Yes! You’re here!
As you cuddle up to read this, grab a little somethin’, somethin’ to celebrate.
This is our 10th issue. And we have you to thank for it.
The amazing feedback from all y’all has been soooooo motivating. Your good vibes are what keep us going.
In appreciation for your support, we’ve got 3 little gifts for ya at the end of this email (wink.)
This week we’ve got a child bot, a fair phone, and a guy who never gave up on his dreams.
🍾 Party on 🍾
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True, Kaspar the robot may not be the cutest humanoid out there, but holy smokes, “he” is definitely proving to be one of the most useful.
Developed in the United Kingdom at the University of Hertfordshire, this Kinesics and Synchronisation in Personal Assistant Robot (Kaspar for short) was designed to help autistic children learn to learn.
The goal of Kaspar is to study the possibility of using robotic systems as therapeutic and educational tools for children living with autism.
Simple is best
The researchers behind Kaspar kept its appearance minimal for good reason. The simple facial features are designed to not overwhelm nor threaten its playmate, an autistic child.
Because many autistic children often have difficulties in learning “appropriate” social cues, they are encouraged to freely interact with Kaspar by touching him and mirroring his actions.
Alongside every Kaspar-child interaction, a researcher or therapist controls the robot’s reactions with a remote. This way the children can learn about expressions such as ‘happy’ and ‘surprised” at a rhythm that is best fitted for their needs.
Safe is better
After 10 years of research and development, the real beauty in Kaspar has proven to be its ability to provide autistic children with a safe environment to grow.
One great story — out of over 170 individual cases — has been Kaspar’s ability to help one boy overcome the fear of eating with his classmates. It might not seem like that much, but for social workers specialized in autism, small changes make have a huge impact.
Anything that can help decrease the isolation of an autistic child is beautiful — even if it a creepy-ish looking child-sized humanoid. Go future!
The Twittersphere said it best
In reading up on the subject of autism this past Sunday (April 2), we found this beautiful quote that came up a few times for #WorldAutismAwarenessDay:
“If they can’t learn the way we teach, we teach the way they learn.”
Love it 👌
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Can you imagine?
This pile of phones is what we found in our Jr. IT guy’s drawer. Maybe we’re paying him too much.
Joking. We don’t pay him at all. (Only in hugs.)
Without exaggerating too much though, over the course of the last ten years or so, this pile may possibly be representative of how many mobile phones some people may have used.
While changing smartphone ever year or two may be the cool, fashionable thing to do — it really isn’t. Not only does it cost you more money, it also has a big, wasteful impact on our world.
10 Years — 7 Billion Phones = Crazy
It’s estimated that over 7 billion smartphones have been produced in the last 10 years. Today, there are roughly 2 billion smart devices actively used.
Sooooo, simple math tells us there are about 5 billion old, unused devices lying around. That’s a lot of unnecessary “waste.”
Thankfully, this Dutchman and his team are doing something about it.
Located in Amsterdam, Bas Van Abel’s startup, Fairphone is getting ready to launch their newest model, the Fairphone 2.
It’s got an HD screen, runs on Android, has expandable memory, and — for all you jet setters — two SIM card slots. You can even personalize the protective cover with your fav colour. And, of course, it’s got a sweet camera for all your IG needs.
Bas’ ever-growing team of 50 strong is aiming to accomplish exactly what the company’s name says — producing a fairly-made smartphone.
Along their way, they’ve got a few disruptive goals.
Need a new battery?
How about adding a new camera? Fairphone has built the world’s first modular phone with repairability and long-lasting design in mind.
We all know there are stupid things in the world such as blood diamonds (thanks Leo.) But sadly, they’re not the only questionable raw materials out there. Luckily, Fairphone is working closely with partners around the world to source only fair materials like, for example, conflict-free gold, tin and tungsten (right on!)
Fairphone is also very picky with its manufacturing partners. This allows you to know that the health and safety of the people building the Fairphone are well protected. For example, their work weeks don’t exceed 60 hours — as opposed to previously, workloads exceeding70 hours/week.
Overall, Fairphone is going full circle
The startup has put serious research into figuring out the best practices to recycle and reuse the parts that go into their smartphones.
All the above makes them leaders that are applying a circular mindset to their business , and this is putting Fairphone on top of the circular economy. (Yes, this a thing and we’re all gonna hear more of it soon. You heard it here first 📣)
Knowledge is power
Not only are they building the world’s first ethical smartphone, but they — much like the team here at The Goods — are big believers in the power of knowing more. Because the more you know, the more you are empowered. And this means helping us make better (ethical) decisions.
Fairphone’s main goal to close the gap between people and products is fueled by providing information.
For instance, how much profit does Fairphone keep for itself per product? Answer here. Or, how about knowing more on the journey your phone took to get into your hands? Map here.
