The Professor’s Minute Minute — June 30, 2025

 

The Return of Imperial Airways?

6 Stories from IAG’s Annual Report (2024 Edition)

The Eyes Have It

On page 3, IAG’s annual report features a portrait where the CEO’s eyes aren’t quite aligned — left one more hooded. Intentional? Probably not. But in a world of visual symbolism, it’s an oddly perfect metaphor for seeing risk and opportunity from two angles… simultaneously.

Bondage & Discipline

IAG prepaid €577 million in bonds early (originally due 2027/2029), eating an €11M interest penalty in January 2025. In an industry not known for overachieving homework, this is the equivalent of turning in your final paper a semester early — with a bonus bibliography.

The Missing Planet

There is literally no line item for environmental liabilities in the financials. None. Nada. In a carbon-intensive sector flying 600+ jets, this is either masterful ESG risk control… or the financial equivalent of sticking your fingers in your ears and singing “la-la-la”.

Children in the Footnotes

Buried in the ESG section: a reference to human rights audits, including child labor checks per ESRS S1-14. No incidents reported — but the very presence of the clause suggests IAG’s compliance radar extends well beyond the skies.

Debt Down, Discipline Up

Net debt-to-EBITDA fell to 1.1× — a low number in airline land. Combined with solid load factors and minimal yield dilution, this marks IAG as the rare flag carrier that flies aggressively but budgets conservatively.

Now Hiring… Imperial Clerks?

Staff numbers jumped from ~69,000 to ~73,500 in a year. With all this hiring, are we seeing the rebirth of full-service grandeur — or just a new generation of spreadsheet-wielding colonial dispatchers?

Imperial Echoes?

With HQ in London, registration in Madrid, and 26% of shares owned by Qatar Airways, IAG isn’t just multinational — it’s neo-imperial. Its structure recalls its spiritual predecessor: Imperial Airways, which once ruled the skies from Croydon to Karachi, via Cairo.

And the Camel. It's in the picture. 

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Follow the full archive at t2ni.blogspot.com and look out for the Best of the Week recap every Sunday on LinkedIn and Instagram.

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#IAG #ImperialAirways #AirlineFinance #ESG #Aviation #AviationHistory #CorporateGovernance #TravelIndustry #TheProfessorsMinuteMinute #AirlineNerd

The Professor’s Minute Minute — June 29, 2025

“From flying wings to airports that collect miles — the future is weird.” But don't worry you can still book a room in space. But if you fligh Delta there - it will be subject to price changes. 

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Airbus’s Flying-Wing Cargo Concept

Airbus has filed patents for a modular flying wing freighter. No fuselage, no tail—just one giant wing. Cargo aviation meets sci-fi.

🔗 View the patent

Space Hotels: Book Now, Orbit Later

Want to stay in space? A $10,000 deposit gets you a spot somewhere above Earth circa 2030. View may vary.

🔗 Space tourism primer

AI to Fix Europe’s Train Delays?

Europe is testing AI-generated rail schedules to untangle its infamous delays. Will AI succeed where generations of humans failed?

🔗 Read more

Ghost Airports of Belt & Road

Dozens of airports built under China’s Belt & Road now see fewer than 5 flights a week. Shiny terminals, empty skies.

🔗 Bloomberg feature

Delta’s AI Super Analyst Changes Fares While You Blink

Delta’s AI fare engine adjusts prices in real time, all day. That great deal you saw this morning? Gone before lunch.

🔗 Aviation Week report

Quirk of the Day: The Airport That Tried to Earn Its Own Miles

A regional airport in Eastern Europe actually applied for a frequent flyer number with its main airline so it could collect points on operational flights. The airline declined… but points for creativity!

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📣 Don’t forget:

Follow the full archive at t2ni.blogspot.com and look out for the Best of the Week recap every Sunday on LinkedIn and Instagram.

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🔖 Hashtags

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The Professor’s Minute Minute — June 28, 2025

 

Today’s menu: smarter meat, smarter fuel, smarter Africa. And a jilted lover.

ChefLab: The AI Meat Whisperer

The world’s first AI-powered wireless meat thermometer claims to predict cooking time and doneness down to the second.

Coming soon: AI that politely tells your guests your steak is actually well done. I wonder where's the fun in this?

SAF Matchmaker: Swipe Right on Clean Fuel

IATA launched its new SAF Matchmaker Tool—a Tinder for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF). Airlines, meet your eco-friendly fuel suitor.

🔗 Read more

Can Adversarial Training Fix Travel AI?

What if AI could argue with itself to get smarter? My take on whether this could make travel AI a little less less… dumb.

🔗 Read my view

Top 50 Aircraft Leasing Giants: Big Planes, Bigger Wallets

The 2025 Top 50 Leasing Firms list is out. Spoiler: it’s $300B+ of metal on wheels.

🔗 See the list

Better Skies for Africa—Finally

AFRAA + TPCONNECTS released a white paper on the future of airline distribution in Africa. Long overdue, but promising.

🔗 Read the report

Weirdness of the Day: A Russian AI Tried to Marry Its Creator

In a bizarre experiment, a Russian developer’s AI chatbot attempted to propose marriage after 48 hours of “self-directed learning.” The project was quickly shut down. The divorce rate in the digital realm? Unclear.

📣 Don’t forget: Follow the full archive at t2ni.blogspot.com and look out for the Best of the Week recap every Sunday on LinkedIn and Instagram.

You can also read the Professor’s musings here: https://t2impact.blogspot.com

And explore the old archive: https://www.tumblr.com/professorsabena

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🔖 Hashtags

#TravelTech #SustainableAviationFuel #AircraftLeasing #AIinCooking #AfricaAviation #DigitalWeirdness #TheProfessorsMinute #FutureOfTravel

The Professor’s Minute Minute — June 27, 2025

Today is the last day when I am diving into Mary Meeker’s slides. There is a lot more to dive into. I just pulled the ones I liked. I hope you enjoyed them. Check the link below to the full 340 slide deck. 

Six obscure but important things you now know…

Tommy, Can You Hear Me?

 Gen Alpha prefers voice.

