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You need to read the treatise on spacing out, Bored and Brilliant

You need to read the treatise on spacing out, Bored and Brilliant

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I have a tendency to space out. A lot. Whether it’s staring out the window on Amtrak or pausing at work to fixate on a blank spot on the wall instead of my screen, I often let my mind wander. When I was younger, I would often be derisively called a daydreamer, a space cadet, or just plain distracted. Obviously, one can be too absent-minded, but Bored and Brilliant by Manoush Zomorodi convincingly makes the case that letting your mind wander is not only essential, but a luxury we shouldn’t take for granted in our hyper-connected age.

Zomorodi is the current host of NPR’s TED Radio Hour, but she was also the host of WNYC’s Note to Self for many years. In 2015, she did a series of episodes on Note to Self focused on removing digital distractions and the benefits of boredom. Then, in 2017, it became a book. Bored and Brilliant: How Spacing Out Can Unlock Your Most Productive and Creative Self expands on those episodes, bringing in new expert voices, scientific studies, and anecdotes from Zomorodi and her audience from their own digital detox efforts.

Some of what Zomorodi shares in the book are things that we might take for granted in 2025 (phones are designed to be addictive). Or might feel like things you “knew” instinctively without necessarily having the hard evidence to back it up (daydreaming is good). But, what makes Bored and Brilliant work so well is how Zomorodi ties together the various threads, and that she is on the journey with us, the reader.

In the introduction, she talks about having to walk endlessly with her newborn, who refused to sleep unless in motion. She hated it at first. Eventually, though, she fell into a rhythm and “started appreciating the fact that [she] had no destination.” There is both a discomfort and an allure to this form of enforced boredom that can be difficult to appreciate. It’s a sort of liminality, and we’ve turned the liminal into an entire subgenre of horror. But embracing it can be restorative and an engine for creativity.

She reflects on her tendency to fire up Twitter on her commute, play Two Dots at bedtime, and obsessively update her calendar. Zomorodi sums up the problem with our modern technology addiction perfectly: “My brain was always occupied, but my mind wasn’t doing anything with all the information coming in.”

Throughout the book, she points out the challenges of choice paralysis, something anyone who has lost an evening to scrolling through Netflix instead of actually watching anything will be intimately familiar with. She highlights the subtle ways in which the presence of a phone, even if you’re not actively using it, can influence our interactions with others. And digs into studies showing that taking pictures with our phones, instead of simply being in the moment, actually diminishes our ability to remember things.

Bored and Brilliant isn’t there to chastise you for your tech usage, though. Zomorodi is up front about her own struggles. At one point, she muses that her headstone will read, “she clicked links and saved lots of articles to read another time and never actually read them.” I’ve never felt so seen.

But she also offers a way forward. Each chapter ends with a challenge from the original Bored and Brilliant series on Note to Self — meticulously document how and when you use your phone, don’t take a picture for a day, delete the app that eats up your time. Zomorodi offers some of her own insights gleaned from these experiments, as well as notes from listeners who took part.

Bored and Brilliant won’t magically make you put that phone down or turn you into a creative genius. But it does offer an approachable, scientifically-backed reason to unplug once in a while, and gives you some concrete steps to ease yourself back from the brink.

You can find it on most e-book stores, but I highly recommend you buy a physical copy at your neighborhood independent bookshop, if for no other reason than to get off your device and scribble some notes in the margins. Or borrow it from your local library, get a notebook, and take some notes by hand.

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published late last week in the journal Nature Microbiology.

Good guy prions?

Prions are some of the strangest things around. They’re the misfolded form of a protein naturally found in the body. When a prion comes across its “normal” counterpart, it can somehow induce the latter to turn into a prion itself, almost like a zombie infection.

Classic prion disorders like mad cow disease and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease are caused by the steady accumulation of one particular type of protein, aptly named the prion protein; these disorders are universally fatal. Some scientists have also argued that other neurodegenerative conditions, such as Alzheimer’s disease, are caused by other kinds of misfolded proteins that act in a similar way to prions.

According to the study researchers, there’s growing evidence that prions and prion-like proteins are more than just harbingers of death. Studies have found that the normal prion protein and the prion-like amyloid beta (one of the drivers of Alzheimer’s) can have antimicrobial activity, for instance. So the team decided to conduct a sweeping analysis looking for antimicrobial peptide fragments within these proteins.

The researchers had previously built an AI model intended to predict the antimicrobial activity of any given peptide fragment, named APEX 1.1. Then they let APEX scan through 19.3 million short peptide fragments found in 2,897 prion and prion-like proteins. They initially uncovered 1,179 candidates, which the team narrowed down to 75 that showed the most potential. Of these, 59 were able to inhibit the growth of at least one bacterial germ in the lab, including 42 that did so at low levels (important for dosing considerations).

Finally, the researchers tested two of the strongest candidates on the skin of mice infected with Acinetobacter baumannii, a common source of drug-resistant infections in people. The candidates appeared to be roughly as effective as polymyxin B, an existing antibiotic often used as a last resort drug for certain drug-resistant infections.

The researchers have coined these antibacterial fragments collected from prions as “prionins.”

