# Protein XYZ > A cultural intelligence platform powered by a decentralised research community of 450+ global experts. Public Ghost content for AI and LLM tooling. Use `/llms-full.txt` for consolidated page and post context. Append `.md` to any post or page URL to get the content in Markdown (for example, `/example-post.md`). ## Pages - [Archive](https://www.protein.xyz/archive.md) - We've been doing this for a while, so thought we'd make this page to show how Protein OS (the system from which we operate) has changed over the years. Enjoy. - [Contact](https://www.protein.xyz/contact.md) - Got a question, request or just want to say 👋, we'd love to hear from you. Call us: +44 20 7247 3999 Email us: hello@protein.xyz DM us: @protein Or if you'd like to send us something: Protein XYZ Ltd, 31 New Inn Yard, Shoreditch, London, EC2A 3EY, UK - [Welcome to SEED CLUB](https://www.protein.xyz/contribute.md) - Join a global research community of experts across culture, fashion, music and technology. - [Good Growth](https://www.protein.xyz/good-growth.md) - Good Growth is our thesis for supporting people and ideas that focus on intentional impact rather than superficial accreditations. It's the movement from extractive to regenerative relationships with ourselves, our community and our planet. Introduction We're in a time of transition between models… - [Privacy Policy](https://www.protein.xyz/privacy-policy.md) - We respect your privacy and are committed to protecting it through our compliance with this privacy policy (“Policy”). This Policy describes the types of information we may collect from you or that you may provide (“Personal Information”) on the proteinagency.com website (“Website”), “Protein Agenc… - [Thank You!](https://www.protein.xyz/thank-you.md) - Given the chaos that's going on in the world right now, we REALLY appreciate your support. As we're continually evolving, we'd love to know what you think about it and how we could make it better, so please do let us know if you have any questions, comments or suggestions. Will Rowe, Founder ## Posts - [The Age of Heat](https://www.protein.xyz/the-age-of-heat.md) - Our recent BRAND BRIEFING explores how the temperature is being turned up across culture. If cool is indeed dead, then we're now living in The Age of Heat. - [Yuppie to Duppie](https://www.protein.xyz/yuppie-to-duppie.md) - They've got all the educational and social credentials. They grew up shopping at Waitrose. Their family car was a Jaguar. They have a good degree from a good university. A breezy life of promotions and kitchen extensions was inevitable. But the yuppie dream is over. Say hello to duppie. - [If Walls Could Talk](https://www.protein.xyz/if-walls-could-talk.md) - Why is luxury and architecture so obsessed with concrete? And what does this reveal about our changing feelings towards rawness and polish? - [What Can Artists Learn From Pro Wrestling?](https://www.protein.xyz/what-can-artists-learn-from-pro-wrestling.md) - The second Protein LECTURE saw Elijah, artist, writer and DJ, step into the ring to challenge ‘authenticity’ in entertainment, champion mystique, advocate for having enemies, and explain what Phil Mitchell and Chappell Roan have got to do with any of this. - [A State Of Thermocracy](https://www.protein.xyz/a-state-of-thermocracy.md) - The psychological, sensual and socio-economic power of heat. Featuring Dyson, Vyrao and Headline Newds. - [Unruly Play](https://www.protein.xyz/unruly-play.md) - An interview with art and design studio Imagination of Things. - [#730 | Es Devlin, Elijah & Rings of Fire](https://www.protein.xyz/730-es-devlin-hyperlocal-rap-rings-of-fire.md) - We've got a busy couple of weeks coming up. First up is our Protein LECTURE with Elijah next Thursday (8th Oct) at Protein STUDIOS who will be giving us an exclusive preview of his upcoming book that asks: what artists can learn from pro-wrestling? Definitely not one to miss, so get your tickets he… - [Compulsory Continuous Connectedness](https://www.protein.xyz/compulsory-continuous-connectedness.md) - A new exhibition at Focal Point Gallery, led by Caroline Sinders and Romy Gad el Rab, explores rest as resistance. - [Printed Matter](https://www.protein.xyz/printed-matter.md) - Looking back at 300 years of magazines to look ahead to its next evolution. - [Rings of Fire](https://www.protein.xyz/rings-of-fire.md) - A taste of our upcoming BRAND BRIEFING. - [The Action Is The Juice](https://www.protein.xyz/the-action-is-the-juice.md) - Introducing DISPATCH: field reports and musings from the Protein AGENCY team. - [AI, Book Burning & The Mandela Effect](https://www.protein.xyz/ai-book-burning-the-mandela-effect.md) - On the ownership and editing of knowledge. - [Hyperlocal Rap](https://www.protein.xyz/hyperlocal-rap.md) - How localised music scenes are transforming national politics and collective identity. - [Touching Glass](https://www.protein.xyz/touching-glass.md) - An emerging set of digital products and platforms are showing how technology doesn’t have to sit in opposition to nature, it can in fact enrich our relationship with it. Featuring Terra, Merlin, BIRD and Glitch. - [Night Mode](https://www.protein.xyz/night-mode.md) - A new time and space for sports in a changing climate. - [#729 | Aesthetic Stagnation, Pleasure Recession & Vulture Culture](https://www.protein.xyz/729-aesthetic-stagnation-pleasure-recession-vulture-culture.md) - Following the publication of Ruby Justice Thelot’s SEED, Aesthetic Stagnation, and learning he was going to be in town from New York last week, we jumped at the chance for him to lead our first in a new series of LECTURES. We were kindly hosted at Ashley Saville, the eponymous gallery at 193 Fleet… - [Why Are There No New Aesthetics?](https://www.protein.xyz/why-are-there-no-new-aesthetics.md) - Our inaugural, sold out LECTURE was led by artist, writer and professor Ruby Justice Thelot. - [Linguistic Homogenisation ≠ Kinda Chic](https://www.protein.xyz/linguistic-homogenisation-kinda-chic.md) - Why vocabulary is becoming dominated by labels rather than descriptors. - [Re: Fwd Thinking](https://www.protein.xyz/re-fwd-thinking.md) - Email began as async correspondence, had a stint as a status symbol, gave way to instant messaging and