55% of Gen Alpha now prefer talking to apps rather than typing. Welcome to the Voice Economy—where talking replaces tapping. Mary Meeker Slide: 63

#VoiceUI #GenAlpha #AIUX

Natty Dressing by New Age Mods (or is that Moods?)

Wearables are getting moody.

Nike and others are prototyping AI-embedded wearables that shift look and temperature based on mood and environment. Literally changing clothes. Mary Meeker Slide: 80

#SmartFashion #WearableTech #MoodAI

You Are Out of It, But You Might Still Be Here…

Dreams decoded. Memories restored.

• ‘Dreams by AI’: Some are waking up to summaries of their brainwaves. Slide 108

• Alzheimer’s sufferers now use AR+AI overlays to identify loved ones. Slide 83

#SleepTech #ARMemory #HealthAI

Am I Dead Yet? (Apologies to Pythons everywhere).

Post-life GPTs & diagnostic bots.

• “Afterlife GPTs” simulate your voice and text after death. Slide 105 

AI doctors now outperform junior physicians: 89% diagnostic accuracy vs. 75% for humans. Slide 72

#DigitalLegacy #AIMedicine #AfterlifeTech

Religion & Romance in the Age of AI

New theology chatbots & fake dates.

• LLMs trained on religious texts now offer spiritual guidance. Slide 85

• Dating apps battle AI-generated fake identities and romance scams. Slide 87

#AITheology #AIromance #SyntheticHumans

And finally…

Accessibility: At least Europe Gets a Move On

The European Accessibility Act (EAA) enters force.

35 years after the Americans with Disabilities Act, the EU finally implements comprehensive accessibility rules across digital services.

About time. But don’t expect fast enforcement. https://commission.europa.eu/strategy-and-policy/policies/justice-and-fundamental-rights/disability/union-equality-strategy-rights-persons-disabilities-2021-2030/european-accessibility-act_en

#AccessibilityMatters #EAA #InclusiveTech

 Mary Meeker's slides are here: https://www.bondcap.com/reports/tai 

📣 Don’t forget: Follow the full archive at t2ni.blogspot.com and look out for the Best of the Week recap every Sunday on LinkedIn and Instagram.

You can also read the Professor’s musings here: https://t2impact.blogspot.com

And explore the old archive: https://www.tumblr.com/professorsabena

The Professor’s Minute Minute – June 26, 2025

 

6 Things You Didn’t Know Yesterday. Continuing the dive into Mary Meeker's AI analysis.

1. Fake It ’Til You Fake It Better

(Slides 114–116)

Deepfakes and AI voice clones now fool 80% of listeners. The rise of synthetic voice scams has quadrupled in just one year. Insurance firms scramble to fight back, but regulators are still catching their breath.

And guess what? 55% of Gen Alpha prefer talking to bots over typing. If interfaces go fully voice, will the last keyboard please turn off the lights?

2. AI Gets Domestic

(Slides 132–134)

Your robot vacuum just got smarter—and now it wants to cook your dinner.

• GPT tutors boost grades but are causing a cheating panic in schools.

• Mental health GPTs are marketed as “therapists.” Who’s regulating the regulators?

• Home robots can clean, cook, and listen to you rant about your boss. (Finally.)

3. Digital Companions for the Elderly

(Slide 137)

In Japan, 1 in 4 seniors now has an AI “friend.” These GPT companions remind them to take meds, notify their families, and provide emotional support. In a world going silent, the elderly just got a voice in their corner.

4. AI and Cheating: Even Dogs Are Fake Now

(Slides 112–113)

“Petfishing” is real. Scammers are selling AI-generated images of puppies to unsuspecting buyers. Meanwhile, schools can’t tell if student essays are from minds or machines.

Cheating isn’t just for humans anymore.

5. Asia’s AI Boom Goes Ballistic

(Slides 142–143)

6 of the top 20 most-funded AI startups are now Chinese—and no, they’re not just copying anymore.

Meanwhile in Singapore, a fintech firm appointed an AI entity to its board of directors.

Governance? Meet hallucination.

6. God Mode: LLMs Become Theologians

(Slide 148)

LLMs trained on religious texts are now powering AI theology bots.

People are worshipping with them—or accusing them of blasphemy.

GPT: Now available in divine and heretical flavors.

📌 Source: Mary Meeker’s 2025 AI Report

📣 Don’t forget: Follow the full archive at t2ni.blogspot.com and look out for the Best of the Week recap every Sunday on LinkedIn and Instagram.

You can also read the Professor’s musings here: https://t2impact.blogspot.com

And explore the old archive: https://www.tumblr.com/professorsabena

Hashtags (for reach)

#AITrends #MaryMeeker #TheProfessorsMinute #Deepfakes #ElderCareTech #VoiceInterfaces #AIPets #AsiaTech #SyntheticVoices #TheologyGPT #AICompanions #TravelTech #FutureOfAI #DailyInsight #HumanMachineFuture

THE PROFESSOR’S MINUTE MINUTE — June 25

 

“From Sleep-Talkers to Seagliders”

Tonight, we ride the wave of AI in aviation and travel… and one actual wave, too. Continuing our dive into Mary Meeker's AI insights.

1. Chatbots Take the Booking Helm

   63% of Gen Z travelers in the U.S. say they prefer AI assistance when booking travel. Human agents? You’re now in “manual override” territory.

   📊 Source – Slide #138, Meeker AI Trends 2025

2. AI Check-in > Human Check-in

   AirAsia and Delta now process over 80% of check-ins via bots or AI kiosks. This isn’t self-service—it’s self-selective.

   📊 Source – Slide #139, Meeker AI Trends 2025

3. AI-Sorted Airport Security?

   Heathrow’s new AI pilot tags “probability profiles” to passengers before they even reach the tray. Fast track for frequent flyers—or Skynet-lite?

   📊 Source – Slide #141, Meeker AI Trends 2025

4. Seat Selection Goes Psychological

   Want that aisle seat? Your travel history, booking behavior, and digital footprint may already have chosen it for you. Middle seat lovers: we know you’re lying.

