YOUR FIVE-MINUTE UPGRADE | NO. 001 | SEPTEMBER 21, 2026
Hi, and welcome to the first-ever Consider It Known.
I love my algorithm. It knows what I want to watch, what I want to buy and apparently that I’m always one video away from convincing myself I need to make homemade pasta.
But I started wondering what I wasn’t seeing.
So I made this newsletter. A little incentive to learn about things outside my usual feed, keep up with what’s happening and have more to bring to conversations with people who don’t share my exact internet history.
Three times a week, five minutes at a time.
Thanks for being here!
THE BIG THREE
Three stories worth understanding. The context, minus the endless scrolling.
THE ECONOMY
1. The US and China are talking trade, AI and rare earths
The gist: Senior US and Chinese officials wrapped up roughly eight hours of talks in New York on Sunday, ahead of Chinese President Xi Jinping’s US visit this week. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the discussions were “very successful,” but there was no broad trade deal announced. The US proposed a new mechanism for the two countries to notify each other about serious AI-related threats, while tariffs, trade and critical minerals were also discussed.
Why it matters: The world’s two largest economies are trying to manage some of their biggest points of friction, from AI to tariffs and access to rare earths. What comes out of the leaders’ meeting could affect technology, supply chains and the future of the current trade truce.
Go deeper: Read the Reuters report
MONEY AND CULTURE
2. We're cutting back, but still making room for little treats
The gist: American shoppers are becoming more selective about where their money goes, but they're not giving up everything that brings them joy.
According to a September 14 report from retail research firm Circana, nearly 60% of surveyed shoppers said they were being more cautious or reducing discretionary spending. Another 30% remained selective while continuing to spend in categories that mattered most to them.
Despite broader spending pressure, products such as frozen desserts, beauty items, trading cards and Pilates equipment are attracting consumer interest. The takeaway? Shoppers are increasingly weighing whether something feels worth the money, rather than focusing on price alone.
Why it matters: Consumers may cut back in some areas while continuing to spend on products that offer enjoyment, convenience or personal value. For businesses, understanding what customers consider worthwhile is becoming increasingly important.
Go deeper: Read Circana's consumer report
SCIENCE & INNOVATION
3. Could industrial waste become a new source of critical minerals?
The gist: What if some of the materials needed for modern technology were already sitting in industrial waste piles?
A research team led by Worcester Polytechnic Institute has received a US$3.3 million National Science Foundation award to investigate ways of recovering valuable materials from coal ash, mine tailings and red mud, a by-product of aluminum production.
The researchers plan to draw inspiration from biological processes found in diatoms, sea sponges and plants. Their goal is to develop recovery methods that require less energy and fewer harsh chemicals. The project is still in its research stage, and commercial viability has not been established.
Why it matters: If the approach eventually proves practical and economical, existing waste could become an additional source of critical minerals while creating opportunities to recover value from industrial by-products.
WORD ON THE STREET
Ultracrepidarian ul-tra-krep-i-DAIR-ee-un | noun or adjective
Someone who gives opinions on subjects they know little or nothing about, or the act of doing so.
In a sentence: “He watched one documentary and immediately became an ultracrepidarian on the subject.”
Why it’s worth knowing: We all know someone who has a very confident opinion about something they’ve spent approximately four minutes researching. The trick is making sure we’re not that person.
A little curiosity is good. A little humility is even better.
THE BOOKSHELF
Range, by David Epstein
The idea: Being interested in lots of different things isn’t necessarily a lack of focus.
We’re often encouraged to pick one thing, specialize and get really good at it. In Range, David Epstein makes the case that broad experience can be valuable too, particularly when we’re dealing with unfamiliar or complicated problems.
Knowledge from one field can help us spot connections in another. Sometimes the seemingly unrelated things you’ve learned turn out to be surprisingly useful.
What to take away: You don’t need to become an expert in every new interest. Learning a little about something completely outside your usual world is worthwhile on its own.
Try it: Spend ten minutes this week reading about a subject you know absolutely nothing about. No need to turn it into a skill, side hustle or productivity exercise.
THE POWER MOVE
Ask a better question.
You know when someone mentions their job or a hobby, and you have absolutely no idea what they’re talking about?
Instead of nodding along and hoping the conversation moves on, try asking:
“What’s something about it that most people would find surprising?”
It’s more interesting than “So, what do you do?” and gives the other person room to talk about something they actually find exciting.
It works at networking events, dinner parties or even with someone you’ve known for years.
One question. Potentially a much better conversation.
THE PROMPT EDIT
Give your algorithm some competition.
Here’s a prompt for when you want to learn something new but don’t know where to start.
COPY AND PASTE:
Act as a curious, well-read friend. Introduce me to five interesting topics I probably wouldn’t encounter in my usual social media feed.
Choose one topic each from science, history, economics, culture and technology.
For each topic, explain it in three simple sentences, tell me what makes it interesting, give me one question I could ask someone about it, and suggest a credible source where I can learn more.
Avoid the obvious suggestions. I want to be surprised.
The takeaway: Five minutes of curiosity instead of another 45 minutes of scrolling. A reasonable trade, I'd say.
THE RABBIT HOLE
One thing you didn’t know you wanted to know.
Why do songs get stuck in our heads?
You hear one song in a coffee shop and suddenly the same eight seconds are playing in your head for the next six hours.
It’s commonly called an earworm. Researchers use the term involuntary musical imagery for music that pops into your mind without you deliberately trying to remember it.
A song you’ve heard recently, a familiar melody or something that reminds you of the music can all help trigger the experience. There’s no single explanation for why one particular song decides to move into your brain and refuse to pay rent.
Go deeper: Why songs get stuck in our heads
That's your five minutes.
CIK.
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