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The worlds oceans once again hit a record high temperature in 2025, storing more heat than during any previous year since modern recording began. That heat is so extreme that its calculated in zettajoules, a measurement equal to one sextillion joules. In 2025 alone, ocean heat increased 23 zettajoulesor 23,000,000,000,000,000,000,000 joules of energy. That figure is daunting to understand. For comparison, the Hiroshima atomic bomb Little Boy exploded with an energy of about 63,000,000,000,000 joules. That means in 2025, the amount of heat the oceans absorbed is equivalent to more than 365 million atomic bombsor, as thermal sciences professor John Abraham says, like 12 Hiroshima bombs being detonated each second, for every minute, hour, and day for the entire year. Put another way, 23 zettajoules is about the same as 37 years of global primary energy consumption (based on 2023 figures). Its more than 200 times the entire global use of electricity. ‘Global warming is really ocean warming’ The figure on ocean warming comes from a new analysis published in the journal Advances in Atmospheric Sciences, conducted by more than 50 scientists from 31 global research institutions. Ocean heat is important to pay attention to because its a barometer for climate change. The ocean acts as a heat sink for our emissions. When humans emit greenhouse gases into the atmosphere, those gases trap heat on our planet. But the ocean actually absorbs the majority of that heatmore than 90%. Since the vast majority of global warming heat ends up in the oceans, I like to say global warming really is ocean warming, says Abraham, who helped conduct the analysis. Rising ocean heat also drives climate impacts, like rising sea levels. Warmer oceans also strengthen heatwaves and worsen extreme weather like hurricanes. Rising ocean temperatures also hurt marine life, leading to coral bleaching and disrupting food webs. As humans emit more carbon dioxide, that CO2 also dissolves into the ocean, making it more acidic. A decades-long trend The ocean has been warming more strongly since the 1990s. When it comes to sea surface temperatureswhich specifically affect weather patterns around the world, like heavier rains and stronger tropical cyclones2025 was the third warmest year on record. Ocean temperatures have set a new record for each of the past nine years, notes Michael Mann, director of the Penn Center for Science, Sustainability and the Media, and another author of the analysis. “It is indicative of the steady heating of our planet,” he says, “which will increase until fossil fuel burning and human-generated carbon emissions cease.” The analysis of these rising ocean temperatures comes shortly after the Trump administration pulled the United States out of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, a landmark climate treaty. Trump cutting ties with the worlds oldest climate treaty is another despicable effort to let corporate fossil fuel interests run our government, Jean Su, energy justice director at the Center for Biological Diversity, said in a statement. Its foolish and downright deadly for Trump to turn his back on the climate devastation ripping across the U.S. and the world. The Trump administration has also recently cut hundreds of millions of dollars from climate energy research, including for the National Center for Atmospheric Research and the National Renewable Energy Laboratorywhich Trump actually renamed, in December, to the National Lab of the Rockies. These cuts will make the U.S. even more vulnerable to climate impacts, experts say. Research is important to help us plan for the new climate, Abraham says. This research saves us money in the long term and also helps us prepare for extreme weather like hurricanes, droughts, and floods.”
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E-Commerce
For decades, design followed a singular truth. Whether it was the insistence that form follows function or the later pivot toward form follows emotion, the industry tended to adhere to a simple formula for design thinking: Find your North Star and follow. But that formula does not fit todays reality. Form follows X is no longer a clean equation, because X isnt a single variable. Its a constellation that refuses to be reduced to one guiding idea. Modern design across brands, products, and experiences must use a multidimensional approach, speaking to function, feeling, context, narrative, culture, and experience, all at once. HUMAN EXPERIENCE DESIGN Some of todays biggest brands are already accomplishing this balancing act. Rivian offers a clear example of a brand showing up consistently across form, function, and feeling. At its core, Rivian builds electric vehicles, but the brands shift from product to experience is evident far beyond the car itself. From the thoughtful utility of the vehicles, designed for both rugged performance and everyday life, to its immersive retail spaces (think playground, not showroom), and community activations, Rivian operates at the intersection of engineering, lifestyle, and narrative. The result is a brand where technology, adventure, sustainability, and culture weave together to form a truly unique and modern design. Meanwhile, Netflix released the final episode of Stranger Things in theaters over the holidays, inviting people off their laptops and into the real world to watch the wildly popular show surrounded by super fans. This, combined with its multi-award winning shows in the West End and on Broadway, not to mention the newly launched Netflix House, is a great example of multidimensional thinking. For these brands, the new formula is clear: Consumers want experiences that operate on multiple dimensions at once. MULTIDIMENSIONAL DESIGN ARCHITECTURE To build for this new landscape, designers must move beyond linear thinking into a multidimensional approach, resting on three core pillars: 1. Anchored in narrative As in-person and digital environments continue to merge, narrative consistency becomes the glue holding an experience together. The brand story must show up authentically, whether someone is scrolling an app, walking through a flagship store, or entering a fully immersive activation. Nike does this beautifully. From its Run Club to House of Innovation stores to SNKRS drops, every dimension reflects the same core story: aspiration, movement, self-betterment. Each touchpoint has its own texture, but the spirit remains intact. 2. Breaks skill silos Multidimensional experiences emerge only when traditional design silos are intentionally broken. Architects, filmmakers, digital designers, spatial designers, game creatorseach carries a different perspective, discipline, constraint, and freedom. Its only when these ways of thinking converge that the richest experiences emerge. Disney Imagineering stands as perhaps the most iconic example of this intentional barrier breaking, bringing engineers, artists, storytellers, and technologists together to create environments where narrative, architecture, and emotion coexist seamlessly. 3. AI as the new experience engine AI is accelerating this shift, giving designers tools to create experiences as adaptive as the people who move through them. Picture entering a space that gently responds to your state of mindlighting softens when youre overwhelmed, or the physical environment adjusts like a host who senses what you need before you do. Multidimensional design thinking is building worlds that feel both impossible and inevitable. Both Spotifys AI DJ and DeepMinds Genie 3 hint at whats coming: hyper-personalized experiences that meet every individual in real time. Its the next frontier of design (and of hospitality). FROM NORTH STAR TO CONSTELLATION Multidimensional design recognizes that humans arent one-note, so our products, environments, and stories shouldnt be either. The designers who thrive will be those who can move fluidly between dimensions, choreographing function, emotion, story, and technology into something deeply human. Brands like Netflix and Rivian are just early examples of whats possible when we embrace every dimension of lived experience. Andrew Zimmerman is CEO of Journey.