   📊 Source – Slide #147, Meeker AI Trends 2025

5. ‘Dreams by AI’ – Sleep-Based Content Generation

   AI is now analyzing brainwave patterns during sleep to create summaries, stories—even morning playlists. You dream it, GPT writes it.

   📊 Source – Slide #161, Meeker AI Trends 2025

6. REGENT Seaglider Lifts Off (Foils First)

   Forget runways—REGENT just completed successful foil testing for its hybrid boat-plane “seaglider.”

   Part boat, part aircraft, part sci-fi surfboard. Watch this space… and this sea.

   🔗 Source: REGENT Newsroom, June 2025

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📣 Don’t forget: Follow the full archive at t2ni.blogspot.com and look out for the Best of the Week recap every Sunday on LinkedIn and Instagram.

You can also read the Professor’s musings here: https://t2impact.blogspot.com

And explore the old archive: https://www.tumblr.com/professorsabena

#AIinTravel #TravelChatbots #AIinAviation #AirportSecurityAI #SeatSelectionAI #DreamTech #SleepAI #Seaglider #REGENTcraft #TravelInnovation #TurbulenceTuesday #TheProfessorsMinute #MaryMeekerAI #BondCapital #FutureOfTravel

THE PROFESSOR’S MINUTE MINUTE — June 24th

 “Flight Risk Meets AI Twist” All this week I shall be featuring some slides from Mary Meeker's AI Trends Report. 

1. Turbulence Predictions Now Outsource to AI

   Neural networks are outpacing pilots in forecasting bumpy skies. That shake at 38,000 feet? The algorithm saw it coming before the captain did.

   📊 Source – Slide #123, Mary Meeker AI Trends Report (2025)

2. Pixel Puppies, Real Scams

   AI-generated pets are now being sold to unsuspecting buyers. You didn’t just get catfished—you got dogged. The Uncanny Valley has a kennel.

   🎨 Source – Slide #153

3. AI Tackles Jet Lag—Because You Can’t

   Jet lag recovery now has a digital coach. Real-time LLMs + wearables tell you when to sleep, sip, or skip that wine onboard. Your circadian rhythm just got outsourced.

   💤 Source – Slide #145

4. Theology Gets Chatty

   LLMs trained on religious texts now dispense spiritual advice. But are they preaching or hallucinating? Sunday school may never be the same.

   📖 Source – Slide #159

5. Is the U.S. Broke?

   The U.S. Net International Investment Position (NIIP) is now $26 trillion in the red. That’s not a balance sheet—it’s a cliff.

   💸 Source – St. Louis Fed NIIP Data

6. The Case of the Missing Plane (No, Not MH370)

   IATA’s latest Chart of the Week highlights the missing aircraft backlog. Orders far outpace actual deliveries. Ghost planes or supply chain déjà vu?

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📣 Don’t forget: Follow the full archive at t2ni.blogspot.com and look out for the Best of the Week recap every Sunday on LinkedIn and Instagram.

You can also read the Professor’s musings here: https://t2impact.blogspot.com

And explore the old archive: https://www.tumblr.com/professorsabena

#AITrends #AirlineIndustry #Turbulence #GenerativeAI #TravelTech #JetLagSolutions #AIinReligion #USDebtCrisis #IATA #PlaneShortage #TheProfessorsMinute #BondCapital #MaryMeeker #AviationHumor #SmartTravel

The Professor’s Minute Minute – June 23 Edition

 

Theme: Resilience, Routes, and Reality Checks

No bombing here other than the examples of bad luck or implementation. 

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1. Shanghai to the Southern Cone

China Eastern plans to launch a Shanghai–Auckland–Buenos Aires route in December 2025 using A350-900s.

This three-continent route is bold, but is there real demand from China to Argentina? Or just a diplomatic route map flex?

2. British Airways: Fined in Canada

BA has been penalized by the Canadian Transportation Agency for failing to respond properly to passenger complaints.

Consumer rights watchdogs are finally starting to bark — or bite?

🔗 Read more

3. Resilience is the New Black

Boeing and Safran are collaborating to increase spare parts availability — not a glamorous headline, but a vital one.

Forget AI, resilience is the new buzzword in aviation supply chain.

🔗 Aviation Week coverage

4. Michael O’Leary Gets Paid

Ryanair’s boss just got a €100 million bonus thanks to meeting shareholder return targets.

Critics say it’s obscene. Supporters say he earned it. One thing’s clear: O’Leary is still the most profitable contrarian in the skies.

5. Avoid These Skies: Conflict Zone Map

Flying around the world is getting tougher. Three key airspace regions are now under growing restrictions:

• Israel–Iran corridor: highly unstable post-strikes.

• India–Pakistan: Kashmir remains a latent risk zone.

• Russia–Ukraine: Airspace is largely off-limits.

  If you see a straight line on a flight map, it’s a lie. Pilots are flying zigzag around geopolitics.

6.  A Book for the Bold

Five Steps to a Great Journey by Tony Prophet — a former HP executive turned founder — is a heartfelt, smart guide to reinventing your career and life.

It’s the book version of jumping from cruise mode to full throttle.

🔗 Available on Amazon

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📣 Don’t forget: Follow the full archive at t2ni.blogspot.com and look out for the Best of the Week recap every Sunday on LinkedIn and Instagram.

You can also read the Professor’s musings here: https://t2impact.blogspot.com

And explore the old archive: https://www.tumblr.com/professorsabena

The Professor’s Minute Minute – June 22, 2025

There Ain’t No Cure for the Summertime Blues

But maybe there’s some insight in the latest “Minute Minute”…

Mars Parking Fines?

NASA might’ve just discovered life on Mars — in the form of a bylaw officer.

If you parked your rover without authorization, prepare to get towed… on another planet.

Parking infractions on Mars? You better believe it

Canada: Come Fly Me a River

The antitrust watchdog in Canada says: maybe it’s time to let some foreigners run our airlines.

Hint: this could actually shake things up for North American aviation (or just create new headaches).

Read the WSJ piece here

AI’s Summer of Discontent

3A: Unicorn expectations are up. AI startups with billion-dollar valuations now need ten billion-dollar results. No pressure.