The future of prionins

More research is obviously needed to verify whether the team’s prionins can actually work as hoped—and safely—in people. The researchers also note their findings don’t settle the open question as to whether prions or prion-like proteins naturally tackle bacterial infections in our body.

At the same time, they do argue their work provides a strong proof of concept that prionins identified through AI can be viable antibiotic candidates for further testing.

“For a long time, drug discovery has been limited not only by what we can test, but by where we choose to look,” said senior study author César de la Fuente, director of the Machine Biology Group at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, in a statement from the university. “AI is changing that. It gives us a way to search the hidden layers of biology and ask whether molecules associated with one story—in this case, disease—may also carry another story with therapeutic potential.”

With any luck, the proteins known for causing the scariest diseases around could someday turn into our antibacterial allies.

#Deadly #Proteins #Mad #Cow #Disease #Fight #Superbugsantibiotic resistance,experimental drugs,prions">Deadly Proteins Behind Mad Cow Disease Might Help Us Fight Superbugs The next frontier of antibiotics might come from an unexpected place. Recent research identifies potential antibiotic candidates from inside prions—proteins capable of causing some of the deadliest brain infections ever known, such as mad cow disease. Scientists at the University of Pennsylvania used artificial intelligence to rapidly search hundreds of prions and prion-like proteins for peptides with antibacterial activity. They found several dozen promising candidates, two of which have already shown results treating bacterial infections in mice. The team’s findings establish “prion-related proteins as a productive source space for antibiotic discovery,” the scientists wrote in their paper, published late last week in the journal Nature Microbiology. Good guy prions? Prions are some of the strangest things around. They’re the misfolded form of a protein naturally found in the body. When a prion comes across its “normal” counterpart, it can somehow induce the latter to turn into a prion itself, almost like a zombie infection. Classic prion disorders like mad cow disease and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease are caused by the steady accumulation of one particular type of protein, aptly named the prion protein; these disorders are universally fatal. Some scientists have also argued that other neurodegenerative conditions, such as Alzheimer’s disease, are caused by other kinds of misfolded proteins that act in a similar way to prions. According to the study researchers, there’s growing evidence that prions and prion-like proteins are more than just harbingers of death. Studies have found that the normal prion protein and the prion-like amyloid beta (one of the drivers of Alzheimer’s) can have antimicrobial activity, for instance. So the team decided to conduct a sweeping analysis looking for antimicrobial peptide fragments within these proteins. The researchers had previously built an AI model intended to predict the antimicrobial activity of any given peptide fragment, named APEX 1.1. Then they let APEX scan through 19.3 million short peptide fragments found in 2,897 prion and prion-like proteins. They initially uncovered 1,179 candidates, which the team narrowed down to 75 that showed the most potential. Of these, 59 were able to inhibit the growth of at least one bacterial germ in the lab, including 42 that did so at low levels (important for dosing considerations). Finally, the researchers tested two of the strongest candidates on the skin of mice infected with Acinetobacter baumannii, a common source of drug-resistant infections in people. The candidates appeared to be roughly as effective as polymyxin B, an existing antibiotic often used as a last resort drug for certain drug-resistant infections. The researchers have coined these antibacterial fragments collected from prions as “prionins.” The future of prionins More research is obviously needed to verify whether the team’s prionins can actually work as hoped—and safely—in people. The researchers also note their findings don’t settle the open question as to whether prions or prion-like proteins naturally tackle bacterial infections in our body. At the same time, they do argue their work provides a strong proof of concept that prionins identified through AI can be viable antibiotic candidates for further testing. “For a long time, drug discovery has been limited not only by what we can test, but by where we choose to look,” said senior study author César de la Fuente, director of the Machine Biology Group at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, in a statement from the university. “AI is changing that. It gives us a way to search the hidden layers of biology and ask whether molecules associated with one story—in this case, disease—may also carry another story with therapeutic potential.” With any luck, the proteins known for causing the scariest diseases around could someday turn into our antibacterial allies. #Deadly #Proteins #Mad #Cow #Disease #Fight #Superbugsantibiotic resistance,experimental drugs,prions

published late last week in the journal Nature Microbiology.

Good guy prions?

Prions are some of the strangest things around. They’re the misfolded form of a protein naturally found in the body. When a prion comes across its “normal” counterpart, it can somehow induce the latter to turn into a prion itself, almost like a zombie infection.

Classic prion disorders like mad cow disease and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease are caused by the steady accumulation of one particular type of protein, aptly named the prion protein; these disorders are universally fatal. Some scientists have also argued that other neurodegenerative conditions, such as Alzheimer’s disease, are caused by other kinds of misfolded proteins that act in a similar way to prions.

According to the study researchers, there’s growing evidence that prions and prion-like proteins are more than just harbingers of death. Studies have found that the normal prion protein and the prion-like amyloid beta (one of the drivers of Alzheimer’s) can have antimicrobial activity, for instance. So the team decided to conduct a sweeping analysis looking for antimicrobial peptide fragments within these proteins.