birthed the newsletter boom. Now we're circling back to mail worth waiting for. - [Sounds Of The Season](https://www.protein.xyz/sounds-of-the-season.md) - The songs and sentiments of SEED CLUB'S summer. - [Aesthetic Stagnation](https://www.protein.xyz/aesthetic-stagnation.md) - The economics of aesthetics, cultural debris, and how to visualise the future without just regurgitating the past. - [Vulture Culture](https://www.protein.xyz/vulture-culture.md) - Everyone wants to be culturally relevant, but what even is culture anyway? - [Grey Area](https://www.protein.xyz/grey-area.md) - A conversation with Al Hassan Elwan and Ruba Al-Sweel of POSTPOSTPOST on the publication of their second printed volume. - [Windows Of The Mind](https://www.protein.xyz/windows-of-the-mind.md) - Why are writers publishing their conversations with AI chatbots? - [The Pleasure Recession](https://www.protein.xyz/the-pleasure-recession.md) - More Vice, More Life. - [Stupidly Successful Brands](https://www.protein.xyz/successfully-stupid-brands.md) - Best-in-class examples of brands embracing the strange, sensory, and of course, stupid. - [Age Defying](https://www.protein.xyz/age-defying.md) - Why growing old is a luxury. - [Neo-Neo-Orality](https://www.protein.xyz/neo-neo-orality.md) - An extract from our Stupid REPORT on the importance of wonder, uncertainty and the revival of the oral tradition in the AI age. - [Festival Fatigue](https://www.protein.xyz/festival-fatigue.md) - How brands can be a vital support act, instead of trying to steal the show. - [The Stupid Report](https://www.protein.xyz/the-stupid-report.md) - On the growing tension between human and artificial intelligence – and why being more stupid might be the smartest strategy for brands. - [The Sportification Of Everything](https://www.protein.xyz/the-sportification-of-everything.md) - Sport is evolving from personal performance into our newest social infrastructure. - [Hot World Bummer](https://www.protein.xyz/hot-world-bummer.md) - Heat is no longer background noise – it’s shaping culture. - [Surveillance Chic](https://www.protein.xyz/surveillance-chic.md) - What happens when constant surveillance gets dressed up as a fashion flex? - [#728 | Weird Girls, Artist Corporations & Background Brands](https://www.protein.xyz/727-weird-girls-artist-corporations-background-brands.md) - We’re surrounded by huge amounts of discourse on human versus artificial intelligence – on how brands and individuals can use AI to amplify creativity rather than replace it. From Pope Leo’s ecclesiastical essay to A24’s recent collaboration with Google DeepMind, the conversation keeps circling the… - [Are You Stupid?](https://www.protein.xyz/are-you-stupid.md) - Highlights and the recording from last night's FORUM. - [Background Brands](https://www.protein.xyz/background-brands.md) - In an attention economy was built on interruption, the next competitive advantage may be creating something people simply choose to leave on. - [Hardware With Character](https://www.protein.xyz/hardware-with-character.md) - Old devices reveal what's missing from technology today. - [Stupid FORUM](https://www.protein.xyz/stupid-forum.md) - Meet the speakers and sign up to our upcoming FORUM, where we'll unpack what matters when intelligence is no longer exclusively human. - [The New Weird Girl](https://www.protein.xyz/the-new-weird-girl.md) - What was once read as social exclusion is now coded as currency and taste. - [Artist Corporations](https://www.protein.xyz/artist-corporations.md) - An interview Yancey Strickler on his latest project – a new legal framework for artists – and what it reveals about the future of the online world. - [Pencil Against The Machine](https://www.protein.xyz/pencil-against-the-machine.md) - Sasha Wizansky’s magazine embraces graphite, paper and constraint – a reminder of what thinking by hand still unlocks. - [Broken Production](https://www.protein.xyz/broken-production.md) - A death linked to a Kartik Research scouting trip exposes a fashion industry driven by fast imagery, where the demand for “real” production is outpacing the systems meant to support it. - [#727 | Fog, Tweens & Vibes](https://www.protein.xyz/727-fog-tweens-vibes.md) - What does intelligence (and by association stupidity) mean today, who gets to claim it, and what happens when thinking itself becomes increasingly outsourced to machines? AI has moved from novelty to daily habit at dizzying speed. Increasingly, people defer to AI not just for efficiency, but for ju… - [Neuroaesthetics](https://www.protein.xyz/neuroaesthetics.md) - Brand building that starts in the body, not just the mind. - [Inside SEED Club #6](https://www.protein.xyz/inside-seed-club-6.md) - What our global community of 450+ cultural experts are currently obsessing over. - [Vibes Gambling](https://www.protein.xyz/vibes-gambling.md) - Why cultural life now runs on constant low-stakes bets on attention, identity and belief. - [Inside SEED Club #5](https://www.protein.xyz/inside-seed-club-5.md) - What our global community of 450+ cultural experts are currently obsessing over. - [Generation Tween](https://www.protein.xyz/generation-tween.md) - As algorithms rip through traditional tween culture, brands are reasserting the importance of the messy, sometimes awkward inbetween. - [The Writer As Image](https://www.protein.xyz/the-writer-as-image.md) - Why literary culture increasingly demands visibility, performance and personal branding. - [Look Away Now](https://www.protein.xyz/look-away-now.md) - In an era of infinite content, 'critical ignoring' is becoming the ultimate cultural skill – and smart brands are learning when not to speak. - [Stupid As Strategy](https://www.protein.xyz/stupid-as-strategy.md) - Ahead of our next REPORT, we explore how AI is reshaping the value of human judgement – and the role taste and imperfection continue to play. - [Dark Mode Merch](https://www.protein.xyz/dark-mode-merch.md) - Merch hasn’t died – it’s just taken a darker turn. - [The Fog Economy](https://www.protein.xyz/fog-economy.md) - When systems slow people down, culture reorganises around the illusion of progress. - [#726 | Joy, Football & Pop-ups](https://www.protein.xyz/726-joy-football-pop-ups.md) - If you missed our FORUM on