An illustration of a cityscape overlaid with a bubble

In our August edition:

When bubbles burst, how to name a product, and the puzzle empire.

A NOTE FROM OUR EDITOR

Thanks for being here. Our lead story covers a topic spoken about in hushed tones every day: the "AI bubble." Is a collapse inevitable? Is it all overblown? The end of the world as we know it? Not even a real thing? To all of these questions, the internet's consensus is clear: Yes.

We felt the situation called for more input from rational, respected experts, so we sent Katherine to unpack all things AI bubble with help from five worthwhile minds.

When I sat down to read her piece, the last thing I expected was to feel less anxious about it all. But that's where I wound up. Hope you fare just as well. —BB

An illustration of a robotic arm holding a pin as if to pop a balloon.

Katherine INVESTIGATED...

What happens if (when?) the AI bubble pops?

We asked experts what shape life might take on the other side.

The AI bubble is firmly wedged in the economic ether, feared by many. But what does a bubble bursting actually look like? And what would it do to the stock market, the job market, and our everyday lives?

Dive in | 4 min read

KATHERINE ALSO WONDERED...

Where do billion-dollar brands get their names?

We asked the man who's dubbed everything from BlackBerry to Febreze.

Dave Placek is a naming legend whose agency, Lexicon, has been devising household names since 1982. We wanted to know how he approached a blank page and ended up at Dasani. Now you'll know too.

Dive in | 5 min read

Why Ravensburger is the gold standard of jigsaw puzzles

If you've only ever touched one puzzle in your life, it was probably a Ravensburger. The 143-year-old German company sells 20m+ puzzles every year (earning $200m along the way). What sets them apart and makes them the world's leading puzzle maker?

Dive in | 2 min read

Finally, MICHAEL HAS MUSIC FOR YOUR EARS...

Ice cream truck music is an iconic sound of summer — and a tightly-held monopoly

The first hint of a jingle hits your block and suddenly you're running faster than you've ever run before. Just us? Fine. But grant us this: If you hear a jangly music box version of "The Entertainer," your mind's eye is instantly conjuring up a cold treat from an ice cream truck. Nichols Electronics made that happen. The reigning ice cream music kingpin is responsible for 97% of the music boxes in circulation.

Dive in | 4 min read

FREE RESOURCE:

50 AI tools to 2x your productivity

Thank you for supporting our long-form journalism. We'll be back with more on September 1.

Today's email was brought to you by Katherine Laidlaw, Sara Friedman, Ben Berkley, Danny Jensen, and Michael Waters, with artwork by Olivia Heller.

SPECIAL: What happens when bubbles pop