Transparency makes up their list of KPIs. And that’s how they’re changing the rules to the smartphone game.
The human cost of your upgrade
Another one of Fairphone’s goal is to redesign the smartphone industry’s supply chain for the people it affects the most — those working to bring you a sleeker (newer) smartphone.
As outlined in a recent Greenpeace report on the smartphone industry, the more demand for new products grows, the more suppliers are willing to cut corners to deliver. Result: the risks and dangers for the workers also increase.
In the Congo, for instance, as demand for cobalt (for batteries) increases, small-scale mining operations speed up their operations to dig deeper underground without maps or safety equipment for their miners who risk asphyxiation or being trapped.
Meanwhile, factory workers in South Korea, have proposed numerous “allegations that their life-threatening illnesses, including cancer, are a result of exposure to hazardous chemicals from working at semiconductor factories.”
All this because, like fast fashion (we’re talking to you clothing industry), smartphone producers work hard to convince us to buy the latest and greatest.
Don’t be lured into the upgrades
It’s safe to conclude that the smartphone industry is a nasty mix of planned obsolescence, conspicuous consumption and a lot of waste.
We need less new models, and more this ♻️
Plus, honestly, how many more millimeters, megabytes or megapixels do you really need?
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Now that you mentioned it little boy, damn, so do we.
Get ready for some real inspiration.
While the other 6-year-old kids were biking around their neighbourhoods in the late 1960s, José Hernádez was picking strawberries in the fields of California with his parents.
You see, his parents were migrant farm workers from Mexico. And for 9 months out of every year, he would work with them — picking fruit for the other kids to eat.
As a youngster, José did not have the luxury of free time. He worked weekends and seven days a week during Summer holidays. But working hard is a good thing.
After all, that’s how astronauts are made 🚀
Field of dreams
Since seeing the Apollo 17 moon mission on TV at the age 10, José knew his future was in the stars.
As a teenager, José recalls the exact moment that he knew being an astronaut was possible for him, “I was hoeing a row of sugar beets in a field near Stockton, California, and I heard on my transistor radio that Franklin Chang-Diaz had been selected for the Astronaut Corps.”
(For background info, Chang-Diaz, a Costa Rica native, was the first Hispanic astronaut.)
When young José told his father that he wanted to fly in space, his papa replied, “you can do it.”
Dealing with rejection
Whether with work, with love or with education, we’ve all been rejected at some point. José, however, does set the bar pretty high.
He did everything he could to get into NASA.
He studied engineering throughout college and graduate school and, in order to work with the Russians on the International Space Station (ISS), he learned to speak Russian.
After 6 years of failed applications to NASA, he realized becoming a pilot increased his odds of getting selected, so he got his license to fly. He then also got his scuba diving certification and started running marathons to get in shape. And after 5 more years of failed applications (calculators out, we’re at 11 years now), at the age of 42, he finally got accepted to “fly in space.”
Take note people. That is what never giving up looks like.
José’s story is one in a million.
Success, however, doesn’t only mean becoming an astronaut. (Though it’s most definitely up there.)
There’s more…
The secret to José’s success story (recipient of the 2016 National Hispanic Hero Award, by the way), are the real heroes behind his journey — his parents and his wife.
His parents knew what a future without an education looked like. They lived it their entire lives. They never forced him to get straight A’s, but they made it very clear to him that without hard work at school, he would always live and work in the fields.
And it was José’s wife, who — when she found his 6th denied application to NASA — pushed him to not give up on his lifelong dream.
Love, the bigger message
No doubt, the humbling, physical work of picking fruit at a young age provided José with the grit to overcome the challenges that life throws at us all.
But to get to space (literally), it took love. And lots of it.
The love and support from those closest to you plays a huge role in fueling your ambitions and dreams. So be sure to encourage those around you to live out their dreams.
You might just give the love needed to a future spaceman / spacewoman. Mars anyone?
PS > These days, José is busy spreading the love via his foundation, Reaching for the Stars. The goal is to encourage young students that with education, anything is possible.
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As promised, dear readers, we’ve got some treats for ya.
One — Get the speakers out, jams will be flowing with our first ever Spotify playlist.
Two — Join, Like, and Share everything you wish via our new Facebook page (all our older stories are there.)
Three — It’s International Calm Day today 🙏
Our friends at Calm are offering a full day of unlimited, free meditation. Do it!
Catch ya next week,
– The Goods
Annique “call me ethical” Beaudreau
John “the friendly ghost” Mongeau
Danko “The Martian” Vassev
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Click away kids!
🤖 See Kaspar in action.
😮 This 102 year old Doc is da man.
🌳A fresh report on the global impact of smartphones by Greenpeace.
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