Good morning. You might’ve seen French President Emmanuel Macron rocking a pair of Top Gun-style aviators at Davos this week, and even though he was simply trying to cover up a popped blood vessel in his eye, people seemed to dig the look.
The maker of the sunglasses, Maison Henry Jullien, had so many people trying to buy a pair that its website crashed for an entire day. They’re pretty snazzy glasses, but at €659 a pop, we’ll wait for the dupes.
CONVERSATION STARTERS
💻 YouTube wants you to watch four videos at the same time. The world’s most popular video platform is expanding its multiview feature to allow viewers to screen up to four different videos on the same screen. Another win for our attention spans!
🥃 The first-ever aluminum Scotch bottle is coming. A small distiller in Scotland is ditching the heavy glass bottle associated with the whisky in favour of a cheaper and more environmentally friendly aluminum bottle. Funnily enough, blind taste testers couldn’t tell the difference between Scotch poured from the glass and aluminum bottles.
🛻 The Cybertruck could be going extinct. The futuristic and vaguely sinister-looking Tesla saw its sales plummet 68% in the last quarter, while sales for the full year were down almost 50%. That’s the largest sales decline of any EV, including models that were discontinued halfway through the year.
👃 A strong nose is the secret to not catching colds. A new study found that our nose plays a crucial role in fending off viruses like the cold, and that the faster the proteins in our nose are able to work, the lower the odds of the virus spreading into our body. If only there were a way to work out our nose at the gym.
🐮 Cows are proving they can use tools. That one Far Side cartoon has come true. Researchers have found a cow in Vienna named Veronika that is able to use a long broom to scratch her back. Can you imagine how jealous the rest of the herd must be that she finally got to scratch that itchy spot?
BUSINESS
Las Vegas is desperate to win back Canadians
Source: Paparazzi / Shutterstock.
Canadians are expanding their horizons for bachelor and bachelorette parties, and Vegas is feeling the pain.
Driving the news: In a bid to lure back Canadian tourists, a Las Vegas casino operator is running a promotion where it will accept Canadian currency on par with the U.S. dollar until Aug. 31.
The deal applies to the hotels and bars at all three Circa Resort & Casinos in Vegas, including $500 worth of cash for gambling. Even guests staying at other hotels can redeem the deal as long as they have their Canadian ID.
Why it’s happening: Many Canadians have been avoiding U.S. travel of late, and visits to Vegas in particular have plummeted. The number of Air Canada and WestJet passengers flying to Sin City fell by over 30% in June of last year compared with 2024, while the number of Flair passengers fell by 62%.
That’s a problem for Vegas’ economy. A University of Nevada professor estimated that Canadians contributed US$3.6 billion to the local economy in 2024.
Why it matters: It’s not just Canadians choosing to spend their travel dollars elsewhere. Last year, the city saw its worst tourism year in over two decades, outside of the pandemic.
Price hikes may have slain Vegas’ golden goose. Tourists say that prices for everything from hotels to a Starbucks coffee on the strip have skyrocketed. Even the gambling odds are worse than they used to be.
IN THE LAB
Source: epsgalery85 / Shutterstock.
In a recent study, researchers from Worcester Polytechnic Institute claimed to have developed a new building material called ESM that doubles as a way to capture CO2. The substance is made using an enzyme that helps turn carbon dioxide into solid particles. The material is then cured, trapping the carbon, and formed into building blocks.
Why it matters: While any carbon capture claims are bound to draw skepticism, reducing emissions in construction is a key part of reaching net zero goals (remember those?). The construction industry depends heavily on concrete, and production of cement, concrete’s main ingredient, accounts for 8% of global emissions annually.
DROP THE PIN
🌎 Hint: Nicknamed the “Pearl of the Pacific”, this volcanic island is home to a healthy population of sharks, authentic French delicacies, and a world-famous lagoon. Many of the island’s classic overwater bungalows have glass floors to watch wildlife, a model that has since been popularized around the world.
Think you have an inkling where this might be? Lock in your guess here.