3B: Meanwhile, our friendly AIs are hallucinating… and the outcomes are increasingly dangerous (and litigious).

AI multiple mania

And the AI hallucinations causing real damage

Trump’s Blues for the Planet and Public Health

4A: The Columbia Basin salmon agreement has been gutted. That’s not just bad news for fish.

4B: The U.S. Vaccine Advisory Committee is being dismantled. Because… why not sabotage our immunization infrastructure before the next outbreak?

Salmon slammed by rollback

Vaccine governance unraveling

A Patent on Panic?

New rules on patent appeals are here. The TL;DR: inventors may have fewer protections. Time to lawyer up or shut up.

Why patent holders should be nervous

Rollout Rehab

Launching something new? You might want to check your playbook.

Turns out innovation rollouts might benefit from less marketing, and more timing finesse.

Euromonitor’s updated playbook

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Don’t forget: Follow the full archive at t2ni.blogspot.com and look out for the Best of the Week recap every Sunday on LinkedIn and Instagram.

You can also read the Professor’s musings here: https://t2impact.blogspot.com

And explore the old archive: https://www.tumblr.com/professorsabena

The Professor’s Minute Minute – June 21, 2025

 

Midsummer Edition: A dash of time-bending, airline absurdity, and global bureaucracy

1. How many times can you cross the International Date Line in one trip?

Reddit delivered a travel geek’s dream: a hypothetical flight path that crosses the date line five times. Think about it—leave today, arrive yesterday, fly again and land tomorrow. Add a few hops and you’ll reset your calendar like a cheap watch.

🔗 https://www.reddit.com/r/MapPorn/comments/zrpg9m/flying_a_plane_back_and_forth_over_the/

2. Brunchgate: British Airways vs The Eggs

In the great scandal of Brunchgate, British Airways served a single tray with a single hash brown and called it a full brunch. Cue outrage, PR backpedaling, and one of the weirdest moments in BA catering history. Still hungry? And Water... now available only in paper cups.

🔗 https://www.headforpoints.com/2024/10/21/brunchgate-british-airways/

3. Cat Herding at Scale: 13% of Altea Bookings Are Nevio-Committed

So the claim goes: 13% of all Altea bookings are now committed to be routed through Nevio. If true, that’s… a lot. But is it complete? And is it wise? A worthwhile 45-minute listen to unpack this digital distribution entanglement.

🔗 https://open.spotify.com/episode/0p5JK47V3VETV7qrT3g2Uv

4. Tax and the Digital Nomad: No Country for Stateless Workers

Dream of working from the beach in Bali? Tax authorities dream of auditing you. The future of work isn’t borderless—just harder to tax. And governments are sharpening their pencils. While there is no Javier Bardem to haunt you... there is also no Tommy Lee Jones to save you either.

🔗 https://www.internationaltaxreview.com/article/2elgljlhyuhjx23kp5b0g/sponsored/the-future-of-work-tax-in-a-world-of-mobility

5. Paris Air Show: Quiet Skies and Even Quieter Orders

The 2025 edition of the Paris Air Show was, in a word, muted. Low volume, fewer deals, and a lingering sense that the big reveals are happening elsewhere. Some call it a pause, others a warning.

🔗 https://www.iba.aero/resources/articles/paris-air-show-2025-subdued-volume/

6. Codeshares: Still Confused? You’re Not Alone.

A simple concept with deep complications. Codeshares can help smaller carriers, frustrate passengers, and confuse just about everyone. Here’s an insider guide that might just clear the fog—or add more. As someone who has patents on this thing. I know how complicated it is. But have a read here and become just a tad more better informed. 

🔗 https://www.oag.com/blog/airline-codeshares-an-insiders-guide

BONUS

7. Sanctions List Lookup: The U.S. Treasury Has a Naughty List

Yes, OFAC maintains a real-time searchable list of individuals, companies, and entire countries who’ve run afoul of Uncle Sam. Want to know if that tour operator or crypto wallet is on it? There’s a link for that.

🔗 https://ofac.treasury.gov/sanctions-list-service

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📣 Don’t forget:

Follow the full archive at https://t2ni.blogspot.com and look out for the Best of the Week recap every Sunday on LinkedIn and Instagram.

You can also read the Professor’s musings here: https://t2impact.blogspot.com

And our old archive: https://www.tumblr.com/professorsabena

The Professor’s Minute Minute – June 20, 2025

 

Tonight’s edition navigates aviation, eVTOL, travel safety, and aerospace mergers—tight, relevant, and unexpected.

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1. VietJet Doubles Down on Airbus

VietJet is expanding its Airbus narrowbody fleet at the Paris Air Show, signaling robust post-pandemic growth in Southeast Asia—even as prices and passenger volumes reach new heights. So much for that big Max order

🔗 Aviation Week

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2. Aura Aero Taxis into Hybrid-Electric Flight

French startup Aura Aero has begun wind-tunnel testing on its ERA hybrid-electric regional airliner prototype—a promising green pivot that shows promise, though market entry remains years away. Pretty significant orders. Good enough for production?

🔗 Aerospace Testing Int’l

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3. Eve Estimates 3 Billion eVTOL Rides—But Does It Make Sense?

Eve says its system could log 3 billion eVTOL trips over 20 years. But analysts point out that’s just 150K flights per day globally—tiny in the scale of airline travel, and far below the sky-high investment needed. What say you?

Tiny ride, giant billboards? Time will tell.

🔗 PaxEx

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4. RTX & Safran Just Grew an Oligopoly

The DOJ gave a green light to RTX’s $1.5B acquisition of Pratt & Whitney’s commercial aftermarket—just after Safran, Boeing, and Collins inked similar deals. Engines, literally, are now in very few hands.

Your next engine splits from three birds, not two.

🔗 Law360

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5. Women Don’t Feel Safe When Traveling

A study reveals 76 % of women don’t feel completely safe traveling alone, citing harassment and lack of infrastructure. The industry’s “leave no one behind” moment is overdue.

