Weekend Edition: Future is Now

Hey there, early risers and night owls,

In this Weekend Edition, we explore America's unbreakable relationship with coffee, dig into new alcohol cancer warnings, and serve up a few other stories that might just reshape your day. Ready for your morning jolt? Let's jump in!

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What’s worth knowing today:

We're looking back a century to see what 1920s bigwigs thought 2025 might hold. Some predictions are incredibly accurate, while others are adorably off-base (looking at you, extinct horses in zoos). From "flivver-filled skies" to world peace, it's a fascinating grab bag of optimism and caution.

But here we are—standing squarely in the future they once tried to conjure. It turns out they weren't wrong about high-tech homes and wireless wonders or about city life. Let's take a tip from their smart predictions and ask ourselves: How do you see the next century?

Meet Gen Beta

In 2025, Gen Beta begins to arrive and live into the 22nd century. Kids born to millennials and Gen Z will inherit a world shaped by AI, climate change, and a global culture that's more connected than ever. From day one, they will navigate chatbots, 3D-printed lunches, and TikTok-level content.

What really sets Gen Beta apart? Their parents will be obsessed with sustainability and cautious about Big Tech. Their ABCs will also include learning about carbon and digital footprints—equally transformative. Keep an eye on Gen Beta if you're a policymaker, marketer, or just curious. Now, they may be tiny, but they're set to rewrite our future.

Sipping, Not Skipping

We're willing to give up fancy dinners and fast food cravings, but daily coffee? No chance. Inflation has squeezed pockets and reduced restaurant expenditures, but we're still loyal to our lattes. Plus, coffee is usually under five bucks, so it feels "small enough" to justify no matter what's going on.

A record-high 67 percent of Americans sipped coffee yesterday, topping almost everything we drink. Fast food can wait, but a macchiato can't. You can blame (or thank) coffee for keeping us going each day. It's our daily dose of comfort and energy. So yeah, times are tough, but you might have to pry that coffee cup from our jittery hands. Enjoy your next latte—guilt is only optional.

Re-Label Happy Hour

It's not just about hangovers anymore—the U.S. Surgeon General calls alcohol causes multiple cancers. His big ask? New warning labels say even moderate drinking increases your risk of breast, colon, throat, and other cancers. Yes, Congress must approve any label changes, but this is the loudest call yet to treat booze like cigarettes.

For everyday drinkers, it's a sobering reminder: less is better. Still, many doctors say it's not about banning wine entirely—it’s about knowing the stakes. Next time you raise a toast, remember: a new "read before you sip" era might be coming. Cheers to clarity.

Bonus: America's drunkest and driest counties.

💡 Core Wisdom

📸 Lens to Life

The best science images of 2024.

🧮 Core Count: 10,000

Number of banned books in US public schools in 2023-24 school year.

🗓️ Flashback:

1847 - Samuel Colt sold his first revolver pistol to the United States government.

1865 - The New York Stock Exchange opened its first permanent headquarters on Wall Street in New York City.

1959 - USSR's Luna 1 (Mechta) becomes the first spacecraft to escape Earth's gravity.

1961 - The longest recorded strike ended when the Danish barbers' assistants ended a 33-year strike.

2007 - The 110th United States Congress convened and elected Nancy Pelosi as the first female Speaker of the House.

2021 - First Oxford-AstraZeneca COVID-19 vaccines are given to the general public, with 82-year-old Brian Pinker in the UK the first to receive the jab.

I'm glad we could get together here. Looking forward to seeing you tomorrow!

Fatih Taskiran