OZY Daily Dose

Robot teachers? Military schools on Mars for our naughtiest children? The world of education has not quite become what the Jetsons imagined back in the 1960s. Though they did get some things right. Our cities of today find themselves endeavoring against a constellation of old world problems: a pandemic, poverty, obesity and environmental destruction. All the while, educators find themselves attempting to forge the societies of tomorrow with not much more than keyboards and video calls. In this twilight period, where digital native children are either outsmarting the books in front of them (thanks, Google) or are simply unable to access modern forms of education, teachers and governments are racking their brains — and finding smart ways to move forward. From artificial intelligence grading systems to environmentally focused schools made from bamboo, to the city simply pulling out the good old TV set, today’s Daily Dose takes you on a global journey to five regions that are reimagining the world of education.

Who doesn’t love to leave their mark? Whether with words or images, we humans are obsessed with sharing our mind’s eye. Centuries before Twitter or Twitch, the ancient Greeks and Romans communicated by writing messages on bar walls. Get this: The word “graffiti” actually comes from the Greek “graphein.” Now, from American teenagers artfully tagging city walls to postmodern artists banking millions from murals, graffiti remains a form of expression without equal. But things are changing. With local governments and companies moving in on the most Insta-friendly walls and writers aching to stay true to their art, what does the future hold for these impermanent pieces? Today’s Daily Dose takes you on a fascinating journey alongside the unsung can- and brush-wielders you need to follow, introduces the places where “wall bombing” is a matter of life-and-death and shows you how to become an expert graffiti snob.

In the world of livestream gaming, there’s one platform that stands head and shoulders above the rest. Forget your Facebook Gaming, Caffeine or Owncast. Twitch is where it’s at. After initially gaining popularity with video game livestreamers, today it’s so much more — a place for painting tutorials, political sofa chats and even a space where preservers of at-risk languages get together by the millions. Today’s Daily Dose takes you on a journey through the weird and wonderful world of Twitch — who to watch, what to look for, and what to expect.

Modern science has made space travel more accessible than ever before, so much so that billionaires feel safe shooting up into the skies. But look in the opposite direction, and you’ll find a giant void of knowledge. Only 20% of Earth’s ocean floor has been mapped. Vast stretches of our seas are less understood than the surfaces of Mars and Venus. Yet that great unknown is now emerging as an untouched economic frontier. From mining firms to Big Tech, industries are queueing up to explore and exploit the deep seas. So get ready to dive into a world of mystery and wonder, learn about battles bubbling beneath the surface of the oceans, meet individuals making waves down below and revisit the myriad ways in which the sea has inspired everything from myths to the military.

Ohio State University; Florida State; Gonzaga; all college sports royalty we know and love or despise. But what if we told you the recent groundswell of anti-racist activism that’s swept across America over the past year is helping reshape the world of college sports too? Due to what observers call heightened “racial consciousness,” elite Black athletes are today being drawn to historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs). It’s a trend that could reshape the college sports universe. “I describe this often in class as the ‘Trayvon Martin generation,’” says Derrick White, an African American studies professor at the University of Kentucky and the author of Blood, Sweat, and Tears. Today, we serve up the lowdown on the HBCU sports programs to watch, highlight the stars set to shine and dive into how the reckoning on America’s streets is changing college sports.

It fashioned itself as a financial instrument of and for the people. A tool for the masses and amateur stock dabblers. A way to place stock trading in the hands of everyday folk. Trading platform Robinhood is set to go public later this year, having been slated for restricting trading of GameStop stocks in January. But here’s the kicker: The estimated valuation of this upstart startup is an eye-watering $40 billion, making it very much now a big league player. What has this to do with me, you ask? Well, analysts say the GameStop saga illustrates that stock trading is turning mainstream, and with a record number of private companies opening for public trading in 2021, investment opportunities — and pitfalls — abound. In today’s Daily Dose, we take you on a journey into the white-hot world of initial public offerings, introduce the fresh new business hounds on every investor’s mind and serve you juicy insights into what it’s all about.

From cafés and bars to hotels and bookstores, on today’s Daily Dose we’ll dive into some of OZY’s favorite literary haunts from around the world.

In today’s Daily Dose, we dive into the little-known divisions the rush for vaccines is fueling.

Women’s American 5,000- and 1,500-meter record holder and Olympic contender Shelby Houlihan is banned from competing for four years after testing positive for steroids, and now Sha’Carri Richardson, America’s fastest woman, is benched for a month — and thus forced out of the Tokyo Games — for failing a drug test for marijuana. Wherever the blame lies, and however intentional or unintentional the offending acts, these cases remind us of the enduring presence of performance-enhancing and illegal substances in sports. Doping shreds public trust in athletics and in each affected sport — not just in countries known for concocting systematic doping measures, but right here in the United States. Even worse, offenders take money, fame and glory away from clean competitors. With the Olympics drawing near, today’s Daily Dose digs deep into the murky world of performance enhancement and highlights how cutting-edge, controversial technologies are upending the sports world.

Hear the rattling of coins? See your piggy bank shaking on the fireplace mantle? If you’re worried about the future of your savings and investments, know that you’re not alone. The Federal Reserve sent tremors through global markets last month by declaring that it plans to raise interest rates twice by the end of 2023, the central bank’s first admission that it is concerned about fears of inflation. What the Fed decides and how the economy responds will impact all of us. Today’s Daily Dose explores the tectonic nature of these economic shifts, key players and what this could all mean for you.