The researchers had previously built an AI model intended to predict the antimicrobial activity of any given peptide fragment, named APEX 1.1. Then they let APEX scan through 19.3 million short peptide fragments found in 2,897 prion and prion-like proteins. They initially uncovered 1,179 candidates, which the team narrowed down to 75 that showed the most potential. Of these, 59 were able to inhibit the growth of at least one bacterial germ in the lab, including 42 that did so at low levels (important for dosing considerations).

Finally, the researchers tested two of the strongest candidates on the skin of mice infected with Acinetobacter baumannii, a common source of drug-resistant infections in people. The candidates appeared to be roughly as effective as polymyxin B, an existing antibiotic often used as a last resort drug for certain drug-resistant infections.

The researchers have coined these antibacterial fragments collected from prions as “prionins.”

The future of prionins

More research is obviously needed to verify whether the team’s prionins can actually work as hoped—and safely—in people. The researchers also note their findings don’t settle the open question as to whether prions or prion-like proteins naturally tackle bacterial infections in our body.

At the same time, they do argue their work provides a strong proof of concept that prionins identified through AI can be viable antibiotic candidates for further testing.

“For a long time, drug discovery has been limited not only by what we can test, but by where we choose to look,” said senior study author César de la Fuente, director of the Machine Biology Group at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, in a statement from the university. “AI is changing that. It gives us a way to search the hidden layers of biology and ask whether molecules associated with one story—in this case, disease—may also carry another story with therapeutic potential.”

With any luck, the proteins known for causing the scariest diseases around could someday turn into our antibacterial allies.

#Deadly #Proteins #Mad #Cow #Disease #Fight #Superbugsantibiotic resistance,experimental drugs,prions">Deadly Proteins Behind Mad Cow Disease Might Help Us Fight SuperbugsDeadly Proteins Behind Mad Cow Disease Might Help Us Fight Superbugs The next frontier of antibiotics might come from an unexpected place. Recent research identifies potential antibiotic candidates from inside prions—proteins capable of causing some of the deadliest brain infections ever known, such as mad cow disease. Scientists at the University of Pennsylvania used artificial intelligence to rapidly search hundreds of prions and prion-like proteins for peptides with antibacterial activity. They found several dozen promising candidates, two of which have already shown results treating bacterial infections in mice. The team’s findings establish “prion-related proteins as a productive source space for antibiotic discovery,” the scientists wrote in their paper, published late last week in the journal Nature Microbiology. Good guy prions? Prions are some of the strangest things around. They’re the misfolded form of a protein naturally found in the body. When a prion comes across its “normal” counterpart, it can somehow induce the latter to turn into a prion itself, almost like a zombie infection. Classic prion disorders like mad cow disease and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease are caused by the steady accumulation of one particular type of protein, aptly named the prion protein; these disorders are universally fatal. Some scientists have also argued that other neurodegenerative conditions, such as Alzheimer’s disease, are caused by other kinds of misfolded proteins that act in a similar way to prions. According to the study researchers, there’s growing evidence that prions and prion-like proteins are more than just harbingers of death. Studies have found that the normal prion protein and the prion-like amyloid beta (one of the drivers of Alzheimer’s) can have antimicrobial activity, for instance. So the team decided to conduct a sweeping analysis looking for antimicrobial peptide fragments within these proteins. The researchers had previously built an AI model intended to predict the antimicrobial activity of any given peptide fragment, named APEX 1.1. Then they let APEX scan through 19.3 million short peptide fragments found in 2,897 prion and prion-like proteins. They initially uncovered 1,179 candidates, which the team narrowed down to 75 that showed the most potential. Of these, 59 were able to inhibit the growth of at least one bacterial germ in the lab, including 42 that did so at low levels (important for dosing considerations). Finally, the researchers tested two of the strongest candidates on the skin of mice infected with Acinetobacter baumannii, a common source of drug-resistant infections in people. The candidates appeared to be roughly as effective as polymyxin B, an existing antibiotic often used as a last resort drug for certain drug-resistant infections. The researchers have coined these antibacterial fragments collected from prions as “prionins.” The future of prionins More research is obviously needed to verify whether the team’s prionins can actually work as hoped—and safely—in people. The researchers also note their findings don’t settle the open question as to whether prions or prion-like proteins naturally tackle bacterial infections in our body. At the same time, they do argue their work provides a strong proof of concept that prionins identified through AI can be viable antibiotic candidates for further testing. “For a long time, drug discovery has been limited not only by what we can test, but by where we choose to look,” said senior study author César de la Fuente, director of the Machine Biology Group at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, in a statement from the university. “AI is changing that. It gives us a way to search the hidden layers of biology and ask whether molecules associated with one story—in this case, disease—may also carry another story with therapeutic potential.” With any luck, the proteins known for causing the scariest diseases around could someday turn into our antibacterial allies. #Deadly #Proteins #Mad #Cow #Disease #Fight #Superbugsantibiotic resistance,experimental drugs,prions

The next frontier of antibiotics might come from an unexpected place. Recent research identifies potential antibiotic candidates from inside prions—proteins capable of causing some of the deadliest brain infections ever known, such as mad cow disease.

Scientists at the University of Pennsylvania used artificial intelligence to rapidly search hundreds of prions and prion-like proteins for peptides with antibacterial activity. They found several dozen promising candidates, two of which have already shown results treating bacterial infections in mice.

