> ## Content Index
> Fetch the complete content index at: https://www.protein.xyz/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover other available public pages before exploring further.

# #713 | Ballers League, Web4 & Astrofutures 🔮
- URL: https://www.protein.xyz/713-ballers-league-web4-astrofuturism/
- Published: 2024-12-06T13:27:14.000Z
- Updated: 2025-02-17T22:30:59.000Z
- Author: Protein
- Tags: Supplement

Since the last [SUPPLEMENT](https://www.protein.xyz/tag/supplement/), we've individually onboarded 129 (and counting) incredibly diverse, smart and cultural curious contributors to help us dig up the freshest crop of relevant research for you guys. These horti*cultural* anthropologists have been cultivating, pruning and harvesting hundreds of [SEEDS](https://www.protein.xyz/tag/seeds/) in our [digital garden](https://forum.protein.xyz/?ref=protein.xyz); the first of which we planted in your collective conscious [this week](https://www.protein.xyz/tag/seeds/) (and see below). So, if you'd like to join our cosy corner of the internet and get paid to be published on [Protein XYZ](https://www.protein.xyz/) as well as collaborate on [Protein AGENCY](https://www.proteinagency.com/about?ref=protein.xyz) client briefs, then you can [apply here](https://www.protein.xyz/contribute-to-protein/).

Incase you [missed the memo](https://www.instagram.com/p/DDFaP1ZoEhs/?ref=protein.xyz), here's a how we're redefining our beloved [SEEDS](https://www.protein.xyz/tag/seeds/):

- SEEDS cultivate a valuable resource that can be continuously and organically referenced and added to over time
- SEEDS focus on the most important topics, people, and ideas moving culture forwards
- SEEDS inspire new ways of thinking and provide the tools, resources and context needed to understand and engage with them
- SEEDS begin as short-form signals in our contributors forum that when planted in our collective consciousness, have the potential to grow into something beautiful
- SEEDS can be many things: a new thought or piece of research; a deeplink to something compelling; an input for further thought and discussion
- SEEDS look for something new, something old (that’s still relevant), something interesting, something funny or something that makes us think differently
- SEEDS are a new format to what we’ve always done — helping you understand what’s coming next

So, now you know.

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### **SEEDS**

### [Brands as Libraries](https://www.protein.xyz/brands-as-libraries/)

By [Charlie Robin Jones](https://www.protein.xyz/contributor/charlie/)

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fc/71/fc716215-5729-441a-bd07-e2b50bc413b1/content/images/2024/12/image-1.png)

**Miu Miu Literary Club*

“Brands as Libraries” proposes that brands should think like cultural institutions in order to deepen their connection to the public – and create their own. Often lofty and frequently loved, these cultural institutions offer a new approach for how brands can interact with their audiences: by stepping back, providing space and facilitating the culture that built them. 

This seed comes from noticing that more and more brands are taking ideas from cultural institutions, knowingly or otherwise, and specifically from libraries. 

Libraries are where members of the public go to read, listen and talk (quietly). Explicitly, you don’t buy things: not even the books you read. They are spaces set against the noise of the rest of the world. But it’s exactly these qualities that make them so interesting for modern brands. 

By “thinking like a library”, brands can do lots of things that modern CMOs or CSOs want. Connect with their audience. Construct a world. Collaborate with visible and influential people. Become part of a wider story, not (just) selling things. After all, what better way is there to “authentically connect with culture” than sitting in a nice spot, and reading for an hour or two? 

[Continue reading ...](https://www.protein.xyz/brands-as-libraries/)

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### [Vanishing Culture](https://www.protein.xyz/vanishing-culture/)

By Protein

The internet has evolved into the primary archive of our history and culture. Yet social networks get left behind and close up shop. Digital media sites go bankrupt. Companies stop selling their online products. Links rot. Files aren’t found. Everyone, obviously, has seen the following message countless times: 

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fc/71/fc716215-5729-441a-bd07-e2b50bc413b1/content/images/2024/12/Picture-1-1-1.png)

Sometimes it doesn’t matter. The internet is a vast sea of content, and let’s face it, 90% of it is pretty rubbish anyway. So the loss of a single weirdly formatted, outdated webpage isn’t the end of the world. Then again, as an article in Business Insider recently summarised:

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fc/71/fc716215-5729-441a-bd07-e2b50bc413b1/content/images/2024/11/Screenshot-2024-11-13-at-13.41.47.png)

It’s a topic that our community has picked up on a few times, most notably when directing everyone to [Vanishing Culture: a Report on Our Fragile Cultural Record](https://blog.archive.org/2024/10/30/vanishing-culture-a-report-on-our-fragile-cultural-record/?ref=protein.xyz). Coming in at 134 pages, it would be an understatement to call the report anything less than thorough. Remarkably, according to a graphic in it, an analysis of 5.4 million URLs shows that 26% are no longer working. RIP.

