Good morning, Quartz readers!
Today we’re excited to present our most ambitious special project to date, Machines with Brains. An outgrowth of our obsession with artificial intelligence, robots, drones, self-driving cars, and chatbots, this project delves more deeply into what it means to be human in a world that is increasingly powered by these technologies. The result is 13 longform, interactive stories, with original photography, illustration, and video. Check them all out here, and sign up for our announcement email list to make sure you don’t miss future launches.
What to watch for today
Japan revs up TPP talks, without the US. The 11 remaining members of the Trans-Pacific Partnership, an Obama-era trade initiative rejected by Donald Trump earlier this year, will meet for three days in Japan to continue negotiations. Japanese officials have high hopes for the talks after reaching a trade agreement with the EU last week.
Janet Yellen testifies before Congress. During her two-day semi-annual testimony, the Federal Reserve chairwoman is expected to confirm interest-rate hikes and discuss a timeline for shrinking the Fed’s balance sheet. Global equity markets dipped ahead of Yellen’s speech, as investors readied for a tighter US monetary policy.
Chris Wray appears before the senate judiciary committee. Trump’s nominee for FBI director testifies at 9:30am ET. The former federal prosecutor has worked in private practice for more than a decade, and has close ties to New Jersey governor and one-time Trump advisor Chris Christie. Wray’s testimony will be streamed online via PBS NewsHour.
It’s net neutrality protest day. Internet giants, including Google, Facebook, and Amazon will join the online protest against the Trump administration’s plans to roll back Obama-era rules that prevent ISPs from unfairly prioritizing data on the internet, e.g. by creating “fast lanes” for customers who pay more. Expect simulations of website slowdowns and messages supporting neutrality.
While you were sleeping
Donald Trump Jr. defended himself on air. The president’s son, who yesterday posted emails that showed he was eager to meet a Russian government official claiming to have dirt on Hillary Clinton, told Fox News on Tuesday night that the meeting with the Russian lawyer during the US presidential campaign was “just a nothing.” He added that he hadn’t told his father about it at the time as there was “nothing to tell.” Some US legal experts believe Donald Trump Jr. broke federal law by meeting a Russian lawyer.
Apple announced its first data center in China. It is setting up the center to comply with new Chinese cybersecurity laws requiring all firms to pass security reviews and store all data within China. The center is in the southwestern province of Guizhou, where Apple said it plans to invest $1 billion.
Burberry’s Chinese fans boosted its bottom line. The troubled British fashion company reported a 3% rise in revenue in the first quarter, thanks largely to a social media drive on messaging app WeChat in China that tripled its online sales in the country. The trenchcoat pioneer didn’t fare so well in the US in the quarter as the strong dollar encouraged US consumers to do more shopping overseas.
Brazil’s senate approved its first labor-law overhaul in 70 years. Amid the nation’s worst-ever recession, the bill eliminates mandatory union dues and modernizes labor laws. The bill’s passage might be a short-lived victory for president Michel Temer, who faces corruption charges—the speaker of the lower house of congress called for a vote on the charges to be held this week.
China sent troops to its first overseas military base. Ships carrying personnel are heading to Djibouti, a tiny but strategically located country in the Horn of Africa, near some of the world’s busiest shipping lanes. Djibouti also hosts bases for the US, Japan, and France.
Quartz obsession interlude
Mike Murphy on the app that wants to replicate you: “Right now, Replika is just a fun way for people to see how they sound in messages to others, synthesizing the thousands of messages you’ve sent into a distillate of your tone. But its creator sees a whole bunch of possible uses for it: a digital twin to serve as a companion for the lonely, a living memorial of the dead, created for those left behind, or even, one day, a version of ourselves that can carry out all the mundane tasks that we humans have to do, but never want to.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
Passive investing is bad for growth. Index- and exchange-traded funds are making companies and economies less competitive.
The internet of things makes Toy Story more real. Adding “smart devices” to our homes will lead to conflicts between them.
The best way to read a book is very slowly. By keeping a book in one location, you form a relationship between the book, yourself, and the room where you read it.
Surprising discoveries
Frogs may have been the first animals to develop kneecaps. Researchers discovered evidence that amphibians had kneecap-like tissue masses as far back as 400 million years ago.
No one in Hong Kong wanted a Tesla in April. A Tesla has little or no price advantage over a Mercedes-Benz now that the electric-car tax break has been scrapped.
Saturn’s moon Titan could support a human colony. A study suggests that Titan has enough energy reserves for 300 million people.
Job recruiters know where you are right now. “Geofencing” uses GPS technology to let companies advertise jobs to potential applicants in a specific region.
Calculating home-run distances is like measuring sea level. To determine the true distance of a homer, you have to use math to get the stadium out of the way.
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