Category: Life course

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Outdoor Pleasures

Summertime surely is time for outdoor activities and pleasures. Besides the broad spectrum of more or less strenuous activities, summer is perfect for socializing in parks, restaurants, cafes or beer gardens. We might think of this as more recent inventions, but in historical depictions by Bruegel or Jan Steen (1661 in Gemäldegalerie Berlin, extract below) we find evidence that socializing in a restaurant or beer garden has been around for more than 460  years. Monks were brewing beer and the consumption was reserved to a more elitist group of people. The concept is quite old. Fortunately, we have managed to democratize the joyful and socializing part of being together.  Places where people from different social classes come together have always been rare and this, additionally, varies across regions, countries and often social strata.

Jan Steen 1661 Gemäldegalerie Berlin beer garden

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Co-evolution process

Humans look back on a long co-evolution process with viruses, bacteria, insects and animals. The focus on a solitary evolution of humans alone is already a challenge, although we know that the evolutionary process is much more complex. Within the co-evolution process of humans and animals, the co-evolution with the species of dogs has lead to interesting learning opportunities for both. Braeuer et al (2024) show that a dog’s cognitive capabilities to perceive human emotions beyond simple positive or negative emotions. As dogs seem to monitor their owners constantly, many of them are able to alert persons about health and/or emotional state. This is a learning process for dogs, but also for their human owners as their authentic emotional expressions are immediately recognized by their dog. A co-evolutionary approach offers a lot of benefits to all involved. 

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Heat Mortality

Heat waves can be deadly for humans, animals and vegetation. According to the cumulative estimates by the RKI (Robert Koch Institute) in Germany up until 2026-7-26 there were 11.900 deaths within the confidence interval between 10.700 to 13.100 of the estimates. About 6.000 of the people who died due to the heat waves were aged 85+. 1.140 were attributed to persons younger than 65. Chronological age appears to be a significant factor as frequently chronic diseases accumulate in older individuals as well as poly-pharmacy. Hydration levels and deficiencies are associated with the increased mortality, but we have few or no precise measures of hydration readily available for people before it becomes an emergency (cognitive impairments). We know a lot about precision medicine. However, precision hydration for people remains rather arbitrary. 

On graveyard inscriptions

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Fountain of youth

The fountain of youth is such an old dream of humans that we are no longer surprised to witness perpetual reincarnations of the same theme again and again. The painting by Cranach the elder (1646) “Fountain of youth” (image below, Gemäldegalerie Berlin) sets the scene for what has become a billion dollar business nowadays. Whereas the old dream was about rejuvenation and cure from disabling diseases, we have become a bit more moderate in ambition to be happy about a halt to aging. Promises are reiterated and made in building on an army of influencers who push many remedies that lack rigorous scientific tests. Two studies published open access in “The Lancet Healthy Longevity” (Witham, McDonald 2026 and Duremdes Nava et al. 2026) provide evidence that in case of obesity and diabetes there are no easy or quick fixes available yet. Healthy longevity still relies mainly on lifestyle (changes), more exercise and careful nutrition rather than additional medication. Medium and long-term consequences of inactivity and unhealthy diets are to easily disregarded or their value discounted. How much are you willing to pay for an additional year of healthy living at age 30 or 70? Simple economics, but quite a successful business model as well.

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Medication adherence

In the broad range of medico-pharmaceutical science the topic of medication adherence is an uncomfortable issue. In the ideal scenario people would adhere 100% to the prescription. In the real world of not-optimal behavior and circumstances, people deviate substantially from what is best for or even good for them. Even in the tax-based health system of Denmark with relatively easy access to medication, a long-term study revealed the difficulties encountered to adhere to essential medications for persons with Type 2 diabetes. Nielsen et al. (2026) analyzed a cohort of 80.000 persons who newly acquired Type 2 diabetes of which about 25% showed a low adherence to medication plans with hazard rate of 1,27 to suffer a cardiovascular event. High adherence persons did not suffer such an event in the following 220 days over the 10 years of observation. A sedentary lifestyle or obesity increase the risk of type 2 diabetes and beyond medical treatments additional behavioral challenges like medication adherence make it clear, we do not live in the best scenario to fight type 2 diabetes.

