Sleep: The dreamiest new industry
Inside the business of battling insomnia and the science behind our slumber
Quartz Obsession
Join us every week as reporters from our global newsroom dig into the most fascinating facets of an idea: where it came from, how it got to us, and what it can tell us about the forces that are changing the way we live and work.
Season 8
Season 7
The algorithm: Letters of recommendation
The making of the recommendation formulas that influence what we stream, shop, and see online today.
Season 6
Synthetic Memories: Generating the past
New technology uses AI to take the oral histories of early-stage dementia patients and turn them into memories.
Season 5
Algorithmic hiring: We’re only human
What is it like going through the job search process without ever interacting with a real person?
Season 4
Credit score: Numbers might lie
In a global economy that runs on debt, the credit score system works... until it doesn't
Season 3
Podcasts: Let’s get meta
Asynchronous, on-demand talk radio was a bold proposition back in 2004, when podcasts first started making waves. Less than 20 years later, podcasting is a big business. But monetization has its downsides: What began as a freewheeling, do-it-yourself space is evolving into a data-obsessed sector dominated by tech giants.
Season 2
Sequels: Here we go again
After the release of a great film, it seems natural to us now that they’d want to make another. But this was not always the case. Now that Hollywood seems to almost compulsively turn successful films into franchises, reboots, and cinematic universes, are there good reasons to keep making sequels?
Season 1
Six Sigma: Manufacturing perfection
In the early 2000s, GE was the world’s most powerful company, and its CEO Jack Welch was a firm believer in the Six Sigma system for eliminating errors in manufacturing. With GE as its poster child, management consultants spread the gospel of Six Sigma to companies everywhere. Now, as GE’s fortunes diminished, so has interest in Six Sigma. But what made this system so special in the first place, and how much is still useful today?