Wednesday, fear not, we have the full recording and 10 highlights available, including this one from İdil Galip: “I think the moment where I realised something was happening around memetic media was during the 2013 Gezi protests in Turkey, where I saw a lot of people usin… - [The State Of Memes](https://www.protein.xyz/the-state-of-memes.md) - 10 highlights from our latest FORUM - ['We’ve Oversaturated Memes'](https://www.protein.xyz/weve-oversaturated-memes.md) - Dank Art Director reflects on almost a decade of making memes, arguing the format has become increasingly meaningless and in need of a shake-up. - [North African Football, Decoded](https://www.protein.xyz/north-african-football-decoded.md) - Cultural fluency can’t be fast-tracked – even with a World Cup on the horizon. - [The Year Joy Broke Through](https://www.protein.xyz/the-year-joy-broke-through.md) - In a strange 2026, a sudden wave of something messy, defiant and fun is impossible to ignore. - [What’s Next For Memes](https://www.protein.xyz/whats-next-for-memes.md) - Meet the panellists for our upcoming FORUM exploring meme culture’s shifting meaning, from viral chaos to brand strategy. - [The Pop-Up Problem](https://www.protein.xyz/the-pop-up-problem.md) - As “immersive” drifts further from what it was ever meant to be, people aren’t just disappointed – they’re exposing a format that’s starting to feel hollow. - [#725 | Memes, Backrooms & Aliens](https://www.protein.xyz/725-memes-backrooms-aliens.md) - For some, the 2010s remain the golden age – a time before feeds calcified and content became industrial. TikTok’s “Great Meme Reset Of 2026” taps into that longing, calling for a return to something “dank” and less forced. As WIRED reports, the implication is clear: memes have lost something. AI-sl… - [Do Memes Still Matter?](https://www.protein.xyz/do-memes-still-matter.md) - Our FORUM brings together voices across culture, strategy and the internet’s more chaotic edges to ask what’s left of the meme – and what comes next. - [Craving Aliens](https://www.protein.xyz/craving-aliens.md) - Why the rise of extra-terrestrial life in culture signals fresh territory for bold brand storytelling. - [Fast, Furious, Frictionless](https://www.protein.xyz/fast-furious-frictionless.md) - Silicon Valley’s obsession with speed is reshaping culture – but as 'accelerationism' burns out, a new wave of brands is taking notice. - [Inside SEED Club #4](https://www.protein.xyz/inside-seed-club-4.md) - This extract from Protein's new JOURNAL captures a new global mood emerging across São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Barcelona, Mexico City, Chandigarh, Melbourne, Milan, New York and beyond. - [Friction Meets Inconvenience](https://www.protein.xyz/friction-meets-inconvenience.md) - From our Spring BRAND BRIEFING, we’re honing in on one of friction’s five pillars: inconvenience. - [Wired, Tired, Desired](https://www.protein.xyz/wired-tired-desired.md) - How performative audiophilia is turning tangled earbuds and hi-fi systems into a new language of taste, identity and display. - [Friction-Forward](https://www.protein.xyz/friction-forward.md) - Our Spring BRAND BRIEFING explores the rise of friction as culture’s defining force – and why the smartest brands aren’t smoothing things out, but strategically slowing things down. - [What’s Next For Social?](https://www.protein.xyz/whats-next-for-social.md) - Continuing our series on the state of social media, SEED CLUB identifies the new moods shaping online culture. - [Collective Memory](https://www.protein.xyz/collective-memory.md) - Amid the endless scroll, what would social media feel like if it really mattered? - [Anonymous To A24](https://www.protein.xyz/anonymous-to-a24.md) - How niche online lore becomes a cultural blueprint. - [#724 | Culture is Craving Friction](https://www.protein.xyz/724-culture-is-craving-friction.md) - Every six months we take a moment to contextualise and analyse all the SEEDS we’ve sown in order try and understand what’s changed, what’s coming and what, if anything, we should do about it. The resulting BRAND BRIEFINGS are intentionally designed to coincide with the equinoxes – as a celestial re… - [Too Viral](https://www.protein.xyz/too-viral.md) - Why brands need to stop chasing clicks and start bending time. - [Pathetic Memes](https://www.protein.xyz/pathetic-memes.md) - An interview with Catty Berragan, SEED CLUB member and co-founder of Pathetic, a creative studio blending culture, technology and – yes – memes. - [Corporate Is Content Now](https://www.protein.xyz/corporate-is-content-now.md) - Are reports of the corporate dream’s death massively exaggerated? - [Archive-Futurism](https://www.protein.xyz/archive-futurism.md) - Why exploring the past is the best way to imagine the future. - [Insight As Influence](https://www.protein.xyz/insight-as-influence.md) - Meet the new cultural main characters. - [Protein JOURNAL 2026](https://www.protein.xyz/protein-journal-2026.md) - Our SEEDs have grown into a JOURNAL – that's now available to buy. - [Brand America, Interrupted](https://www.protein.xyz/brand-america-interrupted.md) - After Bad Bunny’s Super Bowl halftime show, we started wondering – what does the US actually represent right now? - [#723 | Stillness, Ambiguity & Dystopia](https://www.protein.xyz/723-stillness-ambiguity-dystopia.md) - In case you missed it, we're (re)launching our JOURNAL next week – a printed annual packed with all-new, original features across 100 pages. First launched in 2010 and updated in 2014, we’re practicing what we preach with Vol. 3. Inside you’ll find a year of SEEDs decoded, group chats on culture’s… - [Culture Isn't Coded](https://www.protein.xyz/culture-isnt-coded.md) - An interview with Matt Klein about his (very) manual analysis of 70+ global trend forecasts – and the patterns machines can’t see. - [Regular Maxxing](https://www.protein.xyz/regular-maxxing.md) - On feeling special without being exceptional. - [Reset To Real](https://www.protein.xyz/reset-to-real.md) - Analogue is becoming a form of resistance, but when disconnection becomes a status symbol, who actually gets to log off? - [Protein In Print](https://www.protein.xyz/protein-in-print.md) - We’re relaunching our JOURNAL – packed with