The team’s findings establish “prion-related proteins as a productive source space for antibiotic discovery,” the scientists wrote in their paper, published late last week in the journal Nature Microbiology.

Good guy prions?

Prions are some of the strangest things around. They’re the misfolded form of a protein naturally found in the body. When a prion comes across its “normal” counterpart, it can somehow induce the latter to turn into a prion itself, almost like a zombie infection.

Classic prion disorders like mad cow disease and Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease are caused by the steady accumulation of one particular type of protein, aptly named the prion protein; these disorders are universally fatal. Some scientists have also argued that other neurodegenerative conditions, such as Alzheimer’s disease, are caused by other kinds of misfolded proteins that act in a similar way to prions.

According to the study researchers, there’s growing evidence that prions and prion-like proteins are more than just harbingers of death. Studies have found that the normal prion protein and the prion-like amyloid beta (one of the drivers of Alzheimer’s) can have antimicrobial activity, for instance. So the team decided to conduct a sweeping analysis looking for antimicrobial peptide fragments within these proteins.

The researchers had previously built an AI model intended to predict the antimicrobial activity of any given peptide fragment, named APEX 1.1. Then they let APEX scan through 19.3 million short peptide fragments found in 2,897 prion and prion-like proteins. They initially uncovered 1,179 candidates, which the team narrowed down to 75 that showed the most potential. Of these, 59 were able to inhibit the growth of at least one bacterial germ in the lab, including 42 that did so at low levels (important for dosing considerations).

Finally, the researchers tested two of the strongest candidates on the skin of mice infected with Acinetobacter baumannii, a common source of drug-resistant infections in people. The candidates appeared to be roughly as effective as polymyxin B, an existing antibiotic often used as a last resort drug for certain drug-resistant infections.

The researchers have coined these antibacterial fragments collected from prions as “prionins.”

The future of prionins

More research is obviously needed to verify whether the team’s prionins can actually work as hoped—and safely—in people. The researchers also note their findings don’t settle the open question as to whether prions or prion-like proteins naturally tackle bacterial infections in our body.

At the same time, they do argue their work provides a strong proof of concept that prionins identified through AI can be viable antibiotic candidates for further testing.

“For a long time, drug discovery has been limited not only by what we can test, but by where we choose to look,” said senior study author César de la Fuente, director of the Machine Biology Group at the University of Pennsylvania Perelman School of Medicine, in a statement from the university. “AI is changing that. It gives us a way to search the hidden layers of biology and ask whether molecules associated with one story—in this case, disease—may also carry another story with therapeutic potential.”

With any luck, the proteins known for causing the scariest diseases around could someday turn into our antibacterial allies.

#Deadly #Proteins #Mad #Cow #Disease #Fight #Superbugsantibiotic resistance,experimental drugs,prions

PS Svarva Floor Lamp

“Some stuff I did myself, like this one. The Svarva lamp we made with the design group Front for the PS 2009 collection. They were quite newly established and so we did an armchair and this lamp. The desire was to do a wooden turned lamp, but you should also be able to twist it, articulate it.”

“I felt that that would be very difficult to do. Along with a colleague in lighting at the time, I went to Hungary to this factory that was producing lamps for us. It was all metal tubes that they were doing, so we were a little bit hesitant whether they should be able to solve this. But they made some mock-ups based on the designer drawings. So we went there to have a look, and it was standing there. It was this floor lamp, and also a table lamp where the wooden beads were going in a circle and then up, like a snake.”

“What we didn’t know was that next to the lamp factory was this factory that was doing the turned wooden beads, the small individual pieces that we put together. None of us knew that. It was just pure serendipity. So they were turning these wooden beads, and the lamp factory was putting them on the metal tubes, just like on a necklace. They had very little to do, so they were happy to get the business.”

Image may contain Furniture Home Decor Rug Clothing Footwear Shoe and Chest Of Drawers

A Sinka Cabinet resides in Ejdemo’s hallway.

Courtesy of Johan Ejdemo

PS Sinka Cabinet

“I have another favorite from that PS 2009 collection, it’s in my hallway. The PS Sinka, with the small drawers with a wooden base. Sinka means “dovetail” in Swedish, so the name explaining that construction.”

“But the problem we had with this one was the packaging volume was too big. So what we did was each drawer is slightly shallower. So four drawers stack into each other. And four more drawers stack. There’s a little bit of a stopper in the back when you push them in, so they stop evenly at the front. There’s also a hidden compartment behind the smallest drawer. Really good drawers for all this stuff that is just lying around and getting in the way. In the top one I have all my keys that I no longer know where they go.”

PS Jonsberg Vases

“I have this vase from the PS collection to hold the cables [on my Samsung Serif TV]. It was a set, the Jonsberg vases by Hella Jongerius. There were four of them in different ceramic techniques. I had all four, but the terracotta one broke, which was a pity.” [It certainly is. These $39 vases now sell secondhand for $1,700 for a full set.]

