📈 The Peak on Sunday

Good morning. Ten years ago today, Star Wars: The Force Awakens had its world premiere at the TCL Chinese Theatre in L.A. It might be hard to remember, but its release was a huge deal because new Star Wars content was so hard to come by… we wish we could go back.

—Lucas Arender, Quinn Henderson

🍷 Avril Lavigne has gotten into the wine game. Pinot Noir to be exact. The Canadian Grammy winner has dropped her own line of red wine, fittingly named "It's Complicated.” Maybe we’ll get a line of hard seltzers called Sk8er Boi next.

🍦 Fro-yo is making a comeback. The go-to frozen indulgence of the early 2010s is having a resurgence, with about 128,000 TikTok posts tagged with #froyo during the first 10 months of 2025. Menchies (which apparently still exists) could be in for a major windfall.

🌱 A Swiss startup has found a way to turn pee into fertilizer. Turning number twos into plant food is nothing new, but this research team built a system that can extract nitrogen from human urine and turn it into fertilizer. Don’t take this as permission to “water” your plants yourself — leave it to the professionals.

🎵 Spotify is taking on YouTube’s music video monopoly. The streamer just launched a music video feature in Canada and the U.S. for its premium subscribers. YouTube has captured a large slice of the streaming biz (thanks in part to music videos), with 250 million hours of music streamed daily on the platform. 

🔥 Humans were building fires long before scientists had thought. New research shows that we were enjoying the crackle of a cozy fire 350,000 years earlier than previously believed. No word yet on what year we discovered the magic of a campfire s'more.

Asics, the brand your dad proudly calls ‘good for the arches,’ just beat out every hip running shoe in 2025. 

Driving the news: A new Strava report found that the Asics Novablast was the top running shoe of choice this year, besting trendy models like the Hoka Cliftons and On’s Cloudrunner. The hallmark of the Asics shoe is its bouncy cushioning, which has proven to be so advantageous for runners that the Ironman contest had to ban them. 

Why it matters: The extra speed of these bouncy supershoes feeds into an increasingly intense online fitness culture. Runners are prioritizing setting personal bests that they can proudly flaunt on Strava and Instagram, even if it costs them a hip surgery down the road.  

Zoom out: Nike has leaned into this insatiable need for speed in a big way. The company is now developing a motorized running shoe that can reportedly improve a runner's pace by 20%. We’re not here to judge, but if you’re running with literal bionic shoes, you should have to disclose that on your Strava post.—LA

In a new study, researchers claim to have pinpointed the genetic mutation at the root of mental disorders like schizophrenia. Specifically, variations in the GRIN2A gene, which regulates communication between neurons. 

Why it matters: The World Health Organization estimates that around 23 million people live with schizophrenia. And while effective treatment options exist, there is still no solution to predict or prevent its onset. This discovery could shed light on these issues and potentially develop even better treatments.—QH

🌎 Hint: This vibrant city is home to two of its country’s proudest cultural exports — one musical and one consumable (that should be treated with much caution). Within the city, the same ingredient will travel with you from the Agave Landscape, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, all the way to a local restaurant. 

Have an idea where we brought you this week? Lock in your guess here.

If you’re reading this, it’s time to play the Sunday Sudoku.