original features and cultural signals shaping what's coming next. - [Built By Accident](https://www.protein.xyz/built-by-accident.md) - A look at skateparks, DIY spaces and brand-funded hubs that thrive not through polish or permission, but through collective authorship. - [Dystopia Bait](https://www.protein.xyz/dystopia-bait.md) - The future looks bad on purpose – with brands increasingly turning worst-case futures into launch strategy and marketing fuel. - [What Makes A Good Collab?](https://www.protein.xyz/what-makes-a-good-collab.md) - Or how the boring, captivating, strategic and unhinged collide. - [Let Me Explain](https://www.protein.xyz/let-me-explain.md) - A short theory of why everyone’s explaining everything online now. - [2025 Reflections](https://www.protein.xyz/2025-reflections.md) - The ideas that travelled furthest, resonated the deepest and created the most impact. - [Brand Britain Evolved](https://www.protein.xyz/brand-britain-evolved.md) - Featuring Martin Parr, Protect, Burberry, Ffern and Jim Legxacy. - [Centreless Culture](https://www.protein.xyz/centreless-culture.md) - With no fixed point of reference, meaning spreads fast and splinters even faster, creating a network of micro-scenes. - [Have We Reached Peak Merch?](https://www.protein.xyz/have-we-reached-peak-merch.md) - If you missed our FORUM last week, here are the highlights and recording. - [Stillness Mode](https://www.protein.xyz/stillness-mode.md) - A quiet tactic for brands looking to leave a mark, not just make a moment. - [The Pre-Viral Economy](https://www.protein.xyz/the-pre-viral-economy.md) - From brand buzz to micro-aesthetics, Polymarket transforms collective intuition into predicting the signals of tomorrow. - [The Detail Deficit](https://www.protein.xyz/the-detail-deficit.md) - Pushing back against a culture addicted to efficiency and intent on flattening our senses. - [Sex And The Internet](https://www.protein.xyz/sex-and-the-internet.md) - In her new performance and book, Mindy Seu uncovers the overlooked histories shaping our digital lives. - [Ambiguity Maxxing](https://www.protein.xyz/ambiguity-maxxing.md) - In a world obsessed with likes and followers, people are increasingly choosing mystery – keeping secrets and making you work to get them. - [Notes On Resale](https://www.protein.xyz/notes-on-resale.md) - How resale platforms are shaping the way we shop and show up in the world. - [#722 | Merch, Memes, Mystery](https://www.protein.xyz/722-merch-memes-mystery.md) - Our next FORUM asks if we’ve entered the age of merchification – where every moment, movement and micro-trend can be worn, sold or souvenired? Once a sideline revenue stream, merch has evolved into a cultural language – a way to signal belonging, shape identity and express taste in an era when we’r… - [Piracy’s Back](https://www.protein.xyz/piracys-back.md) - How streaming’s failures reawakened digital rebellion – turning piracy from a crime into an act of self-defence. - [Horseshoe Maximalism](https://www.protein.xyz/horseshoe-maximalism.md) - The Office of Applied Strategy’s new dossier dives into a world where extremes collide, social rules bend and culture flows in unexpected directions. We speak to founder Tony Wang ahead of its release. - [Rewilding The Internet](https://www.protein.xyz/rewilding-the-internet.md) - Once an open ecosystem, the web has become overgrown with ads and algorithms. To survive, it needs care – not code. - [Meme To Brand](https://www.protein.xyz/meme-to-brand.md) - It's not what's made, but how it travels. - [Human To Meme](https://www.protein.xyz/human-to-meme.md) - Have memes colonised our spirits? - [Vintage As The New Luxury](https://www.protein.xyz/vintage-as-the-new-luxury.md) - Why history – and importantly friction – are making fashion personal again. - [Museum Of Youth Culture](https://www.protein.xyz/museum-of-youth-culture.md) - Reflections on creativity, rebellion and self-expression. - [New Love Languages](https://www.protein.xyz/new-love-languages.md) - What it really means when someone likes your Instagram stories. - [Abundance, Everywhere](https://www.protein.xyz/abundance-everywhere.md) - Why culture is dead and why it isn’t. - [Mystery Matters](https://www.protein.xyz/mystery-matters.md) - In a hyper-transparent world, the art of intrigue is resurging – and brands can learn a lot from it. - [#721 | Zines, Love & Chaos](https://www.protein.xyz/721-zines-love-chaos.md) - We set fire to our Compost Theory of Culture for our Autumn BRAND BRIEFING on Tuesday — exploring why some brands are thriving on disorder while others are doubling down on discipline and what that tension means for the future. This BRAND BRIEFING goes deep into the brands, behaviours and cultural… - [Chaos <-> Control](https://www.protein.xyz/chaos-control.md) - Our Autumn BRAND BRIEFING explores why some brands are thriving on disorder while others are doubling down on discipline – and what that tension means for the future. - [Messy, Human, Substack](https://www.protein.xyz/messy-human-substack.md) - Brands are learning that not everything needs to be perfect. - [Inside SEED Club #3](https://www.protein.xyz/inside-seed-club-3.md) - What our community is currently obsessing over. - [Semi Permanent](https://www.protein.xyz/semi-permanent.md) - Is losing things online the only way to make them matter? - [Inside SEED Club #2](https://www.protein.xyz/inside-seed-club-2.md) - What our community is currently obsessing over. - [Decentralising Love](https://www.protein.xyz/decentralising-love.md) - If love is a verb, brands need to act. - [What Does Taste Mean in the Age of AI?](https://www.protein.xyz/taste-vs-ai.md) - Watch the recording or read the highlights from our recent FORUM on taste vs. AI – and what it means for brands. - [Make Zines, Not Content](https://www.protein.xyz/make-zines-not-content.md) - It’s not just what you say – it’s how you make people feel. - [#720 | Nostalgia, Taste & Typos](https://www.protein.xyz/720-nostalgia-taste-typos.md) - Missed our NOSTALGIA report and briefing? Our latest DIRTY WORD unpacks the best-in-class examples of product design, campaign storytelling and cultural strategy that meaningfully engage with the past, and reveal the psychological mechanisms that make nostalgia