“They’re inspired by different regions, and the different techniques are beautiful. I use the big black one for toilet paper in one bathroom. It’s not disrespect for the design. It’s just such a good design to stand there, and it makes the bathroom beautiful, and it can fit the toilet roll. So, why have something like an ugly stick? It’s nice for that.”

Pax Wardrobes

“Pax. We have to mention Pax. I have Pax wardrobes in a few rooms, but also I’m a little bit peculiar. Like in the kitchen, these veneer doors have been sanded and hand-painted by me, just to make them fit my house, in my space. I repaint them sometimes.”

Chipped Spraka pepper mills.

Chipped Spraka pepper mills.

Courtesy of Johan Ejdemo

Spraka Pepper Mills

“I have these pepper mills. One for white pepper, one for black pepper. That was also in a PS collection. We did these with Marcus Arvonen. These pepper mills are beautiful, and these have been around for, like, 20 years as well. They are pretty tall. A smaller version came later on, but I like these.”

“They have their chips, yes, but this just makes them nicer. It’s age. They’ve been around and are used every day. Everything has a little bit of imperfection. You can spend your whole life bothering about that, but there should be some imperfection in life. Fix it? Then something else needs fixing. It just moves. Leave it, be proud.”

Where’s the Billy Bookcase or Kallax?

“I don’t have a Billy in the house now. But there have been! Kallax? I have owned many. Brilliant piece. Really good for vinyl, because that’s the time they come from. I listen to a lot of vinyl.”

#Ikea #Products #Companys #Design #Chief #Personally #Ownsikea,design,home,furniture,household,interviews">These Are the 12 Ikea Products the Company’s Design Chief Personally OwnsThe Svarva lamp can be twisted into different shapes. Courtesy of Johan EjdemoPS Svarva Floor Lamp“Some stuff I did myself, like this one. The Svarva lamp we made with the design group Front for the PS 2009 collection. They were quite newly established and so we did an armchair and this lamp. The desire was to do a wooden turned lamp, but you should also be able to twist it, articulate it.”“I felt that that would be very difficult to do. Along with a colleague in lighting at the time, I went to Hungary to this factory that was producing lamps for us. It was all metal tubes that they were doing, so we were a little bit hesitant whether they should be able to solve this. But they made some mock-ups based on the designer drawings. So we went there to have a look, and it was standing there. It was this floor lamp, and also a table lamp where the wooden beads were going in a circle and then up, like a snake.”“What we didn’t know was that next to the lamp factory was this factory that was doing the turned wooden beads, the small individual pieces that we put together. None of us knew that. It was just pure serendipity. So they were turning these wooden beads, and the lamp factory was putting them on the metal tubes, just like on a necklace. They had very little to do, so they were happy to get the business.”A Sinka Cabinet resides in Ejdemo’s hallway. Courtesy of Johan EjdemoPS Sinka Cabinet“I have another favorite from that PS 2009 collection, it’s in my hallway. The PS Sinka, with the small drawers with a wooden base. Sinka means “dovetail” in Swedish, so the name explaining that construction.”“But the problem we had with this one was the packaging volume was too big. So what we did was each drawer is slightly shallower. So four drawers stack into each other. And four more drawers stack. There’s a little bit of a stopper in the back when you push them in, so they stop evenly at the front. There’s also a hidden compartment behind the smallest drawer. Really good drawers for all this stuff that is just lying around and getting in the way. In the top one I have all my keys that I no longer know where they go.”PS Jonsberg Vases“I have this vase from the PS collection to hold the cables [on my Samsung Serif TV]. It was a set, the Jonsberg vases by Hella Jongerius. There were four of them in different ceramic techniques. I had all four, but the terracotta one broke, which was a pity.” [It certainly is. These vases now sell secondhand for ,700 for a full set.]“They’re inspired by different regions, and the different techniques are beautiful. I use the big black one for toilet paper in one bathroom. It’s not disrespect for the design. It’s just such a good design to stand there, and it makes the bathroom beautiful, and it can fit the toilet roll. So, why have something like an ugly stick? It’s nice for that.”Pax Wardrobes“Pax. We have to mention Pax. I have Pax wardrobes in a few rooms, but also I’m a little bit peculiar. Like in the kitchen, these veneer doors have been sanded and hand-painted by me, just to make them fit my house, in my space. I repaint them sometimes.”Chipped Spraka pepper mills. Courtesy of Johan EjdemoSpraka Pepper Mills“I have these pepper mills. One for white pepper, one for black pepper. That was also in a PS collection. We did these with Marcus Arvonen. These pepper mills are beautiful, and these have been around for, like, 20 years as well. They are pretty tall. A smaller version came later on, but I like these.”“They have their chips, yes, but this just makes them nicer. It’s age. They’ve been around and are used every day. Everything has a little bit of imperfection. You can spend your whole life bothering about that, but there should be some imperfection in life. Fix it? Then something else needs fixing. It just moves. Leave it, be proud.”Where’s the Billy Bookcase or Kallax?“I don’t have a Billy in the house now. But there have been! Kallax? I have owned many. Brilliant piece. Really good for vinyl, because that’s the time they come from. I listen to a lot of vinyl.”#Ikea #Products #Companys #Design #Chief #Personally #Ownsikea,design,home,furniture,household,interviews

Svarva lamp we made with the design group Front for the PS 2009 collection. They were quite newly established and so we did an armchair and this lamp. The desire was to do a wooden turned lamp, but you should also be able to twist it, articulate it.”