[Continue reading ...](https://www.protein.xyz/vanishing-culture/)

---

### **SEEDS (that are still germinating ...)**

- [Here](https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1tDzUTGyjnBSAJbID7vwpVLCo8xdDqFIq?ref=protein.xyz) are all the 2024 Trend Reports that you'll never read, so we fed them into NotebookLM to [summarize the key takeouts for you](https://drive.google.com/file/d/1wf2-AbaLxBzMZdBHSBIzUA5w7Ej9pcRq/view?usp=sharing&ref=protein.xyz)
- Missed our [gatekeeping FORUM](https://www.protein.xyz/is-gatekeeping-good-for-culture/)? You can watch the [recording here](https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/rec/WN%5FdRpLtOZsTQmIkeKE7hFDUQ?meetingId=vYb3L02hNVeIrrBeSdgtjsWCQ1i97%5FUorSgPgIhVWJiND0PxEJ0TpKkIxbWl-TsB.vifmlV9xUEY19%5FD7&playId=HvlMTSUsoZo3MgQOFyIKTadbYZEX%5FQzCPyrNQvIRdls0hUdZgT5j-Nj4jEo-%5FErUfuEMtvMvuxpRMfU.9YQAlwISYD68OonE&action=play?hasValidToken=false&originRequestUrl=https%3A%2F%2Fus06web.zoom.us%2Frec%2Fplay%2Fx3d4cwkBCTYPT%5F%5F847Lg5TV3Ok-EtmU7UYc7oBCZ0EO7gB8Er7FNFQpYwErD%5FugazQI5mJIswkxPEMc.m-POw30BGw5eK28L%3FcanPlayFromShare%3Dtrue%26from%3Dmy%5Frecording%26startTime%3D1731603696000%26componentName%3Drec-play%26originRequestUrl%3Dhttps%253A%252F%252Fus06web.zoom.us%252Frec%252Fshare%252FIJkjMtqCwoyeXF-bo5bpK1m%5FXEojW69MAaJfzeyxp-VI6WuAoi5CjoptIijG%5FFJs.DDO4d3lE93Tv%5FMk1%253FstartTime%253D1731603696000%26ref%3Dprotein.xyz&ref=protein.xyz#/registration)
- [Now](https://www.linkedin.com/posts/zoescaman%5Fi-chose-not-to-wade-into-the-recent-jaguar-activity-7269642881466863616--Vl5/?ref=protein.xyz) feels the right time to chat about Jaguar
- [Sandbox semiotics](https://www.allsquad.io/articles/sandbox-semiotics-tag-cloud-fashion-gaming-and-the-new-real?ref=protein.xyz) and the new real
- Have you been to Holly Herdon and Mat Dryhurst's *The Call* exhibition at the [Serpentine Gallery](https://www.serpentinegalleries.org/whats-on/holly-herndon-mat-dryhurst-the-call/?ref=protein.xyz) yet?
- [Ana Andjelic's](https://www.amazon.co.uk/Hitmakers-How-Brands-Influence-Culture/dp/1032874465?ref=protein.xyz) new book is going on our Christmas Wish List
- Men can [paint their nails too](https://hard-as-nails.com/?ref=protein.xyz) 💅
- Why every company needs a [futurist-in-residence](https://www.ideo.com/journal/why-every-company-needs-a-futurist-in-residence?ref=protein.xyz)
- What it feels like to [fall down the alt-right rabbithole](https://undevoted.org/2024/11/06/i-fell-down-the-alt-right-pipeline-this-is-my-story/?ref=protein.xyz)
- Nike is ["winding down" RTFKT](https://www.sneakerfreaker.com/news/rtfkt-nike-winding-down-ending-explained/?ref=protein.xyz)
- Pocket [degen device](https://www.degn.com/?ref=protein.xyz)
- [Web4 = AGI](https://mirror.xyz/jyu.eth/36lx6wKZqJPaVvj%5FX59Rdyh-zFul7mR6tTZm3-OO-%5FM?ref=protein.xyz)
- Why Pluto being back in Aquarius [matters](https://www.thecut.com/article/pluto-in-aquarius-november-2024-transit-meaning-expect.html?ref=protein.xyz)
- [Astrofutures](https://www.astrofutures.io/?ref=protein.xyz) is what get when you merge an astrologist with a futurist
- A great read on how the creator economy [has been leveraged to devalue music](https://futurefilter.substack.com/p/by-calling-artists-creators-were)
- Is AI facilitated gender based violence [the next pandemic](https://www.law.upenn.edu/live/news/16727-is-ai-facilitated-gender-based-violence-the-next?ref=protein.xyz)?
- As AI fuels a [deepfake porn crisis in South Korea](https://theconversation.com/ai-is-fuelling-a-deepfake-porn-crisis-in-south-korea-whats-behind-it-and-how-can-it-be-fixed-238217?ref=protein.xyz)
- Douglas Rushkoff and Matt Klein on [how to reject what our platforms want and embrace our humanity](https://zine.kleinkleinklein.com/p/douglas-rushkoff-interview?ref=protein.xyz)
- Franco Colapinto is bring [football fandom to F1](https://www.instagram.com/p/DB6Wb62RXbu/?ref=protein.xyz)
