The coffee cup gets a radical redesign

Greetings! In Neal Stephenson’s 1995 novel, The Diamond Age, he imagines a world in which buildings c [Compass] Greetings! In Neal Stephenson’s 1995 novel, The Diamond Age, he imagines a world in which [buildings can be constructed of diamond]( a material that, thanks to submicroscopic robots and nanoengineering, had become cheaper than glass. As a result, whole cities are made of the world’s hardest material, and skyscrapers glisten in the sun. We can’t yet build with unlimited piles of diamond, no. But Rice University researchers have figured out the next best thing: handling plastic, or even materials such as metal and concrete, in a way that can nearly match diamond’s strength. —[Mark Wilson]( today's productivity secrets [‘Just Mercy’ follows a social justice activist. Meet the man behind the movie]( [‘Just Mercy’ follows a social justice activist. Meet the man behind the movie]( Bryan Stevenson, founder and executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative, doesn’t get much sleep. [fastcompany.com]( today's smoky sales [Despite the threat of bans, vape companies are doing surprisingly well]( [Despite the threat of bans, vape companies are doing surprisingly well]( Vape companies took a hit from the bans but are bouncing back. [fastcompany.com]( today's java jolt [The coffee cup gets a radical, desperately needed redesign]( [The coffee cup gets a radical, desperately needed redesign]( Unocups, the brainchild of a product designer and an architect, are able to hold hot liquids without the use of a conventional plastic lid. [fastcompany.com]( today's philanthro-capitalism [As corporate philanthropy and marketing stunts converge, who is actually benefiting?]( [As corporate philanthropy and marketing stunts converge, who is actually benefiting?]( Anand Giridharadas on stunts such as Domino’s Pizza paving potholed roads: “I view them as cultural attempts to continue to eviscerate the idea of a commons and our biggest shared problems being solved together.” [fastcompany.com]( today's brokerage news [Report: Charles Schwab in talks to buy TD Ameritrade]( [Report: Charles Schwab in talks to buy TD Ameritrade]( If the two firms do merge, they would have a combined $5 trillion in assets. [fastcompany.com]( today's mommy fiercest [Actress Carrie Coon is a ‘Motherhacker’ who’s always fishing in the dark side of motherhood]( [Actress Carrie Coon is a ‘Motherhacker’ who’s always fishing in the dark side of motherhood]( Carrie Coon, who stars in Gimlet’s new podcast “Motherhacker,” explains how she’s redefining the mom archetype and how the physical side of creativity changed her life. [fastcompany.com]( today's amazing beats [The best gifts for music lovers, according to employees of Janelle Monáe’s Wondaland]( [The best gifts for music lovers, according to employees of Janelle Monáe’s Wondaland]( We tapped the creatives at Wondaland for their top recommendations for the 2019 holiday season. [fastcompany.com]( today's blank-page solutions [4 successful Hollywood screenwriters on dealing with writer’s block]( [4 successful Hollywood screenwriters on dealing with writer’s block]( Everyone gets stuck. It’s about learning how to deal effectively with mental blocks, say these pros. [fastcompany.com]( Hang tight. The weekend’s almost here! Did you enjoy this issue? [Fast Company] You can [update your details here](. If you don’t want to receive Compass anymore, [unsubscribe here]( If you were forwarded Compass and like it, [subscribe here]( [View this newsletter online]( Powered by [Revue]( 7 World Trade Center, 29th Floor, New York, NY 10007-2195