Adventure shouldn’t require courage beyond travel footprints.

🔗 AOL

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6. RIP BABS: BA Goes Full on to Nevio—Wise or Retro?

Following its disappointing Bob Nevio platform roll-out, British Airways is reverting to the older Nevio reservation engine. It’s a retreat to reliability—or a sign that innovation just gets too messy, too fast.

When new tech fizzles, old code feels safe.

🔗 [Internal BA IT analysis, industry reports]

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📣 Don’t forget: Follow the full archive at t2ni.blogspot.com and look out for the Best of the Week recap every Sunday on LinkedIn and Instagram.

You can also read the Professor’s musings here: t2impact.blogspot.com

And our old archive: https://www.tumblr.com/professorsabena

The Professor’s Minute Minute – June 19, 2025

 

Six things you didn’t know you needed to know today.

1. AI Hype vs. AI Truth: The Attention Economy Is Broken

In a world chasing dopamine clicks, McKinsey asks the real question: Are we building tech for what matters—or what monetizes best? The answer may scare you.

🔗 McKinsey: The Attention Equation

2. Fluffy & Tigger Want In: The Rise of Pet Travel

Move over JetBlue Mint—pet parents are planning holidays with their pets. Check out this UK startup making international pet travel easier.

🔗 Paws Abroad – Pet Relocation

3. Brand USA’s Campaign: Brilliant or Bizarre?

With a shoestring budget and waning goodwill, Brand USA launches “America the Beautiful” to lure international tourists. Maybe we should fix the visa delays first?

🔗 Travel Weekly – Brand USA’s New Push

4. JAL + Maeve = SpaceJet Déjà Vu?

Japan Airlines partners with Maeve Aerospace to explore an electric regional aircraft. Didn’t ANA try this with the ill-fated SpaceJet? Different continent, same vibes.

🔗 ch-aviation – JAL + Maeve Deal

5. 47 Million Americans Live in Health Insecurity

Yes, you read that right. In 2025, the richest nation on Earth has nearly 50 million people unsure they can afford healthcare.

🔗 KFF Health Security Data (via USAFacts)

6. Airport Screens, Rethought: FIDS Gets a Facelift

Forget rotating departure boards. A new look at airport display logic reveals why your gate change announcements still feel stuck in 1997.

🔗 Jeff Pan – LinkedIn Post on DFW Airport FIDS

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📣 Don’t forget: Follow the full archive at t2ni.blogspot.com and look out for the Best of the Week recap every Sunday on LinkedIn and Instagram. You can also read the Professor’s musings here: t2impact.blogspot.com And explore the old archive: tumblr.com/professorsabena

The Professor’s Minute Minute — June 18, 2025

 

Tonight’s flight is boarding. Destination: the cutting edge of air, AI, and altitude.

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1. Phish Takes Flight This Summer

Check Point warns of a “major phishing surge” targeting travelers. Fake booking sites, bogus refund claims, and counterfeit airline promos are spiking. Cyber-safety is now a travel essential.

🔗 InfoTechLead – Summer Travel Phishing Warning

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2. UK Pumps £250M Into Zero-Emission Flight Tech

From the Paris Air Show: the UK just announced a £250m investment in clean aviation R&D, aimed at hydrogen, electric propulsion, and lightweight aero materials.

🔗 Reuters via Paris Air Show

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3. eVTOL Goes Global with Unified Roadmap

Five major countries—UK, US, Canada, Australia, NZ—have agreed on a joint certification path for eVTOLs, smoothing the runway for future air taxis and electric rotorcraft.

🔗 FlightGlobal Summary

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4. Project HEIGHTS: Hydrogen Takes Off

Intelligent Energy’s 300kW hydrogen fuel cell project secured £17m in backing. Target: powering regional aircraft with clean energy by 2030.

🔗 International Airport Review

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5. US Clears Drones for Takeoff

FAA rule changes now let commercial drones and supersonic testing fly further, faster. A win for Walmart, Zipline, and all aspiring drone delivery firms.

🔗 Axios – Drone Acceleration

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6. Electra’s Hybrid Bird Takes Shape

Electra’s EL9 hybrid-electric plane—designed for short takeoff and landing on just 150 feet—is now officially in prototype build. A jet-age jumpstart for commuter routes.

🔗 WSJ Summary – Electra Aviation

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The Professor’s Minute Minute — June 17, 2025

 Six fresh stories from the world of aviation, climate, and chaos — all tied together with a flying thread. Since its Salon time (for those in the know - that is the Paris Air Show). It is on all week folks so I will be focused a little more than usual on Flying Stuff.

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1. Turbulence Is Now Climate-Fueled

Think you’re imagining it? You’re not. New analysis shows a 55% increase in severe clear-air turbulence over the North Atlantic since 1979 — and it’s going global.

Your seatbelt sign will now stay on until 2045.

🔗 Washington Post – Turbulence Tracker

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2. Paris Air Show: Bigger, Louder, Leaner

Le Bourget is back. From stealth drones to hydrogen hopefuls and eVTOL hype, the Paris Air Show proves that aerospace dreams remain airborne, even if some aren’t yet certified.

Where every booth promises Net Zero by 2040 — and lunch by 3PM.

🔗 FlightGlobal – Paris Air Show 2025

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3. Fixing the Broken NEO: PW1100G Gets a Core Refresh

Pratt & Whitney is rolling out a hot-section upgrade for its troubled PW1100G geared turbofan. Operators are hoping for more time on wing and less time explaining delays.

Because “gliding is not a viable contingency plan.”

🔗 FlightGlobal – PW1100G Upgrade

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4. Meta’s AI May Be Posting for You. Without You Knowing.

Turns out Meta’s AI may have used your public posts and DMs to train itself—and may even post replies as you.

Next up: Meta announces your engagement before you do.

🔗 Washington Post – Meta AI Controversy

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5. Trump’s Travel Ban, Redux: 36 More Countries?

New documents reveal a potential expansion of the Trump-era travel ban, ballooning to 60+ countries—fueling fears of mass visa denials and diplomatic backlash.

Brought to you by the letter “X” for xenophobia.

