Daily Signals 09.08.2023

Signals

NASA’s new streaming service, how Ivy League colleges are unable to secure high earnings for all graduates and why a vegan diet is better for the environment than a high-meat diet.

NASA enters streaming space with NASA+

NASA+, Global

US – NASA has stepped into the entertainment arena with the announcement of its new on-demand streaming service, NASA+. The service will provide live coverage of upcoming launches, documentaries and series programming. Although currently in development, NASA+ will be accessible through the NASA app on iOS and Android, and via streaming media players including Apple TV, Fire TV, Roku and the web. Despite the name, the streaming service will remain ad-free and open to all users without the need for a subscription.

Jeff Seaton, chief information officer at NASA’s headquarters, stated: ‘Our vision is to inspire humanity through a unified, world-class NASA web experience.’ The launch accompanies a redesign of NASA’s flagship and science websites, as well as an enhancement to the NASA app, aimed at making content more accessible.

The platform will also introduce new original video series alongside NASA’s existing collection. In our Extraterrestrial Innovations Market, we looked at how brands are recognising the potential of space to be used as a testbed for innovation. NASA+ can prove to be an important platform in this market as it is already an established and trusted voice of authority for all things extra-terrestrial.

Strategic opportunity

As commercial space tourism will soon become a reality, it unlocks a new wave of marketing and advertising opportunities – plus new viewpoints on our world that are set to influence consumer perspectives. How can you as a business make good use of this untapped space?

Ivy League colleges can help secure prestigious career paths but not higher earnings

The Polo Ralph Lauren Exclusively for Morehouse and Spelman Colleges Collection, US The Polo Ralph Lauren Exclusively for Morehouse and Spelman Colleges Collection, US

US – A report released in July 2023 challenges the notion that a degree from one of the US's top colleges directly translates to higher salaries and reveals that the true value lies in access to elite career opportunities.

The research by Opportunity Insights covered 2.4m students at eight Ivy League universities, plus Stanford, MIT, Duke and the University of Chicago, and looked at their high school grade point average, test scores and non-academic credentials. It identified that Ivy Plus graduates had a 17.6 percentage point advantage in getting hired by prestigious firms compared with state school graduates.

'Do you become a highly paid professional at a very good company? For those kind of outcomes, the school you go to matters a little but not a ton,' Raj Chetty, a Harvard economist who co-authored the study, told The Wall Street Journal. 'Where it matters enormously is reaching the upper tail, the path to becoming a CEO, leading scientist at a top graduate school, political leader.'

But the study also underlines the access gap, revealing that wealthier families' children hold greater admission chances than middle-class peers with similar qualifications.

With the June 2023 US Supreme Court decision which essentially ended affirmative action at universities, tomorrow's leadership is likely to fall into the hands of a lucky few who attended the same universities – and who now look the same. That's exactly why out-of-work networks and local communities will become a must among young non-Ivy League graduates on the hunt for a job.

Strategic opportunity

To attract and retain a diversity of talents, employers should focus on fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace culture that values skills, talents and achievements from across a wide range of educational backgrounds

Stat: Debunking the real environmental impact of veganism

The Grill by Tom Booton at The Dorchester, London, UK The Grill by Tom Booton at The Dorchester, London, UK

UK – What is the real impact of our diets on the planet? New extensive research reveals that plant-based diets lead to 75% fewer climate-heating emissions, and less water pollution and land use than meat-heavy ones.

Data estimating the environmental impact of food habits tend to rely on modelled dietary scenarios, which fail to represent the food’s footprint accurately. A new study led by University of Oxford researchers gathered dietary data from more than 55,000 vegans, vegetarians, fish eaters and meat eaters in the UK to shed light on the impact of each diet on the environment.

Findings stress that low-meat diets incorporating less than 50g a day have half the impact of high-meat diets in terms of greenhouse gas emissions, water pollution and land use, but the differences between these low-meat, pescatarian and vegetarian diets is not significant.

If opinion divides on whether meat alternatives are sound sustainable choices subsist, this data supports the idea that substitutes helping people cut down their meat consumption are key to alleviating our food footprints.

Strategic opportunity

When marketing animal protein alternatives, make sure to clearly communicate the key benefits consumers will get from your products, as better-for-you and better-for-the-planet products will not necessarily appeal to the same groups

Previous Daily Signals Articles
Vacheron Constantin’s La Quête du Temps stars in Louvre exhibition

Daily Signals

Vacheron Constantin’s La Quête du Temps stars in Louvre exhibition

Luxury Swiss watchmaker Vacheron Constantin has unveiled La Quête du Temps at the Louvre, a monumental automaton clock to celebrate the brand’s 270...
Luxury : Watches : Retail
Mandarin Oriental to open first golf and wellness resort in Dubai

Daily Signals

Mandarin Oriental to open first golf and wellness resort in Dubai

Mandarin Oriental is expanding its luxury footprint in Dubai with its first dedicated golf resort and branded residences, set to open in 2030.
Travel : Hospitality : Luxury
Stat: Medical misinformation is a growing concern for US Women

Daily Signals

Stat: Medical misinformation is a growing concern for US Women

A recent survey by Clue reveals that 82% of US women are concerned about encountering medical misinformation online, with over half (55%) reporting...
Stats : Statistic : Statistics
Netflix’s Famous Last Words signals a new era of digital legacy

Daily Signals

Netflix’s Famous Last Words signals a new era of digital legacy

Dr Jane Goodall, the renowned ethologist and conservationist passed away this week. An interview she recorded for Netflix’s new series Famous Last ...
Technology : Legacy : Longevity
Foresight Friday: Seyi Oduwole, foresight analyst

Daily Signals

Foresight Friday: Seyi Oduwole, foresight analyst

Every Friday, we offer an end-of-week wrap-up of the topics, issues, ideas and virals we’re all talking about. This week, foresight analyst Seyi Od...
Foresight Friday : Content Creation : Media
Stat: Americans’ trust in media declines to record low

Daily Signals

Stat: Americans’ trust in media declines to record low

Media : Trust : Consumer Behaviour
London welcomes the world’s first Museum of Youth Culture

Daily Signals

London welcomes the world’s first Museum of Youth Culture

The world’s first permanent museum dedicated to youth culture is set to open in Camden, London, in December 2025.
Youth : Culture : Museum
Swedish insurer hacks social media algorithms with mental health anthem

Daily Signals

Swedish insurer hacks social media algorithms with mental health anthem

Swedish insurer Länsförsäkringar Göteborg och Bohuslän has launched Detoxify, a subversive campaign that uses music to retrain harmful social media...
Sweden : Social Media : Algorithms
Stat: Gen Z shuns the values most desired by hiring managers

Daily Signals

Stat: Gen Z shuns the values most desired by hiring managers

New research from behavioural-science company Becoming You Labs reveals that only a small fraction of American Gen Z hold the three main values tha...
Youth : Gen Z : Work
Stella McCartney debuts plant-based feathers at Paris Fashion Week

Daily Signals

Stella McCartney debuts plant-based feathers at Paris Fashion Week

At Paris Fashion Week, Stella McCartney unveiled a striking alternative to bird feathers: plant-based Fevvers.
Stella McCartney : Fevvers : Feathers
You have 2 free News articles remaining. Sign up to LS:N Global to get unlimited access to all articles.
BECOME A MEMBER
SIGN IN