Kim K, virtual humans, and how weird becomes mainstream.

A powerful emerging trend is set to reshape the rules of business and media. It might even change your life.

As you know, the most famous woman in the world celebrated her 40th birthday last week. Kim Kardashian chartered a private jet to take 30 friends and family to Tahiti, where she swam with whales, watched a movie on the beach, and ‘pretended things were normal for a while.’

The masses — that’s me and you — were meant to scroll, and scroll we did. Amid a million #soblessed updates, though, there’s no doubt which generated the most attention. Kim’s husband — as you also know — is the rapper Kayne West, and his present to his wife was a hologram. A hologram, specifically, of her late father Robert Kardashian, who died aged 59 in 2003.

In an appearance lasting just over two minutes, the holo-Robert reminisced about driving Kim to school, commended her career, and told her he loved her.