such a powerful tool for brands today… - [What Brands Can Learn From Women's Football](https://www.protein.xyz/what-brands-can-learn-from-womens-football.md) - In short, a lot. - [Passive Attack](https://www.protein.xyz/passive-attack.md) - Overstimulated, over-scrolled, over it? - [Built To Belong](https://www.protein.xyz/built-to-belong.md) - How folk-design shapes new social futures. - [Protein Maxxing](https://www.protein.xyz/food-for-thought.md) - What brands can learn when nutritional wellness goes wild. - [Social Reading](https://www.protein.xyz/social-reading.md) - From parties to retreats, books are bringing us back together. - [Make Art Anyway](https://www.protein.xyz/make-art-anyway.md) - Creating doesn’t need an audience or likes. It just needs you. - [Notes On Cringe Summer](https://www.protein.xyz/notes-on-cringe-summer.md) - Flop, fail, repeat. - [Signs Of The 'New Ugly'](https://www.protein.xyz/signs-of-the-new-ugly.md) - Ugly used to be what we turned away from – now it’s increasingly what we seek for comfort. - [What Type of Nostalgic Are You?](https://www.protein.xyz/what-type-of-nostalgic-are-you.md) - In our latest DIRTY WORD we asked SEED CLUB member Edmond Lau – aka Nostalgia Expressway — to create a series of custom Nostalgia Starter Packs for us. Take our quiz to find out what type of nostalgic you are and then scroll down to discover what it means. If you’re mostly A: If you’re mostly B: If… - [DIRTY WORDS #5: NOSTALGIA](https://www.protein.xyz/dirty-words-5-nostalgia.md) - [Culture As Casino](https://www.protein.xyz/culture-as-casino.md) - When reality becomes this unstable, maybe the gamble is the point. - [Tastes Like Yesterday](https://www.protein.xyz/tastes-like-yesterday.md) - Ahead of The Nostalgia Report launch next week, we're snacking on the past. - [Humiliation Rituals](https://www.protein.xyz/humiliation-rituals.md) - Where identity is just content, what happens when the likes dry up? - [GROUP CHAT: Gunseli and POSTPOSTPOST](https://www.protein.xyz/gunseli-and-al.md) - Eavesdrop on the Protein GROUP CHAT covering the spiritual void of Labubu, the aesthetics of slop and Trump tweets as modern folklore. - [Why Typos Are Chic](https://www.protein.xyz/why-typos-are-chic.md) - Brands, take note – in a ChatGPT world, the occasional mistake is a refreshing reminder that real writing can be perfectly imperfect. - [#719 | Understanding Nostalgia, Reconsidering Rage & Sending Tourists Home](https://www.protein.xyz/719-understanding-nostalgia-reconsidering-rage-sending-tourists-home.md) - We’ve been tracking nostalgia for a while (see ARCHIVE) and while there has been plenty written on the topic, nothing we’ve seen really gets to cause of why we’re still talking about it. Our next DIRTY WORD will unpack the cultural shifts, psychological roots and strategic opportunities behind this… - [Making Waves](https://www.protein.xyz/making-waves.md) - How public swimming is splashing back into our lives – and why it matters. - [The Internet Has Borders](https://www.protein.xyz/the-internet-has-borders.md) - Clouds, cables and country codes: why digital infrastructure is anything but neutral – and what it means to build a website in a fractured world. - [Rage, Reconsidered](https://www.protein.xyz/rage-reconsidered.md) - Long banished from polite society, anger is making a comeback – at least in the pages of Sam Parker’s new book. He argues that learning to welcome our anger could be the most radical act of self-care yet. - [Tourists Go Home](https://www.protein.xyz/tourists-go-home.md) - They come for the charm, but leave behind chaos. Has tourism reached a breaking point? - [The Business of Spirituality](https://www.protein.xyz/the-business-of-spirituality.md) - How esoteric practices are quietly transforming organisations from the inside out. - [Inside SEED Club #1](https://www.protein.xyz/inside-seed-club.md) - What our community is obsessing over right now. - [Decadent Queuing](https://www.protein.xyz/decadent-queuing.md) - As consumers grow weary of artificial scarcity, brands are rethinking exclusivity – not with longer lines, but with deeper engagement. - [#718 | Holly Herndon, Post-Doomerism & Dirty Words](https://www.protein.xyz/718-holly-herndon-post-doomerism-dirty-words.md) - If you find yourself in Shoreditch this weekend, make sure you swing-by Protein STUDIOS to see work by Andy Warhol, Beeple, Hans Ulrich Obrist and the Glitch Artist Collective. It also features Holly Herndon and Mat Dryhurt's The Call from their incredible Serpentine Gallery show. The event is part… - [Portraits of Our Time](https://www.protein.xyz/portraits-of-our-time.md) - What happens when you ask an AI to interpret a series of images not for facts, but for feeling? - [The Viral Aesthetics of Poverty](https://www.protein.xyz/the-viral-aesthetics-of-poverty.md) - Beyond the virality lies a legacy of defiant creativity, each object a quiet testament to resilience and meaning. - [Post-Doomerism](https://www.protein.xyz/post-doomerism.md) - Because dooming just doesn’t hit like it used to – and a harder drug is already in beta. - [When Space Becomes Sound](https://www.protein.xyz/when-space-becomes-sound.md) - A new matrix of musical connection is reshaping how we gather, listen and move together. - [Has “Competitive Wellness” Gone Too Far?](https://www.protein.xyz/has-competitive-wellness-gone-too-far.md) - Watch the recording or read the highlights from our recent FORUM on the rise of competitive wellness – and what it means for brands. - [Is Your Job Prestigious?](https://www.protein.xyz/is-your-job-prestigious.md) - A look at the deeper meanings behind status and work. - [Recommended Reading #2](https://www.protein.xyz/recommended-reading-2.md) - On Tuesday night, a bunch of SEED CLUB members met at Protein Studios to discuss and exchange cult thrillers, dark comedies, folklore-inspired fiction, explorations of rejection and masculinity – anything, really, that left a lasting impression. - [Fashion's Post-Meme Era](https://www.protein.xyz/fashions-post-meme-era.md) - Met Gala memes once defined the internet’s fashion discourse – now, they reflect its fatigue. - [A Compost Theory of Culture](https://www.protein.xyz/brand-briefing-spring-2025.md) - Our inaugural BRAND