Good morning, Quartz readers!
What to watch for today
Japan’s opposition Democratic Party elects its new leader. Renho, a half-Taiwanese politician who goes by one name, is a favorite to win. Renho, who would be the first woman to lead the DP, could pave the way for future women.
China launches its second small space station. The Tiangong-2, an orbiting space lab, will allow astronauts to remain on board for 30 days at a time. Two astronauts will be sent to the lab in October for the station’s first mission.
BRICS national security advisors meet in New Delhi. Leaders from Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa are meeting to discuss security issues. Chaired by Indian national security advisor Akit Doval, the group is expected to tackle topics including terrorism, immigration and the ongoing territorial dispute in the South China Sea.
While you were sleeping
Bayer is buying Monsanto in a $57 billion cash deal. The merger of the two behemoth companies would “forge a new agricultural force” (paywall) in the lucrative global crop seeds and pesticide market. The takeover will first require approval from several government regulators wary of consolidation in the sector.
The White House softened its position on Myanmar. Following a White House visit by Burmese leader Aung San Suu Kyi, US president Barack Obama said that the nation’s progress towards democracy gave cause to revoke sanctions. He did not specify which sanctions would be lifted, however, only saying that changes should be expected soon.
The most detailed map of space ever was released. The map, which shows 1.14 billion stars in the Milky Way, is the product of a five-year European Space Agency mission to make a 3D map of our galaxy. The ESA has also released an annotated version of the map to help viewers understand exactly what they’re looking at.
Colin Powell called Donald Trump a “national disgrace.” In hacked emails, the Republican former secretary of state didn’t pull any punches with Hillary Clinton either, writing “everything [she] touches she kind of screws up with hubris.”
Britain and Argentina found common ground over the Falklands. The agreement between the two countries aims to axe restrictions on oil and gas as well as shipping and other sectors. It’s also a change of direction for new Argentinian president Mauricio Macri, whose predecessor Cristina Fernández de Kirchner regularly claimed sovereignty over the islands.
Quartz markets haiku
Volume’s up, shares down
We’re all getting antsy
waiting on the Fed
Quartz obsession interlude
Alison Griswold and Mike Murphy on why we haven’t quite reached the driverless era. “Are Uber’s cars ready for the road? When we rode in one this week, the trip was relatively uneventful. But Uber also explained that engineers had meticulously mapped the roads we traversed. That’s not something you can easily scale. To work safely everywhere, the car needs to be able to react like a human to an oncoming truck, rather than passively responding to preprogramed situations.” Read more here.
Matters of debate
Language impacts our sense of morality. Our moral compasses fluctuate depending on whether we weigh ethical dilemmas in our native tongue or a foreign one.
We need to be more humble. Having access to lots of information has made us overconfident, with little knowledge or wisdom.
The LGBT community should embrace gun rights. The Pink Pistols, a pro-gun organization in the US, believes that gay Americans can future prevent hate crimes by arming themselves.
Surprising discoveries
You might not own your tattoo. Celebrities, athletes, and coffee shops are starting to sue people who steal their ink designs.
The horseshoe crab lived through five mass extinctions. Sadly, the tough Japanese species may have finally met its match in mankind.
Binge-watching “Game of Thrones” might be good for couples. Bonding over characters creates the same sense of belonging as gossiping about real friends.
We have ancient Peruvians to thank for our favorite blue jeans. Researchers believe Peruvians have been using indigo to dye cloth for over 6,000 years.
Hawaiian crows are tool masters. The island-dwelling birds have figured out how to use sticks to dig out food from hard-to-reach places.
Our best wishes for a productive day. Please send any news, comments, original tattoo designs, and space maps to hi@qz.com. You can download our iPhone app or follow us on Twitter for updates throughout the day.