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Social learning

The process and mechanisms that drive social learning are still not well understood. Beyond social psychology and sociological theory and evidence, neuroscience has made progress worth taking note of. The paper by Maciej Winiarski et al. (2025) offers a key insight into the neuro-biology of learning about social structures and the behavioral consequences. In their study of mice in the EcoHAB supervised group housing, information sharing through scent was the driver of learning about the social structure and the ensuing social behavior. The various experimental settings show that 1-2 mice became the most relevant informants about social structure and rewards. The “exploratory activities” are an interesting underlying parameter as well. The mus musculus model does not tell us much about humans yet, but we get a gist of important factors to consider for social learning in groups or organizations. Information seeking, informants, reward structures and “housing” have to be considered based on such research from neuroscience.

Berlin bears as statues decorated to demonstrate freedom and diversity in 2023

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Road injuries

Road injuries are a serious matter. The lives lost and people suffering from lasting injuries continue to be a major health hazard on a global scale despite significant reductions over the last 3 decades, mainly in wealthier countries . The Global Burden of Disease study (Ng et al. 2026) shows that between the ages of 10-39 fatal road injuries are the main cause of death for young men. The study has no data to speak to causal effects, but the basic statistics show a clear pattern according to gender. Several factors need further exploration:
1. Men are known to have a much larger share of the total amount of road traffic in most countries, which leads to a higher risk exposure.
2. Men seem to take higher risks when driving, which puts them at higher overall risks as well.
3. Responsibilities for road incidents are not investigated, which leaves other causes or contributions to road injuries (like alcohol or drug abuse) unaccounted. (Source: Ng et al 2026. Global, regional, and national burden of road injuries 1990–2023, p.7)

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Cardiac arrest detection

The number 1 cause of death is cardiac arrest in the modern world. Hence, the interest in the detection of cardiac arrest could save many lives. For assistance to arrive and intervene in time an alert needs to be issued as soon as possible. With early detection by nearby persons and skilled intervention the survival chances are about 50% of cases. The “silent” at home cardiac arrest is an important health and survival issue. The availability of wrist bands and watches which can issue alerts in combination with smartphones has risen considerably in recent years. Therefore, the improvement of reliable algorithms which interpret these data can realistically save lives as the delays can potentially be shortened for professional helpers to arrive. The study by Edgar et al. (2026) tested such a device and were able to show the very low number of false alarms issued by this device (about 1 out of 40). Extrapolated to millions of cases the challenge to a health care system is steep. However, we have to deal with such socio-economic issues of digital devices in medicine in the coming years more often.

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Inclusive design

In aging societies inclusive design is not an option but a must have. This is neither a short term fix nor a renovation without costs. Adapting a home to a wheelchair use is an expert job as you have to think about issues you have not experienced yourself before in most cases. Door thresholds and openings, better have sliding doors as much as possible, have to be considered early. Bathroom adaptation in size and height, toilet space and lighting switches all should be planned ahead. There exists a DIN Norm 18040 which specifies measures precisely. In the age of AI-vibe coding some home appliances could be programmed to follow a person’s voice commands as well. For the time being in 2026-7 this is a nice to have option. but early installations of “intelligent digital devices” beyond a washing machine or microwave can get you quite far in the near future. Inclusive design could open doors and switch on lights simply by talking to your smartphone.

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Dancing alone

In 2026 it is possible to step into the old telephone box, but to use it as discotheque with music. You can choose your favorite song and dance to it inside the box and photos are taken from yourself to take home. Whereas sociologists have long argued that individualism can go to far in modern societies, the solo disco-box is a telling example of how monetizing of music, dancing and enjoying music can reach levels where people no longer realize how far we have gone beyond „bowling alone“. We do social activities alone and then share the images of the pseudo social activity. Room for social or socializing activities does not come for free, but creating meeting spaces even in crowded cities is worthwhile. Dancing in public rather than a box might be enjoyable for others too.