BRIEFING last Thursday explored six months of SEEDS and distilled them into three key themes, five cultural shifts – and a rich heap of cultural compost. - [#717 | Internet Real Life, Fungal Intelligence & Witch Club](https://www.protein.xyz/717-internet-real-life-fungal-intelligence-witch-club.md) - Well, that was fun. 478 people signed-up for our inaugural BRAND BRIEFING last night, and by all accounts, it was a total smash. We analysed and contextualised our last six months of SEEDS into three key themes, five cultural shifts, and a whole load of cultural compost. IKYMI we opened this first… - [Recession Indicators](https://www.protein.xyz/recession-indicators.md) - From ironic memes to economic doomerism, recession indicators have become a cultural language of their own. - [The New Soft Boys](https://www.protein.xyz/the-new-soft-boys.md) - Exploring theories of hybrid and inclusive masculinity. - [William Gibson](https://www.protein.xyz/william-gibson.md) - An unreleased interview from 1996 that feels more relevant now than ever. - [We’ve Never Needed Sci-Fi More](https://www.protein.xyz/weve-never-needed-sci-fi-more.md) - How writing, film, and music allow us to escape our current realities. - [Recommended Listening](https://www.protein.xyz/recommended-listening.md) - What SEED CLUB is listening to right now... - [Cringe = Sublime](https://www.protein.xyz/cringe-sublime.md) - How the awkward and the profound collide to shape culture. - [New Institutions, Squad Energy and Networked Spirituality](https://www.protein.xyz/other-internet.md) - Making sense of technologies that are constantly remaking us. - [Competitive Wellness](https://www.protein.xyz/competitive-wellness.md) - If you’re not biohacking your way to peak performance, are you even trying? - [#716 | Other Internet, Fourth Spaces & Astrofuturism](https://www.protein.xyz/716-other-internet-fourth-spaces-astrofuturism.md) - We're hosting OTHER INTERNET's book launch on 9th April. It promises to be an informative, entertaining and interactive event, with the three founders discussing the ideas and ideals encapsulated in their first anthology that's being released on Metalabel. You can register here. Preparations are al… - [Astrofuturism](https://www.protein.xyz/astrofuturism.md) - Where modern magic meets feminism, capitalism and TikTok. - [Dreamology](https://www.protein.xyz/dreamology.md) - Can dreams provide insights into our collective unconscious and predict shifts in consumer behaviour? - [Is B Corp Worth It?](https://www.protein.xyz/is-b-corp-worth-it.md) - We’ve updated this SEED to include the recording and key highlights from our FORUM. - [Flood the Zone](https://www.protein.xyz/flood-the-zone.md) - Where does the rise of “bullshit content” ultimately end? - [Recommended Viewing](https://www.protein.xyz/recommended-viewing.md) - What our members are watching right now. - [Fourth Spaces](https://www.protein.xyz/fourth-spaces.md) - Where the boundaries of home, work, online and community meet and dissolve. - [GROUP CHAT: Sean and Edmond](https://www.protein.xyz/sean-and-edmond.md) - Eavesdrop on the Protein GROUP CHAT. - [#715 | Techriolage, Symbiocene & GibberLink Mode](https://www.protein.xyz/715-techriolage-symbiocene-gibberlink-mode.md) - Join us on Thursday 1st May at 5pm GMT for our inaugural BRAND BRIEFING where we'll analyse and contextualise our most pertinent SEEDS from the last six months through in-depth case studies, new opportunity territories and useful brand insights. We've been decoding culture since 1997 and believe in… - [Symbiocene](https://www.protein.xyz/symbiocene.md) - How a concept envisioning a future where humans are reconnected with nature is capturing the imagination of environmental influencers worldwide. - [Recommended Reading #1](https://www.protein.xyz/recommended-reading-1.md) - From bestsellers to lesser-known novels and academic papers, discover our inaugural reading list. - [Youth Collectives and the Nurture Economy](https://www.protein.xyz/the-nurture-economy.md) - On the need for escapism, community building and spaces to challenge the status quo — together. - [Jean Campbell On Redefining Pain](https://www.protein.xyz/im-fine-really.md) - Jean Campbell built a successful modelling career all while managing chronic pain — she's now using her platform to help others navigate similar hidden struggles. - [Techriolage](https://www.protein.xyz/techriolage.md) - Notes on rethinking our relationship with technical objects. - [Less Words, More Actions](https://www.protein.xyz/less-words-more-actions.md) - The true change-makers in music aren’t just writers – they’re practitioners. Here are five to follow. - [Does Anyone Really Care About Music?](https://www.protein.xyz/does-anyone-really-care-about-music.md) - Key takeaways from our FORUM on the role of music in modern culture. - [Aesthetic Exile](https://www.protein.xyz/aesthetic-exile.md) - The excitement and dangers of 'good taste’ – and the urge to retreat from it. - [#714 | Cultural Singularity, Technospirituality & Memecoin Supercycles](https://www.protein.xyz/714-cultural-singularity-technospirituality-memecoin-supercycles.md) - Join us on Wednesday 12th February at 5pm GMT for our next FORUM where we will be discussing if Anyone Really Cares About Music? The question intentionally cuts to the core of how music is experienced and valued today. From the artist, consumer and industry perspectives, the way we engage with musi… - [Are Subcultures Dead?](https://www.protein.xyz/are-subcultures-dead.md) - What are they today? Do they even exist anymore? - [A Funeral, But Make It Fashion](https://www.protein.xyz/the-peoples-pyramid.md) - In conversation with Sports Banger about their alternative runway show. - [The Internet Is Broken For Women](https://www.protein.xyz/the-internet-is-broken-for-women.md) - So how can we fix it? - [Bringing Boredom Back](https://www.protein.xyz/bringing-boredom-back.md) - But without the chaotic, bite-sized brain rot we’ve become consumed by. - [Reframing Death](https://www.protein.xyz/reframing-death.md) - The narrative around death is no longer being avoided. To start exploring this broad and complex issue, we’ve asked a few of our contributors to offer their thoughts. - [Dead Internet