“I felt that that would be very difficult to do. Along with a colleague in lighting at the time, I went to Hungary to this factory that was producing lamps for us. It was all metal tubes that they were doing, so we were a little bit hesitant whether they should be able to solve this. But they made some mock-ups based on the designer drawings. So we went there to have a look, and it was standing there. It was this floor lamp, and also a table lamp where the wooden beads were going in a circle and then up, like a snake.”

“What we didn’t know was that next to the lamp factory was this factory that was doing the turned wooden beads, the small individual pieces that we put together. None of us knew that. It was just pure serendipity. So they were turning these wooden beads, and the lamp factory was putting them on the metal tubes, just like on a necklace. They had very little to do, so they were happy to get the business.”

Image may contain Furniture Home Decor Rug Clothing Footwear Shoe and Chest Of Drawers

A Sinka Cabinet resides in Ejdemo’s hallway.

Courtesy of Johan Ejdemo

PS Sinka Cabinet

“I have another favorite from that PS 2009 collection, it’s in my hallway. The PS Sinka, with the small drawers with a wooden base. Sinka means “dovetail” in Swedish, so the name explaining that construction.”

“But the problem we had with this one was the packaging volume was too big. So what we did was each drawer is slightly shallower. So four drawers stack into each other. And four more drawers stack. There’s a little bit of a stopper in the back when you push them in, so they stop evenly at the front. There’s also a hidden compartment behind the smallest drawer. Really good drawers for all this stuff that is just lying around and getting in the way. In the top one I have all my keys that I no longer know where they go.”

PS Jonsberg Vases

“I have this vase from the PS collection to hold the cables [on my Samsung Serif TV]. It was a set, the Jonsberg vases by Hella Jongerius. There were four of them in different ceramic techniques. I had all four, but the terracotta one broke, which was a pity.” [It certainly is. These $39 vases now sell secondhand for $1,700 for a full set.]

“They’re inspired by different regions, and the different techniques are beautiful. I use the big black one for toilet paper in one bathroom. It’s not disrespect for the design. It’s just such a good design to stand there, and it makes the bathroom beautiful, and it can fit the toilet roll. So, why have something like an ugly stick? It’s nice for that.”

Pax Wardrobes

“Pax. We have to mention Pax. I have Pax wardrobes in a few rooms, but also I’m a little bit peculiar. Like in the kitchen, these veneer doors have been sanded and hand-painted by me, just to make them fit my house, in my space. I repaint them sometimes.”

Chipped Spraka pepper mills.

Chipped Spraka pepper mills.

Courtesy of Johan Ejdemo

Spraka Pepper Mills

“I have these pepper mills. One for white pepper, one for black pepper. That was also in a PS collection. We did these with Marcus Arvonen. These pepper mills are beautiful, and these have been around for, like, 20 years as well. They are pretty tall. A smaller version came later on, but I like these.”

“They have their chips, yes, but this just makes them nicer. It’s age. They’ve been around and are used every day. Everything has a little bit of imperfection. You can spend your whole life bothering about that, but there should be some imperfection in life. Fix it? Then something else needs fixing. It just moves. Leave it, be proud.”

Where’s the Billy Bookcase or Kallax?

“I don’t have a Billy in the house now. But there have been! Kallax? I have owned many. Brilliant piece. Really good for vinyl, because that’s the time they come from. I listen to a lot of vinyl.”

#Ikea #Products #Companys #Design #Chief #Personally #Ownsikea,design,home,furniture,household,interviews">These Are the 12 Ikea Products the Company’s Design Chief Personally Owns
Image may contain Lamp Chair Furniture Art Painting and Floor Lamp

The Svarva lamp can be twisted into different shapes.

Courtesy of Johan Ejdemo

PS Svarva Floor Lamp

“Some stuff I did myself, like this one. The Svarva lamp we made with the design group Front for the PS 2009 collection. They were quite newly established and so we did an armchair and this lamp. The desire was to do a wooden turned lamp, but you should also be able to twist it, articulate it.”

“I felt that that would be very difficult to do. Along with a colleague in lighting at the time, I went to Hungary to this factory that was producing lamps for us. It was all metal tubes that they were doing, so we were a little bit hesitant whether they should be able to solve this. But they made some mock-ups based on the designer drawings. So we went there to have a look, and it was standing there. It was this floor lamp, and also a table lamp where the wooden beads were going in a circle and then up, like a snake.”

“What we didn’t know was that next to the lamp factory was this factory that was doing the turned wooden beads, the small individual pieces that we put together. None of us knew that. It was just pure serendipity. So they were turning these wooden beads, and the lamp factory was putting them on the metal tubes, just like on a necklace. They had very little to do, so they were happy to get the business.”

Image may contain Furniture Home Decor Rug Clothing Footwear Shoe and Chest Of Drawers

A Sinka Cabinet resides in Ejdemo’s hallway.

