowling Soh, an engineering professor at the National University of Singapore and author of the study, which was published in ACS Central Science. “This large amount of energy is wasted every day. There is currently no commercial technology that tries to harvest it. When water flows down a pipe, it can pick up and move tiny electric charges from the pipes surface. That creates a small electric current. Its similar to the way rubbing a balloon on your hair creates static electricity. In the past, when researchers tried to take advantage of this phenomenon to harness power from flowing water, they couldnt generate enough energy for it to be useful. But the new study found that if water falls in a particular waywith pockets of air in between plugs of falling water, inside a certain size of tubeit could produce far more electricity. The method makes it possible for around 10% of the available energy from the rain to be converted into usable electrical energy. In the study, small sample tubes powered 12 LED light bulbs. A large system could produce a meaningful chunk of energy for a house. As long as we are willing to scale up the system in three-dimensional spacee.g., the lateral dimensions in addition to heightwe will be able to obtain substantial amounts of energy, Soh says. (In addition to generating power from rain, the same approach could also potentially be used to generate power from streams, while avoiding some of the environmental challenges of the large dams used in hydropower today.) The research is still at an early stage, with no designs yet that show how the system might look on a house. But it could take various forms, says Soh, with a tube or multiple tubes bundled together on a roof, which then send power inside a house. The size could vary depending on the amount of power needed. One of the most attractive features of this technology, we think, is that it is highly customizable for different situations, he says. In a rainy climate, like Singapore, the system could complement solar panels, providing more power when the sun isnt shining.
Category:
E-Commerce
All news |
||||||||||||||||||
|
||||||||||||||||||