Strands of Genius: What AI Can Learn from Honeybees, The Art and Science of Spending Money, Cookie-Cutters as Trend Forecasting Tools

Guest curated by Payal Pereira, Strategist at SYLVAIN

Mar 28, 2024

:: A BIT MORE ABOUT GUEST CURATOR, PAYAL PEREIRA ::

LOCATION: Brooklyn, NY

I’m Payal, an engineer turned copywriter turned strategist, just trying to keep my left and right brain happy. I grew up on a coffee farm in rural India which shaped the way I view the world. I often find myself looking towards nature, science, and food culture to find parallels that inspire the work I do for brands. You’ll find some of that sprinkled in today’s newsletter.

Back in 2019, when I was starting out my strategy career in India, I met Rosie and Faris through Mark Pollard in Bombay. That encounter gave me the assurance that I would find my place among a community of strategists if I were to make the move to the US. So, here I am now!

Editor’s Note (Genius Steals): We are so excited to have Payal back with us today! We loved her edition in 2021, but it’s fair to say we love this one even more — It’s so fun to see how different one year to the next really is. Thank you so much for sharing these awesome links and your thoughts, Payal. We hope to some day meet up again whether it be in the US, back in India, or elsewhere! (Oh and your book suggestion of “Maybe You Should Talk To Someone?!” It’s one of our favorites, too!)

:: THE LINKS ::

WHAT AI CAN LEARN FROM HONEYBEES

Bio-mimicry has always intrigued me, and with all the “buzz” in AI, I found this article drawing parallels between honeybees and AI really fascinating. James Marshall, co-founder of Opteran Technologies has been finding inspiration in the remarkable cognitive abilities of bees to revolutionize artificial intelligence (A.I.). In this piece, Marshall highlights the remarkable abilities of bees, whose brains contain merely 1 million neurons compared to the human brain's 86 billion. Despite this, bees can effectively navigate, evade obstacles, and avoid danger – all tasks crucial for autonomous systems like drones. Furthermore, bees can create precise mental maps, make rapid and accurate decisions while identifying the best spots to gather pollen, and communicate this complex information to their fellow nestmates through specific movements or dances. This intersection of nature and technology reveals that the humble bee could hold the key to unlocking the future of artificial intelligence. (Fortune)

THE ART AND SCIENCE OF SPENDING MONEY

Money is such a complex entity that we deal with on a daily basis. It can be messy, emotional, transactional, and deeply personal, bringing both joy and discomfort. In this article, the author delves into the psychology of money, showing how our spending patterns not only reflect our emotions and values but also provide glimpses into our character, aspirations, and even our identity. It's like a window into our souls, reflecting our existential struggles and life choices. As marketers, this serves as a reminder that behind every transaction lies a story—one that's uniquely human and deeply emotional. (Collabfund)

COOKIE-CUTTERS AS TREND FORECASTING TOOLS

We might be familiar with unconventional ways of gauging cultural and economic shifts, from lipstick sales to hemline lengths to stripper tips. Most recently, I read how a cookie-cutter manufacturing company monitored its sales data and used it as a unique cultural barometer. By analyzing the sales of cookie cutters resembling political figures, celebrities, and trending themes, they've been anticipating cultural trends pretty accurately. Strikingly, since the 2016 election, sales of cookie cutters resembling presidential candidates have uncannily mirrored voting patterns, providing an accurate forecast of public sentiment. I love how a simple baking tool can offer such insight into our collective psyche. (Business Insider & NY Times)

Looking for more from Payal? Coming Friday, look for an interview from her in your inbox!

:: AND NOW… SOME FAST FAVORITES ::

:: Game :: Pictionary

:: City :: Bombay

:: Book :: Maybe You Should Talk to Someone by Lori Gottlieb

:: Podcast :: Gastropod

:: Song :: Pasoori by Shae Gill & Ali Sethi

:: STATE OF GIRLHOOD ::

“If before, there was dignity in asserting 'I’m not like other girls,' we’re now seeing a cultural shift, with millions of women reclaiming their sameness, declaring, that actually, 'I’m just like other girls.” From Barbie to Taylor Swift's Era's Tour to Girl Dinners to Hot Girl walks, 2023 was the year of the girl! My friend, Nora and I discuss this return to girlhood and how this shift is shaping the way women connect with each other in both their personal and professional lives.

Call your mom,

- Payal
LinkedIn

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It's called Genius Steals because we believe ideas are new combinations and that nothing can come from nothing. But copying is lazy. We believe the best way to innovate is to look at the best of that which came before and combine those elements into new solutions.

Co-Founders Faris & Rosie are award-winning strategists and creative directors, writers, consultants and public speakers who have been living on the road/runway since March 2013, working with companies all over the world. Our Director of Operations is nomadic like us, our accounting team is based out of Washington, our company is registered in Tennessee, and our collaborators are all over the world. Being nomadic allows us to go wherever clients need us to be, and to be inspired by the world in between.

Hit reply and let’s talk about how we might be able to work together :)

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