Theory](https://www.protein.xyz/dead-internet-theory.md) - Are real people posting online anymore? - [2024 Reflections](https://www.protein.xyz/2024-reflections.md) - Instead of adding to the blancmange of predictions that no-one really needs/reads, we thought we'd focus our full moon energy on some of the more pertinent people and ideas that we planted last year — in the hope they'll continue to grow into a better future for us all. SEEDS Why Every Company Need… - [Research Raves](https://www.protein.xyz/research-raves.md) - For our last SEED of the year, we explore why brands are throwing raves and ask what kind of research can emerge from these spaces of ecstatic participation? - [Is Gatekeeping Good for Culture?](https://www.protein.xyz/is-gatekeeping-good-for-culture.md) - We've updated this SEED to include highlights from our recent FORUM with Ruby Justice Thelot, Daisy Alioto and Charlie Robin Jones — there's also a link to the recording below. - [Sentient Memes](https://www.protein.xyz/sentient-memes.md) - A look at how memes, with the help of AI, are creating their own coins, religions and popstars. - [Medieval Nostalgia](https://www.protein.xyz/medieval-nostalgia.md) - How the surge in Medieval-inspired culture and branding reflects a longing for simpler times – featuring underconsumption core and Chappell ‘Roan of Arc’. - [#713 | Ballers League, Web4 & Astrofutures](https://www.protein.xyz/713-ballers-league-web4-astrofuturism.md) - Since the last 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 horticultural anthropologists have been cultivating, pruning and harvesting hundreds of… - [Vanishing Culture](https://www.protein.xyz/vanishing-culture.md) - Websites of today are the historical evidence of tomorrow – but only if they are archived. - [Brands as Libraries](https://www.protein.xyz/brands-as-libraries.md) - Modern brands are moving beyond traditional advertising and transactional models to create ecosystems that encourage interaction, education and community building. - [#712 | Post-Individualism, Vinyl Revival & Aphex Sinks](https://www.protein.xyz/712-post-individualism-vinyl-revival-aphex-sinks.md) - Well, that was fun. If you missed the Post-Individualism forum last night, it was a blast. We had 123 folks join us to hear Yancey Strickler from Metalabel, Kei Kreutler from Other Internet, and Jack Self (with a cuppa) from Real Review. Here are some highlights: * Yancey defines the post-individua… - [Are we entering a Post-Individualistic age?](https://www.protein.xyz/are-we-entering-a-post-individualistic-age.md) - [#711 | Fandoms, Cultural Half Lives & Subverting Bandcamp](https://www.protein.xyz/711-fandoms-cultural-half-lives-subverting-bandcamp.md) - Welcome back, good hols? If you missed the Nostalgia forum before the break, we highly recommend you watch the recording here. It features a hugely entertaining and insightful conversation with Maya, Sean Monahan (who has just released a great post on Bidirectional Nostalgia), Dal Chodha from Centr… - [MSCHF Bought a Cow](https://www.protein.xyz/mschf-bought-a-cow.md) - MSCHF has bought a cow called Angus and you get the chance to save him: Angus is a few months old - and we’re preselling him as 1200 burger patties and 4 leather handbags, to be produced in 2 years when he reaches slaughtering age. In 2024, you get a metal Angus Token; in 2026 you get burgers and b… - [New P.S. Sounds Playlist](https://www.protein.xyz/new-p-s-sounds-playlist.md) - Just in time for your Summer vacay 😎 - [Need a Friend?](https://www.protein.xyz/need-a-friend.md) - We've been tracking friendship for a while, so not surprised to see the launch of Friend, a necklace companion launched by 21-year-old founder Avi Schiffmann on International Friendship Day. There's a nice writeup on Dazed here. introducing friend. not imaginary. order now at https://t.co/7kGiH5pQV… - [Teenage Engineering goes medieval](https://www.protein.xyz/teenage-engineering-goes-medieval.md) - Teenage Engineering has gone medieval with it's EP-130 and we're here for it, as they say "lutes, chants and hurdy-gurdys have a 14th-century timbre". Unboxing vid here: - [Sober Futures](https://www.protein.xyz/sober-futures.md) - Some clever AI tech being used to map no and low alcohol futures c/o Satori AI Network analysis is a powerful tool for understanding consumer affinities by mapping the relationships between different communities. In our study of No & Low alcohol consumers, we started with the r/NoLow subreddit and… - [The White Pube](https://www.protein.xyz/the-white-pube.md) - If you haven't already discovered The White Pube and it's definitely worth a look. Loads of well written, thoughtful and timely reads from the "collaborative identity" of Gabrielle de la Puente and Zarina Muhammad. It's a self-funded project, so please support if you can. - [A Scaled Down Music Industry](https://www.protein.xyz/a-scaled-down-music-industry.md) - One of our members, Maarten Walravan has a great read on the illusion of a scaled down music industry: These are our dark forests and cozy webs. But how can we push a whole industry built to scale down from their mediocrity of ideas to this illusion of an idea - a scaled down music industry consist… - [Brat vs Brat](https://www.protein.xyz/brat-vs-brat.md) - A nice take by Anna Rose Kerr on how the marketing for the recent Brat release by Charli XCX has overtaken the music it was designed to promote: Brat the marketing has outdone Brat the music. Like Barbie the marketing outdid Barbie the film. Advertising is consistently the most powerful artistic me… - [Underconsumption Core](https://www.protein.xyz/underconsumption-core.md) - Business of Fashion on the current underconsumption core trend that's making it's way around TikTok as young consumers are taking more pride in eschewing the shopping sprees and hauls that have long characterised social media. But plenty of methods in the movement don’t involve cheaper products. - [Online swarms](https://www.protein.xyz/online-swarms.md) - Rafa delivers the good with this Summer of Protocol paper on online swarms and digital communities. If you're new to his work, be sure to also check out his amazing Telegram group Folklore. - [The return of Britpop](https://www.protein.xyz/the-return-of-britpop.md) - Victoria