Weekend edition—Priscilla Chan, decolonized philosophy, fat bears

It’s exactly a year ago that women, in response to two investigations accusing high-profile Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein of sexual assault and rape, started what felt like an enormously powerful, unprecedented global movement. It began with women sharing their stories of abuse, harassment, and violence. The hashtag #MeToo quickly seemed to take over the world; it traveled from the US to other countries and languages. It was translated, adapted. [Quartz Daily Brief]( Good morning, Quartz readers! It’s exactly a year ago that women, in response to two investigations accusing high-profile Hollywood producer Harvey Weinstein of sexual assault and rape, started what felt like an enormously powerful, unprecedented global movement. It began with women sharing their stories of abuse, harassment, and violence. [The hashtag #MeToo]( quickly seemed to take over [the world]( it traveled from the US [to other countries]( and languages. It was translated, adapted. It was not a fight for a tangible result—suffrage, for instance, or reproductive rights. It was the dogged, contagious pursuit of something as elusive as it is fundamental: equality. Of worth, freedom, opportunities. [The momentum #MeToo gained]( was so enormous that, to many, it felt like a tsunami. It was going to hit the world with the force of millions of angry women, topple the patriarchy, and quickly even the playing field, once and for all. Women spoke up about sexism, and abuse. At the Oscars, at Cannes. In newsrooms. In politics. In the workplace. Other women, and their allies, supported them, celebrated them—believed them. It was galvanizing. A revolution. That’s why it’s especially disappointing for the many who believed things were going to change—had changed, even—to see Brett Kavanaugh all but ready to be confirmed as a US Supreme Court judge, despite protests and outrage. [Christine Blasey Ford]( the woman who (like others) accused Kavanaugh of sexual assault, was not believed, at least not enough to grant a serious investigation. Has nothing changed? Of course it has.[Previously untouchable]( men have had to deal with the consequences of their behavior. More women and minorities than ever have raised their voices. The awareness of sexism is firmly in the zeitgeist. It’s a cultural revolution well in the making. But a revolution alone, let alone a cultural one, won’t change the dynamics of social and political power. This is a game with rules rigged against women, and yet they have no choice but to play by it. True change will take time, electoral cycles, setbacks. But the game can be won—one vote, one law at a time. —Annalisa Merelli Five things on Quartz we especially liked Priscilla Chan understands inequality in a way many Silicon Valley titans don’t. As the co-founder of the Chan Zuckerberg Initiative, Chan is working to direct some $45 billion worth of funds toward a range of ambitious philanthropic goals, from eradicating disease to reforming public education. [As Robert Safian reports]( Chan—who grew up in a low-income immigrant family and previously worked in pediatric trauma—also has a deep level of empathy and insight into the plight of marginalized people. The other communist country thriving in the global economy. While liberal democratic and economic orders turn away from world trade, Vietnam is embracing it. Dan Kopf writes about how the country’s outsized embrace of trade has [transformed its economy]( from a nation of people in extreme poverty to one where there is a shared prosperity and exploding middle class. It’s time to decolonize philosophy. In South Africa, many universities still teach philosophy through the lens of dead white European men. Olivia Goldhill explores [a growing movement]( to incorporate African ideas like ubuntu—a humanist principle that holds that the self exists in relation to others—into college curriculums, offering students a new way to look at ethics, morality, and free will. The rise and struggles of Nigeria’s Afrobeats stars. Artists like Davido and Wizkid are selling out venues in New York, London, and elsewhere, helped by social media, Spotify, and Nigeria’s vast diaspora—not to mention celebrity fans like Drake. But as[Yomi Kazeem]( notes in the latest episode of Quartz News, that doesn’t mean the artists themselves are benefiting much from all the attention. Free cold brew is a form of oppression. Are the cushy perks of modern offices a convenience or a trap? Simone Stolzoff makes a full-throated [argument for the latter](. “Work should be a means to an end,” he writes. “And in the end, we should go home.” Message from our Partner Whether you aspire to leadership or are already at the pinnacle of your career, WORLDZ 2018 should be your destination. [Join]( a roster of top CEOs and CMOs, along with cultural icons like Senator Barbara Boxer and RZA, in Los Angeles from October 17-18, and use code QZ25 to save 25% off your pass. Five things elsewhere that made us smarter The cult of animality. Many scientists have long believed that only people have personality—all other living beings merely respond to conditioning. But that’s changing, according to [Rose Eveleth at Hakai magazine](. Kelly, a dolphin with leadership qualities and a mischievous bent, is part of a growing body of evidence that shows we are not alone in exhibiting distinctive characteristics. The Chinese military might have infiltrated US data centers. The People’s Liberation Army pressured manufacturers into installing spyware chips into motherboards in servers destined for companies like Apple and Amazon, 17 anonymous sources told Bloomberg’s Jordan Robertson and Michael Riley. While Amazon and Apple refute the article, if accurate, it shows [just how far the PLA will go]( (paywall) to steal data on American companies and citizens. The observatory snapping pictures of a black hole. A supermassive black hole at the core of our galaxy destroys stars that stray too close. The Event Horizon Telescope aims to photograph it. In the New York Times, Seth Fletcher explains the [challenges and uncertainties involved]( (paywall), and speculates upon what we’ll learn from the first results. The fattest of the fat bears. Each autumn since 2014, Alaska’s Katmai National Park celebrates Fat Bear Week, when fans vote online for the fattest bear on the Brooks River. As Erin Berger [writes for Outside]( the event attracts devotees who have created a Real World–style experience out of watching the world’s tubbiest bears—and also highlights the mysteries of hibernation. The cutthroat world of “cobots.” Boston-based Rethink Robotics seemed to have a promising future when it launched 10 years ago, offering collaborative robots designed to work safely alongside humans. Others quickly realized that cobots were no passing fad, however, and Rethink fell behind the likes of Denmark’s Universal Robots and Japan’s Fanuc. Hiawatha Bray writes for the Boston Globe on the company’s [well-covered launch and quiet exit]( (paywall). Our best wishes for a relaxing but thought-filled weekend. Please send any news, comments, charismatic dolphins, and fat bears to hi@qz.com. You can follow us [on Twitter here]( for updates throughout the day, or download [our apps for iPhone]( and [Android](. Today’s Weekend Brief was edited by Kira Bindrim and Steve Mollman. 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