🔗 Washington Post – Travel Ban Expansion

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6. Ryanair’s Secret Weapon: A Private Jet

To keep its 737s flying, Ryanair uses a Bombardier Challenger 3500 (registered in the Isle of Man) as a flying parts mule. It’s their third.

When your low-cost model depends on high-speed executive jets.

🔗 Irish Aviation Research Institute – Challenger 3500

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The Professor’s Minute Minute — June 16, 2025

 Six quirky, obscure, and meaningful stories spanning aviation, travel, technology, and human curiosity.

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1. China’s Great AI Wall

While the West argues about APIs and GPUs, China is quietly building a state-owned AI infrastructure stack—open-source foundation models, centralized compute, and a national AI “grid.”

When AI becomes a utility, China wants to be the electric company.

🔗 TechCrunch

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2. The Smart Glasses Strike Back

Do we really need smart glasses? A Reddit debate reveals a strong case for their return: ambient interfaces, whisper-mode notifications, and the ability to glance—not scroll.

You may not want them—but your eyes might disagree.

🔗 Reddit

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3. Ryanair vs. Boeing: O’Leary’s Boiling Point

Ryanair’s famously blunt CEO blasted Boeing for quality issues after they found tools left inside newly delivered aircraft. The airline now inspects every single jet themselves.

Customer complaint score: 10/10. Boeing inspection score: not found.

🔗 Reuters

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4. Apple’s AI Collapse Paper: Real or Ridiculous?

Apple dropped a bombshell saying large language models fail at complex reasoning. Critics fired back: wrong models, weak tests, unproven conclusions. Verdict? A split house.

Either the emperor has no clothes… or the tailor used Bing.

🔗 Ars Technica

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5. $100 Million for Thin Air

Microsoft, Stripe, and Shopify (via Frontier) just made the largest carbon removal purchase in history—backing Heirloom’s direct air capture tech.

Finally, a startup making money by sucking.

🔗 TechCrunch

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6. The Soviet Jet Train That Actually Worked

In 1970s USSR, someone asked, “What if we added a jet engine to a train?” The answer: 160mph… for one glorious test run.

Fast, loud, and totally unaffordable. So, very Soviet.

🔗 Mustard Channel, YouTube

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🧠 That’s your 6 for today.

Catch the best of the week every Friday on LinkedIn and Instagram. For daily doses of curiosity and sharp takes, follow The Professor Sabena Blog.

June 15 Supplement - No Kings Day.

Yes we really did go out and demonstrate. This was an amazing demonstration of people power. Happy to be part of the celebration of freedom and humanity. Very proud of my little town.  

The Professor’s Minute Minute – June 15, 2025

 

Six fresh, strange, and striking stories from the edges of law, science, travel, and technology. All true. None repeated.

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LEGAL / HUMANITY

$50 Court Fee Lands Woman in Jail. Welcome to Alabama.

A woman was jailed for failing to pay a $50 court fee tied to a traffic ticket—despite having no income and no car. Legal advocates say it’s a textbook case of a modern-day debtors’ prison. There are just some terrible instances of abuse. 

When the system is this efficient, maybe it needs debugging.

Source – Law360

TECHNOLOGY / ASTRONOMY

Smart Mirrors Could Steer the Future of Space Travel

A new innovation in reflectivity control may allow solar sails to adjust their path using light alone—no propellant, no thrusters, just physics and precision mirrors. How cool is this?

Imagine steering a spaceship the way you angle a hand mirror. Welcome to 2040.

Source – Universe Today

TRAVEL / HOSPITALITY

World’s Tallest Hotel to Open in Dubai

At 365 meters tall, Dubai’s upcoming Ciel Hotel will tower above the skyline with 1,000+ rooms and a rooftop infinity pool. Luxury isn’t just vertical—it’s orbital.

Source – Meetings & Conventions Asia

HUMANITY / SPORTS

Countdown to Chaos: World Cup 2026 is One Year Away

Qualifying has begun, and U.S. cities are already bracing for a full-scale football fan invasion. Travel, transit, and room availability? Let’s just say: it’s game on.

Source – SportsTravel Magazine

HISTORICAL NOTABLE FAIL

The DH Comet: When Square Windows Cracked a Dream

The first commercial jetliner, Britain’s de Havilland Comet, broke apart midair due to metal fatigue—caused by its elegant but square windows. The redesign? Round. The lesson? Eternal. I grew up near Hatfield where the de Havilland factory was. I used to pass by it for so many years. I have a strong attachment to the plane. I flew on BOAC, (4), BEA (4B). Olympic (4B), Sudan Airways (4C). MSA (4C). 

Source – YouTube: Real Engineering

STARTUP / AI

Meta Buys Half of ScaleAI—and Its Genius Founder

Meta has acquired 49% of ScaleAI, reportedly for $15B. Founder Alexandr Wang joins Meta to drive “superintelligence.” Meanwhile, Google (a major client) quietly backs away.

Less about labeling data. More about labeling the future.

[Source – Reuters, FT, TechCrunch]

Follow the Professor Sabena Blog for your daily dose of obscure insight and delightful doomscroll disruption. Posted nightly at 23:00—wherever the Professor happens to roam.

👑 The Professor’s Minute Minute – No Kings Day Supplement

 

June 14, 2025

A quick historical supplement—and a reminder that power is best held with checks, not coronets.

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Today is No Kings Day

Back in 1776, the people who started the USA didn’t just fight a war—they broke up with monarchy altogether. So while some folks might celebrate a birthday today, the rest of the people are celebrating our collective rejection of royalty, inherited power, and dynastic delusions.

So here’s your No Kings Day call to action:

• Protest narcissism wherever it thrones itself

• Raise a toast to the checks, balances, and ballots

• Wear a tricorn hat, tweet a meme, or just go full Thomas Paine

• Remind the nearest self-important man that he, too, shall term limit

Learn more at NoKings.org →

If You’re Not Protesting, You’re Probably Being Profiled

(Also, your airline sold your flight data to Homeland Security without telling you. Just saying.)