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E-Commerce
Whether scrambling for a last-minute gift, looking for something belated to send after the holidays, or just thinking ahead to the next birthday on your calendar, the checkout lines gift card rack has probably crossed your mind. Coffee shops, streaming services, big box retailers. You’ve done this dance before. Grab one, stick it in a card, call it a day. It’s easy. It’s simple. It’s also, for a growing number of Americans, starting to feel stale. Nearly one in five U.S. adults now say they’d rather receive crypto than a gift card this holiday season. That’s according to a new survey from the National Cryptocurrency Association and PayPal, and it’s not a number many saw coming. Gift cards have been the default for decades. They’re what you buy when you don’t know what else to get. But something’s shifting, and it’s worth paying attention to the driver. WHY CRYPTO IS SHOWING UP ON WISH LISTS The case against gift cards isn’t complicated. They can expire. They’re tied to a single store or brand. They sit in wallets and junk drawers until someone remembers they exist, and by then, half the value might be gone to fees or fine print. Americans, on average, waste $90 in unused gift cards every year. That’s not a gift; that’s a slow leak. Crypto doesn’t expire. It’s not locked to a single retailer. And while it can go up or down in value, it has the potential to grow in value. For younger consumers especially, that flexibility matters. According to the survey data, 58% of buyers see the potential for value growth as a real draw. Another 54% like the flexibility and choice that crypto offers. These aren’t abstract preferences; they’re practical. Think about your cousin who’s been slowly building a digital wallet on the side. For them, getting crypto as a gift isn’t weird or complicated. It’s exciting. It’s something they can save, invest, and even spend at checkout. Around 23% of shoppers planned to use crypto to purchase gifts this past holiday season, and 35% say the top reason they dont shop and pay with digital assets more often is that not enough stores accept crypto payments. A MODERN GIFT FOR THE CURIOUS Not everyone wants to learn a new system just to open a present. Crypto is more flexible, sure, and a natural gift for someone already holding crypto. It does ask a bit more of the recipient who is new to crypto. There’s a wallet to set up, an exchange account to pick, and some basic security steps to learn. If the recipient isn’t a little curious about how it all works, the gift can feel more like a homework assignment than a present. Your grandma, for instance, may not appreciate getting crypto when all she asked for was a coffee from her favorite local spot. And while her go-to coffee shop may accept crypto payments, a gift card might still make more sense for her. It’s familiar, immediately usable, and it doesn’t require her to learn any new tech. But as crypto becomes more mainstreamand millions are becoming more crypto curiousthere are plenty of free resources to learn about it, without the confusing hype or jargon. For example, the Crypto, Explained podcast or NCAs 101 courses and simulator let you practice using crypto, without using real funds. When gifting crypto, there’s also the volatility question. The value of crypto can shift between when you buy it and when your recipient opens it. That is part of the appeal for some people, but for others, it could be a deterrent. If youre in the latter group, consider stablecoins, a type of crypto designed to stay flat in value. And today, trusted financial companies like PayPal are processing crypto transactions and managing price changes behind the scenes so the merchant and consumer are unaffected. WHAT THIS SAYS ABOUT WHERE WE’RE HEADED The fact that crypto is even in the conversation as a holiday gift option says something about how far digital assets have come. A few years ago, this would have sounded like a tech enthusiast’s fantasy. Now crypto is showing up in gifting, shopping, donating, and beyond. Retailers are watching this closely. Payment platforms are too. The gift card industry isn’t going to disappear overnight, but it’s facing real competition for the first time in a long time (or maybe ever). And the competitors aren’t other retailers; they’re entirely different ways of thinking about value, ownership, and flexibility. For consumers, the takeaway is simple: You have more options now than you did a few years ago. Whether that means grabbing a gift card from the rack or sending some crypto to your friends wallet depends on who you’re buying for and what they actually want. The point isn’t that one is better than the other. It’s that the choice exists at all. SO WHO’S THIS GIFT REALLY FOR? Know your audience. If you’re buying for someone who already holds crypto, or who’s been curious about getting started, this could be the moment to skip the gift card aisle, whether it’s for a belated holiday gift, an upcoming birthday, or just because. Gift cards had a good run. And they’re not going anywhere just yet. But for a surprisingly large slice of the country, crypto is starting to feel like the more interesting option. That shift in consumer behavior, quiet as it is, might be the most telling thing about whats to come next. Stu Alderoty is president of the National Cryptocurrency Association.
Category:
E-Commerce
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