Nostalgia isn’t just sentimental — there’s a money making angle there, too: That warm, fuzzy feeling that is reminiscent of the “good, old days ” is also very lucrative — and the media is banking on it, the National Geographic says. The evidence? The persistent popularity and comebacks of classic pop culture hits like the Barbie movie — which had the highest opening weekend this year — Indiana Jones, Top Gun, and others. Familiar media provides emotional consolation by fostering the idea that things will improve because they have in the past, according to data collected through the Nostalgia Inventory (pdf) devised back in 1995, or the Current Opinion in Psychology Journal , professor Krystine Batcho says.

The evolutionary strengths of nostalgia: From a sense of connection and control during times of isolation and powerlessness — like, say during the covid-19 pandemic — all the way to pain relief, the impact of nostalgia on our brains is impressive. The power of “nice” memories is not simply emotional — it has very real, palpable manifestations in terms of emotional regulation and processing. Also, downplaying and romanticizing the negatives of the past helps us advance as a species, Bacho adds.

Investing v use: Where does Wall Street stand on AI? Bullish investing in AI companies has pushed the Nasdaq 100 to its best 1H in history, yet investors remain skeptical about paying out of pocket to use the new tech, Bloomberg reports , citing data collected in a MLIV Pulse survey of Bloomberg News readers. Of the 514 respondents, 77% said that they plan to increase their exposure to tech stock, or maintain the current level, over the next six months. However, just over half said that they would be unwilling to personally pay for AI tools to aid their life and would only use the tech if it’s provided at no cost or paid for by their employer.

Investors seem confident AI isn’t coming for their jobs: 64% of the survey respondents did not see AI making its way into the workplace and taking on core aspects of their jobs. Goldman Sachs economists reported that while seven out of 10 US workers would see their jobs impacted by AI, only a small share of those would see their positions replaced. That said, they added that administrative and office support and legal functions are at most risk from AI replacement as tech companies direct AI development on productivity enhancing tools, such as Microsoft’s Copilot or competitor Alphabet’s AI-integrated services in Gmail or Google Docs.

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