OZY Daily Dose

Have you noticed a trend this summer? No, not that face masks in many countries are making a comeback; we’re talking about the fires, devastating floods and heat waves of almost biblical proportions that have hit vast swathes of our world, from Canada to China to Siberia to Germany. There may still be a raging health pandemic, but we need to also pay attention to another deadly, global plague that’s getting worse, not better: climate change. In today’s Daily Dose, we detail how five diverse cities (including one that’s yet to be built) are using innovative ideas to carve paths — not always successfully, mind you — in the pursuit of environmental sustainability. Read on to learn more!

Look up at the stars tonight. Those twinkling diamonds are several thousands of light years away. Our planet is just a grain of sand on a virtually endless beach, a small dot in a gigantic galaxy. Is it the only dot with life on it? That’s a question humankind has asked ever since we started understanding the basics of astronomy thousands of years ago. Now, we’re closer than ever to finding the answer, as an unprecedented crush of ultrapowerful telescopes and interplanetary missions try to trace where else life might possibly exist. Today’s Daily Dose travels to the far reaches of the universe on that search, taking you to the latest breakthroughs and the people behind them. Are you curious? You should be.

Bulletproof fiber. Reusable glue. An insanely potent cleaning product. Athletic running shoes. The World Wide Web. Even the “little blue pill.” What do each of these everyday products have in common? Well, first off, they all exist today thanks to individual genius, but even more spectacular: They are all accidental finds. In today’s Daily Dose, we take you through some of the most shocking, wonderful serendipitous moments that changed the course of history and offer insight into the inspiring brains behind these products. We promise that when you’re done, you’ll never look at them the same way again.

When the Berlin Wall fell on Nov. 9, 1989, then-35-year-old Angela Merkel didn’t rush to the border as many of her fellow East Germans did. Instead, she kept her weekly Thursday date at a local sauna, coolly confident that she had time on her hands. She did: 16 years at the very top of European politics, in fact. That calm patience is a leitmotif that has defined the journey of a woman who has arguably become the most important politician of the 21st century. A quantum chemist whose father was a Lutheran pastor in the communist East, Merkel has led Germany, Europe and — many would argue — the world through rare tumult since she became her country’s first female chancellor in 2005. Now as she prepares to step away from politics when her current term expires with Germany’s federal elections on Sept. 26, this Daily Dose tracks her legacy and introduces you to leaders vying to gain Merkel-level clout. Recall what world leaders have said about her and let one of modern history’s most straight-faced politicians leave you with a laugh-out-loud moment.

You’re never fully dressed without a smile, a mask ... and maybe another mask, just in case. But now that we are starting to emerge from our home offices, shed the sweatpants and venture back to the streets, you might be asking yourself: What do you wear? Is tie-dye still cool? Can I still wear high-rise jeans? Welcome to the great reopening, which will have you second-guessing your outfit like you are back in middle school. But never fear, OZY is here to tell you about some Black rising stars in the world of fashion to follow, help you find out where the industry is heading, what you need to up your game for the fall and the global trends in a glamorous but grubby industry.

Throw out the chalk and blackboards, because there’s a new player in the world of education. While ink and copybooks were the foundation stones for a new era of learning centuries ago, now in 2021 we stand on the precipice of another massive change in educational technology: artificial intelligence. Today’s Daily Dose takes you through the exciting new ways technology is set to shape education in the years to come. We look at how it can ease stress, save time and put a 21st-century touch on some age-old teaching methods. So hang up your backpack and put away your pencil and scissors. Right here is where tomorrow’s classroom takes shape.

A few months ago, I took a sabbatical from social media. The must-watch videos that, at the onset of the pandemic, seemed fun (breads, yoga and political debates) quickly became overwhelming. So I switched out the apps for the great outdoors and actually making phone calls. Spoiler alert: Chatting with friends when you haven’t already been scrolling through their feeds makes for more interesting conversations. Of course, I’m not alone. Even as the number of social media users grows, an ever-expanding tribe of disillusioned humanity is turning its back on these data-hungry, privacy-shredding platforms. Increasingly, people are turning to outdoor community activities and privacy-friendly social media platforms. Read on in today’s Daily Dose to see what’s beyond social media.

America’s longest war is almost over. At least on paper. President Joe Biden has announced that the U.S. will complete the pullout of its troops from Afghanistan by Aug. 31, days before the 20th anniversary of 9/11 — the cataclysmic terrorist attack on America that prompted the country’s military invasion more than 6,500 miles away. But for the thousands of U.S. soldiers who have served in Afghanistan, many of whom have returned home in recent months, a different conflict is very much alive. From hunger to homelessles, the battle for survival is real for America’s vets. Today’s Daily Dose peels away those layers of neglect to look at the challenges faced by the country’s bravest, the unlikely fixes that could help them, the soldiers fighting for change and how vets around the world fare. Because America owes its vets more than platitudes.

Hosting is exciting. Hosting for the first time in over a year is even more thrilling. For the longest time, the notion of dinner parties has felt consigned to the pre-pandemic world. No longer. As people start opening their homes up to friends and family again, interior design is now a top pursuit of many an intrepid host. So what’s new, cool and intriguing this summer? Break out the chardonnay and IPAs and join us for a dive into must-have furniture ideas worth your cash, the rising designer stars to know and the trends to take home.

A lanky stranger in a beach town, with a fake ID and a final departure. A young mother trying to pin a murder on her toddler. Ships that never sailed home, and missing persons posters, fluttering in cold, Alaskan air. At first glance, there may seem little to tie these people, places and things together. Yet you’re reading about them in tandem, years after they disappeared — because they disappeared. United in their final fate of retreating from the view of the world that they inhabited across disparate times and spaces, eight missing entities come briefly together. Perhaps they will spark new theories, perhaps they will plague you with their enduring lack of closure. The only way to know for sure is to read on in today’s Daily Dose.