Human Systems and Behavior

This series examines the evolution of sports from survival-driven physicality to a commodified spectacle that serves economic and political interests. Through historical analysis, it reveals how mechanization birthed sublimated labor, engineered tribalism, and created mechanisms of social control and distraction.

Exploring the counter-intuitive forces behind human success - from collective intelligence to the power of shared rituals and chaos.

Comparing Roald Amundsen's efficient planning with Robert Falcon Scott's tragic overconfidence in the race to the South Pole.

Regulatory intervention against planned obsolescence: the push for durability scores, mandatory software updates, right-to-repair laws, and sustainable product design.

The ecological consequences of planned obsolescence, generating mountains of toxic e-waste, depleting critical resources, and creating a massive environmental burden.

How manufacturers deliberately design products to be impossible to repair, using proprietary fasteners, excessive glue, and software warnings to maintain control over aftermarkets.

How modern electronics are crippled by software updates, digital expiration dates, and programmed breaking points that render physically functional devices useless.

A five-part exploration of how manufacturers deliberately design products to fail, from the Phoebus Cartel to modern software lock-ins and repair prevention.