Courtesy of Johan Ejdemo

PS Sinka Cabinet

“I have another favorite from that PS 2009 collection, it’s in my hallway. The PS Sinka, with the small drawers with a wooden base. Sinka means “dovetail” in Swedish, so the name explaining that construction.”

“But the problem we had with this one was the packaging volume was too big. So what we did was each drawer is slightly shallower. So four drawers stack into each other. And four more drawers stack. There’s a little bit of a stopper in the back when you push them in, so they stop evenly at the front. There’s also a hidden compartment behind the smallest drawer. Really good drawers for all this stuff that is just lying around and getting in the way. In the top one I have all my keys that I no longer know where they go.”

PS Jonsberg Vases

“I have this vase from the PS collection to hold the cables [on my Samsung Serif TV]. It was a set, the Jonsberg vases by Hella Jongerius. There were four of them in different ceramic techniques. I had all four, but the terracotta one broke, which was a pity.” [It certainly is. These $39 vases now sell secondhand for $1,700 for a full set.]

“They’re inspired by different regions, and the different techniques are beautiful. I use the big black one for toilet paper in one bathroom. It’s not disrespect for the design. It’s just such a good design to stand there, and it makes the bathroom beautiful, and it can fit the toilet roll. So, why have something like an ugly stick? It’s nice for that.”

Pax Wardrobes

“Pax. We have to mention Pax. I have Pax wardrobes in a few rooms, but also I’m a little bit peculiar. Like in the kitchen, these veneer doors have been sanded and hand-painted by me, just to make them fit my house, in my space. I repaint them sometimes.”

Chipped Spraka pepper mills.

Chipped Spraka pepper mills.

Courtesy of Johan Ejdemo

Spraka Pepper Mills

“I have these pepper mills. One for white pepper, one for black pepper. That was also in a PS collection. We did these with Marcus Arvonen. These pepper mills are beautiful, and these have been around for, like, 20 years as well. They are pretty tall. A smaller version came later on, but I like these.”

“They have their chips, yes, but this just makes them nicer. It’s age. They’ve been around and are used every day. Everything has a little bit of imperfection. You can spend your whole life bothering about that, but there should be some imperfection in life. Fix it? Then something else needs fixing. It just moves. Leave it, be proud.”

Where’s the Billy Bookcase or Kallax?

“I don’t have a Billy in the house now. But there have been! Kallax? I have owned many. Brilliant piece. Really good for vinyl, because that’s the time they come from. I listen to a lot of vinyl.”

#Ikea #Products #Companys #Design #Chief #Personally #Ownsikea,design,home,furniture,household,interviews

The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult if you’re good at math.

Connections is the one of the most popular New York Times word games that’s captured the public’s attention. The game is all about finding the “common threads between words.” And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we’ve served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

If you just want to be told today’s puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for today’s Connections solution. But if you’d rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable

What is Connections?

The NYT‘s latest daily word game has become a social media hit. The Times credits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping to create the new word game and bringing it to the publications’ Games section. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there’s only one correct answer.

If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.

Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.

SEE ALSO: NYT Pips hints, answers for June 22, 2026

Here’s a hint for today’s Connections categories

Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:

  • Yellow: In charge

  • Green: Math terms

  • Blue: Linguistics

  • Purple: Ferocious

Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today

Here are today’s Connections categories

Need a little extra help? Today’s connections fall into the following categories:

  • Yellow: Dominant

  • Green: Multiplication indicators

  • Blue: Pronunciation descriptors

  • Purple: Starting with explosive onomatopoeia

Looking for Wordle today? Here’s the answer to today’s Wordle.

Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today’s puzzle before we reveal the solutions.

Drumroll, please!

The solution to today’s Connections #1107 is…

What is the answer to Connections today

  • Dominant: ALPHA, HEAD, LEAD, PRIMARY

  • Multiplication indicators: BY, TIMES, X, •

  • Pronunciation descriptors: SHORT, SILENT, SOFT, STRESSED

  • Starting with explosive onomatopoeia: BANGKOK, BOOMER, POPSICLE, POWDER

Don’t feel down if you didn’t manage to guess it this time. There will be new Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we’ll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for June 22, 2026

Are you also playing NYT Strands? Get all the Strands hints you need for today’s puzzle.

If you’re looking for more puzzles, Mashable’s got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you’re after? Here’s the solution to yesterday’s Connections.