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Brussels relaxes

Especially during the weekends and the summer activities some roads can be blocked for other uses. The obese societies of the 21 century need to make room for more exercise wherever possible. Brussels has done so for more than 5 years already. The “Bois de la Cambre” offers an amazing space to all those seeking respite from the busy and warm urban surroundings (Image below). Children and families exercise all sorts of activities and sports. The closed roads are perfect for cycling and jogging as well as the learning of both. Levels of air pollution drop and the running sport is no health hazard as in inner cities. Each and everybody advances at her/his own rhythm (Video Weekend jogging in Bois de la Cambre on Road 2026) or just watches others passing by. Ways to relax in cities are manifold, in a matter of choice and commitment. Commit to relax and detox, at least on weekends. This can be quite a behavioral change with serious health benefits.

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Berlin moves it

Yes, we like to move it. Investment in infrastructure follows a long-term economic rationale. In urban areas space is a scarce and, therefore, an expensive resource. In order to use the current space for mobility more efficiently, the use of a longer tram or train is an effective way to increase capacities. Rather than to increase the frequency, which is no longer possible without safety risks, a longer vehicle allows to bring more, and more diverse, passengers on board (kinderwagen and wheelchairs included).
It is a long-term objective to make urban areas liveable for all ages. Tramways which allow a low or, better, no barrier to entry is a necessary condition in this respect. The new “Urbanliner” in Berlin (image below) offers such essentials of access and urban mobility. A single tram is 50m long with 88 seats and 215 standing persons in larger corridors. 300 tram passengers can be compared to about 12 average length cars with at best 15-20 passengers.
A consensus of “how best to move it” in cities pays off in the long-term. Planning has to start about a decade before delivery and needs to survive political cycles going back and forth.

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Learning locations

We tend to associate schools as the primary learning locations. However, there is a multitude of additional locations that offer excellent learning locations like museums, libraries, churches, enterprises or various associations. Some of these learning locations have better equipped learning facilities and environments than many schools. It is about time to reckon with this and advocate stronger links between the often disconnected worlds of learning. Teacher training focuses on schools, curricula and teaching methods, but the systematic combination of all these „external“ learning locations with the full-time schooling world could stimulate so much more learning. Maybe, even the social selectivity of education could be reduced through the motivation and different entry points into learning by a diversity of learning locations. Lifewide and lifelong learning are likely to be motivated at an early age. (Image: Stabi West-Berlin 2026-7)

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Learning and authenticity

For historical, philosophical, social and many other domains, learning in authentic locations moves learners particularly. This can consist in reinforcement learning of an otherwise abstract event or process. The neuroscience of learning has demonstrated that both parts the rational mind and the emotional relatedness contribute to learning success. Memorials are such places where persons get involved with all their brain and senses. Robert Sigel (2015 pp.50-53) described the wealth of pedagogic approaches that has entered memorials. They range from flyers, guided tours to geo-caching, digital apps and continuous involvement in social media related to on-site visits. Memorials are no social-pedagogic institutions either. They cannot guard or even correct more or less likely antisocial social behavior of visitors. Additionally, they have to strike a balance between 360 degrees, engaged learning and decent commemoration. Authentic objects and information, like biographical accounts, original voices, videos or handwriting reinforce the lasting memory in and of  a memorable location ( Koessler, 2025 p. 79). School curricula make far too little use of this well implemented combination of learning and authenticity so far. Great potentials are ahead of us building on the specificity of each memorial. (Image: topography of terror, webpage access on site 2026).

