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Hong Kong was once denounced as “a barren rock with nary a house upon it.”
Yet it is that barren rock upon which Hong Kong’s spirit has been built. The idea of the “Lion Rock spirit”—of thriving in the face of bitter adversity—entered the collective imagination with a 1970s TV series about the lives of working-class residents living below the city’s iconic Lion Rock mountain, whose contours resemble the animal. Many of them had sought refuge in the then British colony from China’s political strife, and together they strove to improve their lot.
As the city transformed itself into a prosperous financial hub, that spirit evolved with it. And it was on full display this week during mass protests against a hated extradition law—the most dire threat yet to the “one country, two systems” framework that governs Hong Kong. Under the proposed law, suspects, including foreigners, could be sent to mainland China to face trial.
The specter of losing its freedoms has never been far from Hong Kong’s consciousness, given that its special status is set to end in 2047—and there are many signs that the turning point is coming sooner than expected. Resistance may well be futile, though you wouldn’t know that from the crowds who turned out this week, in scenes reminiscent of 2014’s Umbrella Movement.
At the largely leaderless gathering, people set up elaborate supply stations to distribute masks and water to douse tear gas, and looked out for one another—and for journalists too. After the violence and chaos, some even returned to clean up rubbish. It was a logistical achievement, and an inspiration for anyone dealing with creeping authoritarianism.
The odds are longer this time that Hong Kong can pull off a repeat of 2003, when its leaders, faced with demonstrations, abandoned a law to punish a host of political crimes. Still, while some government advisers want the extradition law to stay on the fast track, other establishment voices, including a pro-Beijing legislator, are calling for a pause.
The protesters aren’t blinkered by rose-colored glasses—they know the strength of the Chinese government. Yet recent days have shown there are a million reasons—make that 7 million—nobody should underestimate the underdog in this fight. The protesters vow to be out in the streets again this weekend. —Mary Hui
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Move already. You’re probably sitting while reading this, and that isn’t good for you. Modern life has become an evolutionary mismatch for the active lifestyle our bodies need to stay healthy. As Molly Rubin explains in a Quartz video, the “movement movement” frames fitness not by how much we exercise, but by how little we move. Running and other high-intensity activities are not necessarily the answer. Just work more movement into your life.
“Well, that was an adventure.” Former employees of Theranos—some of whom now work at Silicon Valley’s biggest names—struggle to explain their time at the infamous biotech firm, according to an analysis of LinkedIn profiles by Liz Webber. Some alumni get creative in their job descriptions, while others hide the company name. Their digital resumes highlight the delicate balancing act for staffers after their employer implodes.
A viral video illustrates good parenting. Last week, a clip of a father talking to his 19-month-old son broke the internet. In it, the baby babbles incoherently at the TV while his impressively straight-faced dad talks to him about the season finale of Empire. As Annabelle Timsit explains, the video is more than an adorable hit: It also models the type of parental interaction that fosters infant brain development.
Food-and-water powerhouse. According to estimates, by 2030 the world’s water needs will exceed supplies by 40%. Israel, for one, is ready. Thanks to homegrown technology, the nation excels in conserving, reusing, and artificially producing water, and has hundreds of startups operating in the food and agriculture sectors. As Chase Purdy writes (Quartz member exclusive), Israel plans to export its ideas and tech to other parts of the world—using California as a test case.
Implicit bias in a sports video game. Football Manager, one of the most popular video games in the UK, includes ratings for thousands of soccer players across the world on both physical and mental attributes. Dan Kopf mined its database and found that darker skinned players tend to score significantly worse on the mental scales. Since the ratings are based on the assessments of local scouts, this is a case of real-life racism projected into the digital world.
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A lawsuit to boot. The team favored to win the current FIFA Women’s World Cup has one serious disadvantage: legal distractions. Members of the long-dominant American squad are suing the US Soccer Federation over gender discrimination, noting the much higher pay for members of the men’s team despite far less success. In The New York Times Magazine, Lizzy Goodman considers the difficulty of pulling “double duty,” as the players prepare for both on-field and in-court battles.
Trouble in paradise. The quiet town of Carpinteria, California and its surrounds are known for perfect beaches, rolling vineyards, and avocado ranches. Lately they’re also known for something else: marijuana controversy. Santa Barbara County, where they’re located, has particularly lax regulations for weed growers, which have flocked there, writes Joe Mozingo in the Los Angeles Times. Now locals complain of the crop’s skunky odor, and the pastoral landscape is marred by polyethylene hoop houses.
Family-tree forensics. Genealogy websites were never designed for police work, but they are proving to be a powerful (some say invasive) tool for just that. In a Washington state double homicide cold case, researchers now have a suspect thanks to DNA-based family-tree sleuthing. The resulting trial will set a legal precedent on the use of genetic genealogy in crime cases, writes Megan Molteni for Wired. Ultimately the US Supreme Court could weigh in.
Living in public in the aftermath of notoriety. For Medium’s new publication Gen, which focuses on politics, power, and culture, Amanda Knox shares her frustrations with how the media treated her during and after her trial for murder in Italy, what it feels like to have the details of your private life become consumable content, and why she still chooses to post personal social media updates openly anyway.
Not stacking up. Every year Lego sells over 50 billion bricks made of oil-based plastic. Having pledged to switch to sustainable alternatives by 2030—like plastics made of corn or wheat—it’s spent seven years trying hundreds of materials combinations. Nothing quite works. As Saabira Chaudhuri writes in the Wall Street Journal, the toymaker ranks the challenge with putting a person on the Moon. Acrylonitrile butadiene styrene, it turns out, is hard to beat.
Our best wishes for a relaxing but thought-filled weekend. Please send any news, comments, creative resumes, and sustainable Lego bricks to hi@qz.com. Join the next chapter of Quartz by downloading our app and becoming a member. Today’s Weekend Brief was edited by Steve Mollman and Holly Ojalvo.