- The Nordics are [preparing it's citizens for war](https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/nov/29/would-you-survive-72-hours-germany-and-the-nordic-countries-prepare-citizens-for-possible-war?ref=protein.xyz)
- Jeremiah Johnson on [revolt and the reversal of trust](https://www.infinitescroll.us/p/revolt-and-the-reversal-of-trust?ref=protein.xyz)
- It's OK to surround yourself [with stacks of books](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tsundoku?ref=protein.xyz) (see below)
- Is [Ballers League](https://www.instagram.com/ballerleague?ref=protein.xyz) the [future of football](https://www.soccerbible.com/news/2024/11/what-is-baller-league/?ref=protein.xyz)?
- [Miu Miu](https://www.miumiu.com/?ref=protein.xyz) and [Goshka Macuga](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Goshka%5FMacuga?ref=protein.xyz) collaborate to create [The Truthless Times](https://www.miumiu.com/it/en/miumiu-club/fashion-shows/miu-miu-artistic-collaborations.html?ref=protein.xyz)
- More music is being released today (in a single day) [than in all of 1989](https://www.musicradar.com/music-industry/more-music-is-being-released-today-in-a-single-day-than-was-released-in-the-calendar-year-of-1989-how-the-music-production-industry-has-taken-note-of-the-huge-number-of-self-releasing-artists?ref=protein.xyz)
- Should we [let brands die?](https://www.brandingmag.com/james-duru/the-case-for-brand-mortality-in-an-era-of-legacy-chasers?ref=protein.xyz)
- Try becoming skeptical, [instead of cynical ](https://behavioralscientist.org/instead-of-being-cynical-try-becoming-skeptical/?ref=protein.xyz)
- [Citizens](https://www.jonalexander.net/the-idea?ref=protein.xyz) not consumers
- A long (and worthwhile read) on [the age of hyperabundance](https://www.nplusonemag.com/issue-47/essays/an-age-of-hyperabundance?ref=protein.xyz)
- IKYMI, the story of the battle over [the Bed-Stuy tennis courts](https://www.curbed.com/article/tennis-courts-concessions-bed-stuy-jackie-robinson.html?ref=protein.xyz)
- Did [this](https://pdftobrainrot.org/?ref=protein.xyz) make "brianrot" word of the year?
- [DJ AG](https://www.instagram.com/djagonline/?ref=protein.xyz) has launched a [Gofundme page](https://www.gofundme.com/f/dc72j-support-independent-artists?ref=protein.xyz) to support local independent artists
- How the bank of Mum and Dad is [creating a new class system](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cWBqU9HVahg&ref=protein.xyz)
- [RADAR](https://www.radardao.xyz/?ref=protein.xyz) have launched [Tommorow.Radio](https://tomorrow.radio/?ref=protein.xyz) to bring us stories of hope 🤗
- Is privacy the key to a [meaningful existence?](https://www.theatlantic.com/books/archive/2024/10/right-to-oblivion-lowry-pressly-book-review/680443/?ref=protein.xyz)
- Nigeria has a [bookshop problem](https://dirt.fyi/article/2024/04/nigeria-has-a-bookshop-problem?ref=protein.xyz)
- [Mindy Sui](https://www.protein.xyz/40-mindy-seu-on-collaboration-community-a0d/) traces the origin of [internet green](https://artlab.hyundai.com/editorial/mindy-seu-traces-the-origins-of-internet-green?ref=protein.xyz)
- Tumblr on [the state of community](https://thestateofcommunity.tumblr.com/?ref=protein.xyz)
- [Fluxo street parties](https://www.instagram.com/p/DAy8NzfyUua?ref=protein.xyz) in São Paulo’s peripheral neighbourhoods are legit

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### **ONLY IMAGES (c/o @the2noelle)**

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/fc/71/fc716215-5729-441a-bd07-e2b50bc413b1/content/images/2024/12/image-2.png)

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### **CONTRIBUTORS**

A massive thanks to all our wonderful contributors for showing up and sharing so many incredible SEEDS, keep 'em coming: @the2noelle, @nicksusi, @andrea, @Chidinma, @RADE, @MAL, @MalenaR, @mike, @valentina\_p, @finmac, @IsabellaV, @COLETTE, @e\_ekpo, @Jade and @luisa\_ferreira

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