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Learning moral sentiments

In school curricula and evaluations of pupils learning progress there has been little attention to pupils’ learning moral sentiments. Religion and comparisons of religious practices have entered educational programs, but even the big PISA studies have largely refrained from evaluations of learning achievements in ethical matters or moral sentiments. Adam Smith as proponent of the Scottish enlightenment had written about “The theory of moral sentiments” before embedding his market economy into the enlightened society. In the 2020s we realize that we have neglected this part of learning for far too long. This is the point where memorials can play a primordial role as a central part of learning not only about history, but moral sentiments in the broadest sense. Memorials “Gedenkstätten” operate as quasi-schools” in this respect for young and experienced learners at the same time considered that more than 50% of learners in memorials pupils, students or from teaching professions. However, outcomes of  learning in memorials could also be assessed in order to check what kind of learning goals and moral sentiments can be addressed in such historically charged learning environments. Such learning locations of moral sentiments have to balance the intended learning with the necessary decency of the commemoration in such learning environments. (Image: Topography of terror Berlin exhibitions) 

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All the lonely people

This line of a song by “The Beatles” dates back to 1966. “Ah, look at all the lonely people” is a kind of puzzled outcry to reckon with the loneliness even in busy and charitable places. 60 years later in 2026 we have whole ministries in some countries to deal with loneliness. It is not a niche problem. Tackling the problem needs to go beyond raising awareness. Loneliness occurs at all stages of the life course: children, adolescents, young adult, migrants, employees, single parents, care giving people, even within couples, seniors and very old persons. It is not restricted to urban or rural areas, but changes from one to another phase in a person’s life course carry the risk to encounter loneliness. It may well be only a temporary phase before new relationships can be established or previous contacts revived. There is a role to reach out to people who might be lonely for all of us. Public policies should be scrutinised on all levels whether they manage to break barriers or raise new ones for persons to feel lonely. In Berlin, the local level in each district is taking measures to facilitate informal meeting points open to all ages and walks of life. The “Wüstenrot foundation” sponsors many initiatives where public policies are short of funds. Projects enhance networks of people and organisations eager to assist “all these lonely people”, wherever they all come from.  (Image: Conference on loneliness at Berlin city hall Schöneberg 2026)

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The next big challenge in medicine and public health seems to be the multiple long-term conditions. Many people do not suffer from just one medical condition, but several ones at the same time. Diabetes is one such condition which frequently comes along in combination with other conditions. The definition of Multiple long-term conditions comprises 2 and more conditions like cardiovascular, metabolic, respiratory or cancer, to name just a few of the more common ones. Our health and care systems are little prepared for adequate treatments as this involves a coordinated intervention and poly-pharmaceutical therapy. Changes in a single condition have repercussions in the condition and treatment. This makes adequate treatment a resourceful process with limited knowledge about the multiple interactions and intervening parameters. Add, for example, depression to any of the above mentioned conditions and the behavioral assumptions of correctly taking prescribed medication becomes a major issue for patients. The challenge for aging societies and societies with more people suffering from early onset of obesity and diabetes increases in the coming decades. There are several teams that address these challenges in research which gives hope to all those suffering already from Multiple long-term conditions.

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Willingness to pay

The willingness to pay for a product by consumers can be easy to predict. During the June 2026 heat wave in Europe, earlier and more intense than ever before, many people went to retailers offering cooling systems or fans with a determination to buy. However, the retailers who had stocks available found themselves depleted rapidly. The physical urge to find a solution to cool down a hot apartments has pushed the willingness to pay to new heights for such systems. A kind of market failure occurred as too many (short-sighted) consumers wanted to buy a quick fix for a serious personal health-related issue. The widely observed shortage of supply of air-conditioners and fans raised considerable frustrations on all sides, missed turnover and substantial profits for the retailers and lack of physical cooling in a suddenly “overheated” market.
The increased willingness to pay might be redirected to other “greener” solutions to the heating problem, but they often entail behavioral changes. This bi-directional relationship between willingness to pay and (lack of) readiness for behavioral changes is a fundamental principle of behavioral economics and sociology.