#NYT #Connections #hints #answers #June #Tips #solve #Connections">NYT Connections hints and answers for June 22. Tips to solve ‘Connections’ #1107. The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult if you’re good at math.Connections is the one of the most popular New York Times word games that’s captured the public’s attention. The game is all about finding the “common threads between words.” And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we’ve served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.If you just want to be told today’s puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for today’s Connections solution. But if you’d rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you. SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable What is Connections?The NYT‘s latest daily word game has become a social media hit. The Times credits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping to create the new word game and bringing it to the publications’ Games section. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common. This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there’s only one correct answer.If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends. This Tweet is currently unavailable. It might be loading or has been removed. Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media. SEE ALSO: NYT Pips hints, answers for June 22, 2026 Here’s a hint for today’s Connections categoriesWant a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try: Mashable Top Stories Yellow: In chargeGreen: Math termsBlue: LinguisticsPurple: FerociousMeet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet todayHere are today’s Connections categoriesNeed a little extra help? Today’s connections fall into the following categories:Yellow: DominantGreen: Multiplication indicatorsBlue: Pronunciation descriptorsPurple: Starting with explosive onomatopoeiaLooking for Wordle today? Here’s the answer to today’s Wordle.Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today’s puzzle before we reveal the solutions.Drumroll, please!The solution to today’s Connections #1107 is…What is the answer to Connections todayDominant: ALPHA, HEAD, LEAD, PRIMARYMultiplication indicators: BY, TIMES, X, •Pronunciation descriptors: SHORT, SILENT, SOFT, STRESSEDStarting with explosive onomatopoeia: BANGKOK, BOOMER, POPSICLE, POWDERDon’t feel down if you didn’t manage to guess it this time. There will be new Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we’ll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints. SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for June 22, 2026 Are you also playing NYT Strands? Get all the Strands hints you need for today’s puzzle.If you’re looking for more puzzles, Mashable’s got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.Not the day you’re after? Here’s the solution to yesterday’s Connections. #NYT #Connections #hints #answers #June #Tips #solve #Connections

New York Times word games that’s captured the public’s attention. The game is all about finding the “common threads between words.” And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we’ve served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

If you just want to be told today’s puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for today’s Connections solution. But if you’d rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable

What is Connections?

The NYT‘s latest daily word game has become a social media hit. The Times credits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping to create the new word game and bringing it to the publications’ Games section. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there’s only one correct answer.

If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.

Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.

SEE ALSO: NYT Pips hints, answers for June 22, 2026

Here’s a hint for today’s Connections categories

Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:

  • Yellow: In charge

  • Green: Math terms

  • Blue: Linguistics

  • Purple: Ferocious

Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today

Here are today’s Connections categories

Need a little extra help? Today’s connections fall into the following categories:

  • Yellow: Dominant

  • Green: Multiplication indicators

  • Blue: Pronunciation descriptors

  • Purple: Starting with explosive onomatopoeia

Looking for Wordle today? Here’s the answer to today’s Wordle.

Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today’s puzzle before we reveal the solutions.

Drumroll, please!

The solution to today’s Connections #1107 is…

What is the answer to Connections today

  • Dominant: ALPHA, HEAD, LEAD, PRIMARY

  • Multiplication indicators: BY, TIMES, X, •

  • Pronunciation descriptors: SHORT, SILENT, SOFT, STRESSED

  • Starting with explosive onomatopoeia: BANGKOK, BOOMER, POPSICLE, POWDER

Don’t feel down if you didn’t manage to guess it this time. There will be new Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we’ll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for June 22, 2026

Are you also playing NYT Strands? Get all the Strands hints you need for today’s puzzle.

If you’re looking for more puzzles, Mashable’s got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you’re after? Here’s the solution to yesterday’s Connections.

#NYT #Connections #hints #answers #June #Tips #solve #Connections">NYT Connections hints and answers for June 22. Tips to solve ‘Connections’ #1107.

The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult if you’re good at math.

Connections is the one of the most popular New York Times word games that’s captured the public’s attention. The game is all about finding the “common threads between words.” And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we’ve served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.

If you just want to be told today’s puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for today’s Connections solution. But if you’d rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.

SEE ALSO: Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more: Play games on Mashable

What is Connections?

The NYT‘s latest daily word game has become a social media hit. The Times credits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping to create the new word game and bringing it to the publications’ Games section. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.

Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there’s only one correct answer.

If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.

Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.

SEE ALSO: NYT Pips hints, answers for June 22, 2026

Here’s a hint for today’s Connections categories

Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:

  • Yellow: In charge

  • Green: Math terms

  • Blue: Linguistics

  • Purple: Ferocious

Meet The Mashable 101: Our list of the content creators shaping the internet today

Here are today’s Connections categories

Need a little extra help? Today’s connections fall into the following categories:

  • Yellow: Dominant

  • Green: Multiplication indicators

  • Blue: Pronunciation descriptors

  • Purple: Starting with explosive onomatopoeia

Looking for Wordle today? Here’s the answer to today’s Wordle.

Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today’s puzzle before we reveal the solutions.

Drumroll, please!

The solution to today’s Connections #1107 is…

What is the answer to Connections today

  • Dominant: ALPHA, HEAD, LEAD, PRIMARY

  • Multiplication indicators: BY, TIMES, X, •

  • Pronunciation descriptors: SHORT, SILENT, SOFT, STRESSED

  • Starting with explosive onomatopoeia: BANGKOK, BOOMER, POPSICLE, POWDER

Don’t feel down if you didn’t manage to guess it this time. There will be new Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we’ll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.

SEE ALSO: NYT Connections Sports Edition today: Hints and answers for June 22, 2026

Are you also playing NYT Strands? Get all the Strands hints you need for today’s puzzle.

If you’re looking for more puzzles, Mashable’s got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.

Not the day you’re after? Here’s the solution to yesterday’s Connections.

#NYT #Connections #hints #answers #June #Tips #solve #Connections

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