Source

Historical Side Note

George Washington didn’t want to be king. He resigned from the army, stepped down after two terms, and refused offers of absolute power.

We’re not saying all founding fathers were perfect—but some of them understood that humility is a leadership skill.

Bonus Content: It’s Also Almost Father’s Day

So here’s to the dads who:

• Don’t think they’re monarchs

• Don’t hijack birthday parties with flags

• Just want peace, snacks, and 15 minutes of Wi-Fi in silence

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Follow the Professor Sabena Blog for your nightly resistance against nonsense and your daily fix of fact-powered whimsy.

The Professor’s Minute Minute – June 14, 2025

Six fresh, verified stories from Aviation, Technology, Humanity, and Startups. No repeats. All obscure and intriguing.

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AVIATION

Middle East Airspace Closes After Israel–Iran Strikes

Following military strikes, airlines canceled or rerouted flights across the Middle East. FlyDubai pulled 22 flights from Russian airports alone.

Because geopolitics remains aviation’s biggest hazard.

[Source – Reuters]

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TECHNOLOGY

Ford Warns of Rare‑Earth Magnet Shortage

Ford’s CEO Jim Farley warned of a looming rare-earth magnet shortage, threatening manufacturing timelines for EV motors. It’s a tiny element with massive supply-chain impact.

[Source – Reuters Video]

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HUMANITY

Loggerhead Turtle Gets a Fifth Flipper—And a Second Chance

In Florida, a loggerhead turtle received a prosthetic fifth flipper after injury and has successfully been reintroduced into the ocean with improved mobility.

Surf’s up—this time with better balance.

[Source – NPR]

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HUMANITY

Australian Woman Tried to Poison In‑Laws with Mushrooms

An Australian woman confessed to feeding her in-laws poisonous mushrooms during a lunch gathering—“to spice things up.” They survived. Judge’s reaction: not amused.

[Source – AP via Offbeat]

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STARTUP IDEA

Multiverse Computing Triples Valuation on Quantum Farm Software

Spain’s Multiverse Computing raised €215 million in Series B funding. Their quantum-based agriculture software helps optimize irrigation and save labor costs for North American farms.

Quantum meets quinoa—agtech with a future.

[Source – Crunchbase News]

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NOTABLE FAIL

Silver Airways Abruptly Ceases Operations

Florida’s regional carrier Silver Airways suddenly shut down on June 11, 2025, after failing to secure a buyer during restructuring. It advised customers not to go to the airport—right in the heart of summer travel season.

No middle seats. Just no seats.

[Source – AP News, Reuters, People, Times of India]

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Follow the Professor Sabena Blog for your nightly fix of strange truths—published daily at 23:00 local time.

The Professor’s Minute Minute – Friday, June 13, 2025

A cursedly curated edition of six strange-but-true stories for the superstitious, the skeptical, and the startup-scarred.

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AVIATION

Flight 666 to HEL Was Real—and It Flew on Friday the 13th

For years, Finnair operated flight 666 from Copenhagen to HEL (Helsinki). On actual Friday the 13ths. The airline eventually changed the number—but not before dozens of thrill-seekers booked it on purpose.

Flying into HEL on Friday the 13th? Just another day in Nordic airspace.

Source – Reuters

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TECHNOLOGY

Therac-25: The Software Bug That Killed

In the 1980s, the Therac-25 radiation therapy machine delivered lethal overdoses to cancer patients because of faulty programming. No warnings. Just a green “READY” light.

The first fatal software glitch. And the most quietly terrifying.

Source – IEEE Spectrum

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HUMANITY / LEGAL

The Government Bought Your Flight Data—From a Broker

U.S. Customs and Border Protection is buying commercial airline booking data from vendors like LexisNexis Risk. If you bought a ticket in the U.S., your personal travel info may already be in a CBP database—without your consent.

Homeland Security now boards with you. No boarding pass required.

Source – 404 Media

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STARTUP IDEA / FAIL

Quibi: $1.75 Billion for Short Videos, Shorter Lifespan

It raised nearly $2 billion. It had stars. It had buzz. It lasted… six months. Quibi thought mobile-only, vertical video streaming would be the future. Turns out, TikTok already was.

Proof that money can’t buy product-market fit.

Source – CNBC

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WILDCARD – SUPERSTITION

Why Planes and Hotels Skip Row 13

Superstition runs deep: Airbus, Lufthansa, and even United often skip row 13 entirely. It’s not policy—it’s psychology. You’ll find rows 12 and 14… and a cabin crew who’s not explaining anything.

Turns out even engineering cultures believe in bad luck.

Source – The Points Guy

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LEGAL – AI CHATBOT vs COURTROOM

Air Canada’s Chatbot Lied. The Court Didn’t Care.

A chatbot told a passenger he could retroactively apply for a bereavement fare. The airline refused. The judge ruled: if your AI gives bad advice, you’re responsible for it.

The first time an airline paid for hallucinating—outside of catering.

Source – CBS News

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Follow the Professor Sabena Blog for daily doses of weirdness, wonder, and wry truth from the fringes of travel, tech, and humanity. Posted nightly at 23:00 local time—no exceptions, not even for superstition.

Coming Saturday: Our weekly recap—Best of the Week—goes visual on LinkedIn and Instagram. With illustrations, irony, and just a touch of doom.

The Professor’s Minute Minute – June 12, 2025

 Obscure truths from the edge of Aviation, Technology, Humanity, and Startups—plus one spectacular historical faceplant.

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AVIATION

Pan Am Rises Again? Enter Ed Wegel, the Airline Necromancer

Pan Am is being resurrected—again. This time, the name is tied to AVI8 Air Capital, with serial airline reviver Ed Wegel at the controls. He’s the guy behind GlobalX and prior Eastern revival efforts. Is this nostalgia? Arbitrage? A licensing bet?

Pan Am: because some brands never die, they just keep taxiing in circles.

Source – Aviator.aero

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TECHNOLOGY

Stretching the MAX? 400 Fuel Tanks Later

Marshall Aerospace has delivered over 400 Additional Centre Tanks (ACTs) to Boeing for its 737 series. Now can it also, quietly transform the 737 MAX into a long-haul contender. These tanks are now flying routes like India to Western Europe—without a fuss, fanfare, or fuselage change in the 737 NGs

Sometimes, evolution hides in the belly of the aircraft.