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Gone Gliding

The seaside resorts offer additional experiences to people beyond swimming. Gliding on the water or in waves is an affordable exercise for everyone. It  just needs a small board and off you go. Falls are a usual part of the exercise. Beware of them if you have any prior conditions. For the 50+ generations some regular prior falling exercises are a must. Youth has the advantage of sufficient power per kg of body weight to afford repeated falls. Water and sand soften the falls. The gliding experience, however, is a great compensation for the risks taken. Not for everyone, but early experiences in or beyond schools give pupils a head start on how to balance out yourself in specific situations. Spectators and the experience to be under observation might influence your performance for the better or worse. Balance is a rather complex experience combining body and mind coordination for all ages. 

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École buissonnière

In 2026 the “École buissonnière“, the outdoor schooling has become a viable alternative to the schools that are overly hot during summer. But far beyond being an alternative out of necessity, schools as well as kindergardens adopt a form of schooling close to and in nature. It can be so much more than a simple interlude or excursion. Learning from nature is a precursor of bionics as well as compassion. After all nature offers ample examples of diversity and coping mechanisms. It is an option not only for learning purposes restricted to the young, but it is underexploited in continuous learning and lifewide experiences as well. There have been abuses also in history, most notably by Nazis in Germany for purposes of indoctrination. The learning opportunities to encourage a critical perspective of our modern, technology- and screen-dominated learning and life, are huge. They just need experienced guidance on the way of discovery, comparisons and collective experiences. Children open up and have fun, the more the pressure of classrooms is alleviated.  Learning about the importance of biodiversity from different angles is a very human value and includes our responsibility for other species.

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Ensor Home

There are few artists who stayed in their home for almost all their life. James Ensor was a personality who was profoundly attached and continually attracted to his native city of Ostend. After a short and unsuccessful spell at the Brussels art academy, he returned to his parents’ home and due to a heritage from an uncle, he could live in a nearby house, which also served him as his atelier. Although I did not come across documents that showed he had traveled a lot, nowadays his art work is spread across the globe. The seaside resort of Ostend was a real tourist destination and, therefore, many famous people of the 1st half of the century passed by and met with Ensor there. Not only fellow artists, but also scientists like Albert Einstein. Critical minds and people searching beyond the trodden paths must have been attracted to him, a personality who dared to challenge conventional painting and techniques of his time. A reconstruction of his atelier and several animations give a lively modern touch to his work and living style. My take home message from the Ensor Home: The search for inspiration might be just around the corner. 

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Autonomous Agents

We all have seen more or less autonomous robots somewhere, maybe in a garden silently doing its job or doing more demanding tasks like in playing table tennis against a human. Even the evolution of polluting fireworks to swarms of little light-emitting drones designing figures on the sky have become quite popular. The AI-world is similarly advancing rapidly and proposes more and more “autonomous agents” to assist us. It seems crucial to distinguish the 2 Ds of autonomous agents: Degrees and Dimensions. As with job quality or job satisfaction, there are several sub-dimensions, which need to be considered when dealing, in a summarizing form, with such encompassing terms.
You might allow an agent to order missing food for a meal and pay for this autonomously. You might even be assisted in financial choices to a large degree, but you might not want an autonomous agent to make far reaching decisions concerning your health or partnership(s). Besides such dimensions, the degree of autonomous decision-making needs to be calibrated according to your (perhaps changing) preferences. Booking a table in a restaurant, with a single other person, might not just be a friendly, nice assistance, but it might get you into severe trouble. However, managing conference bookings, a family event or a birthday party might allow you to concentrate on other issues or specific details. Additionally, there are underlying and cross-cutting topics like trust, risks and security that enter the “2 Ds of autonomous agents”. A 2-dimensional matrix plotting levels across dimensions might work as a behavioral guideline in the development of autonomous agents. More dimensions may be added during the implementation.

