Your dog is thinking about more than treats (maybe)

// Adult bean bag chairs exist & they’re 20% off now »

Advertise | Talk to Us | Shop | Unsubscribe

The Futurist is your daily tech, cosmic, and science (both weird or otherwise) newsletter with articles and content curated just for you.

Love The Futurist?
Forward to a friend and have them sign up here!

New evidence suggests dogs may ‘picture’ objects in their minds, similarly to people

“Dogs show a pattern of neural activity that seems to indicate they can differentiate between words for different objects and are even surprised when presented with words and objects that don’t match up, according to a study published March 22 in the journal Current Biology. A team of neuroscientists and animal behavior researchers used non-invasive electroencephalogram (EEG) testing to measure the electrical pulses inside 27 pet dogs’ brains during an experiment involving the dogs’ owners and some well-loved toys. They found an electrical impulse pattern similar to a known signal in humans. The findings shed light on canine noggins and also add to our knowledge of the origins of complex language.”

// Popular Science »

An ode to bean bag chairs, aka Sacs (and why you need one now as an adult)

They’re fun. Kids love ‘em. And they feel like you’re sinking into a cloud. But this isn’t your kid’s bean bag chair; it’s a Sac from Lovesac. Classier and cozier, Sacs walk the fine line between fun and functional. They come in a variety of sizes and over 200 cover options, so they can fit into and match any space. And unlike most of the standard bean bag chairs that came before it, this one won’t spill the beans (literally); it’s made from a Durafoam blend that mushes as you sit. So you’ll still get that cloud-like sinking sensation without feeling like you’re, you know, drowning in a bean bag chair. Now during their Friends and Family sale, you can take 20% off everything sitewide, saving on your purchase of The World’s Most Comfortable Seat™. [Ad]

// Shop lifetime furniture »

One man’s army of streaming bots reveals a whole industry’s problem

“A man in Denmark was sentenced to 18 months in prison today for using fake accounts to trick music streaming services into paying him 2 million Danish kroner ($290,000) in royalties. The unusual case reveals a weak spot in the business model behind the world’s biggest music platforms. … ‘This is an example of a problem that's becoming a liability within the music industry,’ says Rasmus Rex Pedersen, an associate professor in communication at Roskilde University in Denmark, who researches music streaming. ‘The streaming services have had several years to develop tools to combat this type of fraud, and apparently they haven't been doing a very good job.’ There are still services advertising sales of fake streams, he adds.”

// Wired »

Greatest Invention of All Time bracket

“A truly great invention makes life easier and the world a better place. … But which invention is the greatest ever? That’s for you to decide in this year’s Greatest Invention Of All Time bracket. The competition mirrors the format of the NCAA’s March Madness tournament. We’ll start with 64 inventions, separated into four different regions of 16. Each region has a #1 seed all the way down to a #16 seed. Over the course of the tournament, inventions will “play” each other in head-to-head matchups until we crown the Greatest Invention of All Time.”

Cast your vote for round one by 5PM ET tonight on Twitter (sigh, “X”) or Instagram.

// Morning Brew »

Get it together, with help from an app, of course

On a scale of one to ten, how organized is your team? … That bad, huh? Looks like you need a solid project manager in your corner. And no, we’re not talking about some shoddy spreadsheet that’s doing way more than it was invented for. We’re talking about the big leagues, Microsoft Project, aka Project Manager #1. It’s the premier software for tracking timelines, budgets, and what-if scenarios (because uh-ohs do happen, IRL). With dozens of pre-built templates and plenty of ways to customize, Project is the app that’ll help you get your sheets and docs and workflows together with little effort on your part. Right now, it’s at its lowest price yet at just $25 for life. [Ad]

// Manage projects »

DoorDash tests drone delivery at Wendy’s

“Food delivery has really taken off in recent years—sometimes literally. DoorDash has announced that it’s testing a new drone delivery partnership in a single U.S. test market, starting specifically with one fast-food brand: Wendy’s. If all goes well, maybe we’ll all get our fries from the sky someday soon. … The only food that will potentially arrive via drone service is from one single Wendy’s location, and you’ll only get your food that way if you select the drone delivery method at checkout within the DoorDash app. All Wendy’s drone deliveries from that test site aim to be dropped off in 30 minutes or less.”

// The Takeout »