Buchanan mini-thread on the return of Britpop is worth a read, especially in the context of our recent "Is it time we broke up with Nostalgia?" forum. - [Sonic dimensions of worldbuilding](https://www.protein.xyz/sonic-dimensions-of-worldbuilding.md) - Nick Susi's latest post on the sonic dimensions of worldbuilding is an interesting read, as it uses the Tenet film as the metaphor to explain the importance of sound in worldbuilding: Everything is spatial now – 3D, immersive, multi-sensory content, digital products and new technologies. So much of… - [Havas Looses B Corp Status](https://www.protein.xyz/havas-looses-b-corp-status.md) - Four agencies owned by French advertising group Havas have been stripped of their B Corp status — a marker of high social, environmental and corporate governance standards — due to the company’s work for Shell, the group that oversees the certifications said. The decision underscores the growing re… - [Meta Eyes Luxottica Stake](https://www.protein.xyz/meta-eyes-luxottica-stake.md) - The FT reports that Meta is reportedly in discussions to acquire a 5% stake in EssilorLuxottica, the parent company of Ray-Ban, for approximately $5 billion. This move is seen as a strategic step to deepen their partnership in the development of smart glasses, following the success of their Ray-Ban… - [On Running LightSpray](https://www.protein.xyz/on-lightspray.md) - The Zurich-based Roger Federer owned On Running is continuing it's streak of new and interesting releases with their LightSpray shoe/technology. We haven't seen it in the flesh or put it on our feet, but the initial reports sound promising: - [Is it time we broke up with nostalgia?](https://www.protein.xyz/is-it-time-we-broke-up-with-nostalgia.md) - [World Building with Brian Eno](https://www.protein.xyz/world-building-with-brian-eno.md) - Sing Wild Seeds is a project about having musicians and audiences pre-enact preferred futures together. Conceptually, it springs from a question along these lines: how might music-making be combined with experiential futures towards developing our collective ability to imagine and shape desired cha… - [Brat Girl Summer](https://www.protein.xyz/brat-girl-summer.md) - This round-up on the Summer of Fun Slutty Pop by Kim Townend is worth a read: - [Sleep Concerts](https://www.protein.xyz/sleep-concerts.md) - A nice find on Stylus about Sleep Concerts: "People across the world are struggling with sleep quality: in China, 78% of adults suffer from sleeping problems (Statista, 2022), while 64% of Germans have trouble snoozing (Mintel, 2023). As consumers start prioritising wellbeing and low-stress lives,… - [No Food in the House](https://www.protein.xyz/no-food-in-the-house.md) - Artist @corbinshaww has teamed up with @northpaddingtonfoodbank on a campaign which highlights the ongoing issue of food poverty, and aims to redirect public funds to tackle it. Craving a little Panko-coated lamb loin with carrot and Timothy Taylor Ale purée, black garlic, potato galette, and natur… - [Valley of Code](https://www.protein.xyz/valley-of-code.md) - Every wondered how the internet actually works, but were too afraid to ask? Valley of Code is here to hold your hand on your journey through the fundamental building blocks of the Internet, the Web (yes, they're different), the HTTP protocol, and loads more. You're welcome. - [Creative Soccer Culture](https://www.protein.xyz/football-culture-report-2.md) - Football culture report - [Friendship Recessions](https://www.protein.xyz/friendship-recessions.md) - Grace Gordon continues to deliver the goods. This time on the topic of Friendships recessions (amongst other things): "I’m tempted to couch some of this in a gender binary (its proven that women lean more/expect more of their friendships) but i also kind of think thats’ not true; men want deeper fr… - [Island EMI](https://www.protein.xyz/island-emi.md) - News just in that Universal Music Group in the UK is merging Island and EMI as part of restructure. A memo from CEO & chairman David Joseph, unveils the “supercharging” of the UK labels at Universal as a plan for the “next phase of our company’s growth”. The shake-up will mean the combination of le… - [#710 | Is it time we broke up with nostalgia?](https://www.protein.xyz/710-is-it-time-we-broke-up-with-nostalgia.md) - Nostalgia is everywhere. It's like an old flame that keeps popping up in our lives, seducing us with memories of better times, seeping into music, tech, entertainment, design, and even food. But is this infatuation with the past hindering our future? Join us for a lively online discussion on 17th J… - [The art of noticing](https://www.protein.xyz/the-art-of-noticing.md) - Noticing is not just a series of group walks, but a show of appreciation for New York, set up by our friends at Index and Alex Wolfe. " Each walk is loosely focused on one theme and encourages attendees to develop a deeper awareness of their surroundings, learn about local history, and even make ne… - [Hoarders](https://www.protein.xyz/hoarders.md) - Scott Galloway never disappoints and his latest muse/rant on hoarders is well worth a read: What is more prevalent is the hoarding of goodwill. Each of us has wealth in the form of good intentions, positive gestures, and comity toward others. Do you hoard this goodwill? The first 40 years of my lif… - [Homegrown Denim](https://www.protein.xyz/homegrown-denim.md) - G-Star have teamed up with Wageningen University & Research and Dutch Cotton to launch Homegrown Denim - to explores the use of local greenhouse-grown cotton to reduce the environmental footprint of cotton farming worldwide. "Not only is growing cotton in a greenhouse possible, but it also provides… - [Teratribes](https://www.protein.xyz/teratribes.md) - "Humans are the only species capable of seeing our home from this unique vantage point in space or imagining how it came to be this way. We have always asked big questions about the origins of our world and our place in it. However, that place has changed dramatically over time. Over the past 10,00… ## Optional - [RSS Feed](https://www.protein.xyz/rss/) - [Sitemap](https://www.protein.xyz/sitemap.xml) - [Full content of pages and posts](https://www.protein.xyz/llms-full.txt)