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Autonomy in Behavior

The learning capacity of humans sets them on a path to acquire and extend their autonomy in behavior. At birth, physical and emotional dependence is highest. Soon learning to handle different nutrition sources and emotional stress allows to gain more autonomy in each of these components of autonomy. Throughout later childhood and adolescence we develop various additional domains as well as degrees of autonomy.
Role-playing, enhanced motor control and interaction with others define and redefine continuously the potentials and limits of autonomous behavior. Social norms start to play an even more important role as of adulthood, just consider financial autonomy as one of the dimensions. The most distinguishing factor from robots or animals until 2026 has been the human ability to form its own autonomous judgment, where value systems and legal norms co-determine or set limits to our autonomy or behavior. Some results from neuroscience have demonstrated that our readiness to act is prefigured in our brain and additional “intelligent” mechanisms are needed to suppress or guide the otherwise autonomous, spontaneous action or reaction.
Our “free will” might not be as free as we wish it to be. Similarly our autonomy in behavior or decision-making might not be as autonomous as we tend to believe. (Image: Social cooperative gardening project, Brussels 2026-6)

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Autonomy in literature

As we might imagine, autonomy has been and is a huge topic in literature. From the foundations of democracy to the autonomous state building, historical accounts are full of treaties on autonomy. Literature has taken similar steps by asking can we really be autonomous in our decision-making as we are social beings embedded into varieties of Throne, families and networks. There are ever larger parts that we are conscious about, but the realm of unconsciousness or sleep remains substantial. Maybe in literature, the author Samuel Beckett has gone furthest in dealing with human autonomy in his writings. The search for autonomous action might lead to far-reaching inactivity in “Waiting for Godot”.
However, Beckett’s view about autonomy can also be interpreted as a continuous battle of mankind as demonstrated in the often cited expression by Beckett (“Worstward Ho”, 1983, p.7) “All of old. Nothing else ever. Ever tried. Ever failed. No matter. Try again. Fail again. Fail better.” Our strive for autonomy remains a lifelong struggle. The path to more autonomy is not linear over the life course. In fact, much evidence from gerontologists suggests that it might follow an inverse U-shape, being low at birth and low before death. Literature has guided us in such questions just as much as religious, philosophical, legal and social concerns enter into the underlying concept of autonomy and autonomous decision-making across the life course.

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Autonomy as Happiness

The French philosopher Émile-Auguste Chartier, better known as Alain, is a proponent of a rational approach towards fundamental issues. Therefore, we should expect from the reading of “Propos sur le bonheur” a thought-based conception of happiness. In his propositions on happiness, autonomous decision-making and autonomous actions play a decisive role. Rather than writing a voluminous “treatise” on happiness, he had chosen in the 1920s, the form of 93 about 2-page long propositions about happiness. These propositions are a bit more explicit than, for example, Nietzsche’s aphorisms, but they remain short without much literary context to the kind of rational analysis based on observations and anecdotal supporting evidence.
In propositions 42 “Agir” and 44 “Diogène” he deals with autonomy as subject. “on veut agir, on ne veut pas subir” (in short, “act, not endure”, own translation), that is his quintessence. “Tous les métiers plaisent autant que l’on y gouverne, et déplaisent autant que l’on y obéit.” (44). (All professions are pleasant if you govern, and are unpleasant if you have to obey). More than 100 years later, empirical studies on job quality, job satisfaction and happiness still build on this rationale.

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China Job Quality

In a small study of 771 Chinese adults, Dong, Wu, Ni & Lu (2021) have reported on the impact of long working hours on job satisfaction. If you work few hours, job satisfaction increases as you work more hours. However, working many hours already, additional work, 40+ per week, does no longer increase work satisfaction in China. In order to preserve the recommended or communist work ethos of a “996 work schedule” (from 9 a.m to 9 p.m, 6 days a week) the authors recommend that managers support more autonomy for workers to fix their schedules as this could increase their job satisfaction. Autonomy to schedule your work and more autonomy in decision-making moderate the impact of long work hours on job satisfaction. Eventually the Chinese comrades might get satisfaction in other areas but work as well.
(Book Exhibits on Karl Marx, Museum Trier Germany Books 2023)