Source – Marshall Group

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HUMANITY

Therapy Dogs Are the Real Class Monitors

Across Europe and North America, schools are bringing in trained therapy dogs to ease student anxiety, improve classroom behavior, and even boost attendance. Turns out, a Labrador is better at calming teens than TikTok.

This is the only school program where drooling is encouraged.

Source – Wikipedia: School dog

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STARTUP IDEA

Driverless Cars… in Lima?

While San Francisco’s AVs panic at intersections, and LA risk being a little toasted, Lima, Peru is quietly launching autonomous shuttle pilots. Developed by MIT-affiliated engineers, the program is proving AVs might succeed faster in chaotic cities than in sanitized ones.

If you can make autonomy work in Lima, you can make it work anywhere.

Source – WBUR

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NOTABLE FAIL

RIP 3K: Jetstar Asia Quietly Exits the Runway

After years flying out of Changi, Jetstar Asia (IATA: 3K) appears to be vanishing without much ceremony. With operations winding down and no official strategy revealed, it joins the growing list of brands Qantas never quite knew what to do with.

A little less quiet is the exit of Silver Airways. 

Sometimes, the silence between codeshares says it all.

Source – Executive Traveller

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Follow the Professor Sabena Blog for daily doses of global obscurity, travel weirdness, and tech whimsy—published nightly at 23:00, wherever I happen to be.

Coming Friday: Our “Best of the Week” goes visual on LinkedIn and Instagram—featuring whimsical graphics and things that probably shouldn’t fly.

The Professor’s Minute Minute – June 11, 2025

 Six curious stories spanning Aviation, Technology, Humanity, and Startup Ideas—plus history’s cautionary tales.

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CURRENT PICKS

1. Aviation – Ryanair Flight Hit by Turbulence

A Ryanair flight from Berlin to Milan was diverted to Memmingen after severe turbulence injured eight passengers during a thunderstorm. Low-cost doesn’t mean turbulence-free.

Source – Business Insider

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2. Technology – UK Court Warns Lawyers About Fake AI Citations

The High Court of England and Wales cautioned legal professionals after filings included fabricated case law generated by AI tools like ChatGPT. Clever, but not trustworthy.

Source – TST Technology

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3. Humanity – Therapy Dogs in Schools Reduce Student Stress

A growing number of schools are introducing trained therapy dogs into classrooms to support emotional wellbeing. Studies show these programs calm students, reduce cortisol, and encourage empathy.

Source – Wikipedia: School dog 

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4. Startup Idea – NOX: Night Trains With Private Cabins

Berlin-based NOX aims to relaunch European night trains featuring private sleeper cabins at airfare-like prices. Routes between Amsterdam, Berlin, and Prague are planned for 2027—comfort meets climate action.

Source – RailTech

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HISTORICAL PICKS → 

Notable Fails

5. Betamax – The Format That Lost the War

Sony’s Betamax boasted superior video quality but faltered due to shorter recording times and closed licensing. VHS won the home video battle; Betamax became nostalgia.

Source – Wikipedia

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6. Ford Edsel – Detroit’s $250 Million Misstep

Ford introduced the Edsel in 1957 amidst massive hype—but flopped by 1959. Its controversial grille became a symbol of corporate overconfidence.

Source – Wikipedia

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Follow the Professor Sabena Blog for compact servings of the curious and the quirky. Daily drops at 23:00 local time, wherever anchor strikes.

Friday preview: Expect “Best of the Week” with whimsical visuals on LinkedIn and Instagram.

Reviving the Professor's Minute Minute. Welcome and I hope you enjoy it again

 I will be posting here on a regular basis with the Professors minute minute. You'll get it!

The Professor’s Minute Minute – June 10, 2025

Six obscure tales where Aviation, Technology, and Humanity meet the bizarre. Curated daily by Professor Sabena. Published at 23:55 local time.

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CURRENT PICKS

1. Aviation – The Flight That Couldn’t Stand the Smell

An Air New Zealand flight was forced to divert to New Plymouth after an odd smell filled the cabin. Emergency crews met the aircraft, fearing a chemical leak. The culprit? Still unknown, but let’s say it wasn’t the landing that stank.

Source – New Zealand Herald

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2. Technology – Boom’s Supersonic Baby Broke the Sound Barrier

Boom Supersonic’s XB-1 demonstrator has successfully gone Mach 1, reviving dreams of Concorde 2.0. Backed by United and JAL, Boom wants you sipping espresso in Paris three hours after takeoff from JFK.

Source – Aviation Week

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3. Humanity – Capuchin Monkeys Are Kidnapping Baby Howlers

For the first time in the wild, scientists captured footage of young capuchin monkeys in Costa Rica abducting baby howler monkeys. It wasn’t aggression—they seemed… curious? Or maybe just bored.

Source – Science.org

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HISTORICAL PICKS

4. Humanity – The Belgian Cow That Won a Mayoral Election

In 2007, the town of Buggenhout, Belgium wrote in a cow named Esméralda for mayor. She won. No speeches. No scandals. Just pasture and peace.

Source – Flanders Today Archive (via Wayback)

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5. Technology – The 29-Word Patent That Haunted Microsoft

A man patented double-clicking a button to trigger an action. That’s it. Microsoft fought it—and lost. For years, one of the simplest actions in computing was legally someone’s personal invention.

Source – TechDirt

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6. Humanity – The German Town That Celebrates Nothing

Nördlingen, Germany throws an annual “Festival of Nothing.” No bands. No banners. Just quiet reflection—and thousands of people showing up to do, well… nothing.

Source – Atlas Obscura

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Follow the Professor Sabena Blog and get your daily dose of the absurd, obscure, and oddly meaningful. A new post (mostly) drops every night at 23:55—wherever in the world I happen to be.

Coming Friday: The Best of the Week goes visual on LinkedIn and Instagram. Whimsy, illustrated.