A more-or-less weekly collection of the provocative, intriguing, or curious, in a world where the house is falling down. A mix of the contextual, the cultural, and other things that catch my eye.

Mobile is over. Meaning that its growth is over. Ben Evans on mobile as a saturated mature market, globally. Related: Voice may be smaller than its proponents think. It seems to lack a compelling use case.

And globalisation is over too. Princeton economist Michael O’Sullivan argues in a new book that we’re heading for a split between “Leveller” countries that still believe in rights and freedoms, and more authoritarian “Leviathan” countries. The 17th century language is deliberate. The Economist has an interview and an extract.

The world is heading towards a food shortage. The Oxford Martin Institutes’s Michael Hamm proposes eight solutions.

When energy industries stall, they crash quickly. This is a bit technical, but the Gregor Letter notes: “after nothing happening for a long time, everything appears to be happening at once.” The consequences for the oil industry could be “devastating”.

Consumers know when they’re being nudged. Of course they know there’s more than “two rooms left”. Interesting article on consumer user research.

Voltaire was right. The perfect is the enemy of the good. Just get it done.

140 years of recorded sound. Pink Floyd drummer Nick Mason presents a radio history. Conclusion: content always beats technology (50 mins). There are another seven programmes about specific instruments. There may only be a few days to listen.

Image courtesy of Wikipedia. Sixes or sevens will be away for a couple of weeks. Back on 3rd August.

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 “The whole world’s at sixes and sevens, and why the house hasn’t fallen down about our ears long ago is a miracle to me.” (Thornton Wilder)