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Job Quality Insights

In the U.S. the Upjohn Institute for Employment Research conducts a major empirical study on job quality (Houseman et al. 2025 1st wave 18.000 respondents). The documentation and the full set of questions (Link) cover 5 dimensions of job quality: compensation and job security; work structure and autonomy; work environment; worker agency and voice; growth and development. The special merit of the survey is that it makes great efforts to cover also new forms of (precarious) self-employment (Abraham et al. 2026). The degree to which can you make autonomous decisions is of relevance to the self-employed as well as it is a part of the job quality of dependent employees in small, large or big firms.
Related to the use of AI for work purposes question 31 asks for the influence on the decision to use new technologies in your job. This is the modern version of a question, whether you have influence on how you do your job. Bullying in a job may come from supervisors, colleagues or customers and respondents report on this. Beyond the answers given for “your main job”, it is noteworthy that the inclusion of questions on a secondary job allow to identify with more precision the precarious forms of how people try to manage to make a decent living in the U.S.A.
(Image: Exhibition Fashion Council Berlin at New National Gallery 2026)

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Autonomy as Job Quality

As many labour markets have been confronted with employment and skill shortages in OECD countries, the interest in what constitutes a good job has increased. After the “decent jobs” campaigns by the ILO, it became crucial to be able to better measure what constitutes a decent job and job quality more generally. The COVID-19 crisis had pushed remote work, but the impact on job quality has been mixed.
A larger empirical effort set out to measure job satisfaction and job quality more precisely. The study funded by the Luxembourg Chamber of Labour (Steffgen, Sischka et al. 2020) puts autonomy at work in the category of “job design”. The findings suggest that autonomy has substantial correlations with almost all other measures of job quality, but in a multivariate setting work-life conflicts, job security, atypical working time, mobbing, time pressure or social demands overwrite the issue of autonomy as a statistically significant impact on general well-being. Social support, however, has the strongest positive impact on overall satisfaction. Solidarity at work drives overall well-being.
The more narrow concept of satisfaction with one’s job find autonomy just as important as career advancement on the 5% significance level. Participation in decision making, income and again social support have somewhat stronger impacts. Autonomy concerns time and tasks. Can you decide what to do, how to do, where to do and when to do your tasks?
Depending on how you answer these questions on a 1-5 scale, the more or less satisfied you are with your job. Of course, leadership styles might interfere additionally. (Image: May 1st 2026 Berlin)

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Marilyn Monroe TM

The image and probably even the person of Marilyn Monroe has become a trademark of its own. Since the choice to change her name and outlook to become or be created as the objectified trademark of Marilyn Monroe, the financial interests to gain money using every image, sound or video have reached above average returns. The profits mostly accrue to those owning the commercial rights. At the occasion of her 100th birthday, this continued rent seeking keeps spinning.
It has been well documented that the early death at just 36 years of age is linked to her exploitation or “commodification” as a trademark rather than a person able to cope with the overloaded imagery of herself. Bookshops, even in 2026-6, decorate their windows with books with her image on the cover as eye catcher. As with few other persons, Marilyn Monroe stands for an objectified person where the property rights of the image keep being exploited long after her tragic death. (Image: Marilyn Monroe, tramage by Bruno James BdF, left and algorithmic on the right. Transbordeur 2026).

 

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Considerations about Space

As is true for most architects, for example Le Corbusier, they are mostly remembered for their actual realizations (Scharoun, Mies van der Rohe), rather than the grand designs prepared for an architecture competition. Henri Gaudin has not only left concrete implementations of his ideas, but also several books on his perception and ideas about “concepts of space” (“Considérations  sur l’espace”), which comprises architectural ideas about “empty spaces“. Additional sources of inspiration were a relentless pursuit of drawing and designing what he saw, for example while travelling.  The BNF has received the extraordinary donation of the journals of Henri Gaudin, which allow to trace his continuous search for innovative representations of what creates a space, the impression of space and the relationship between spaces.
His travels with the TGV in France filled a complete “carnet” (booklet). Architecture is surely not about concrete. In the best cases there is a lot of research happening “backstage”, sometimes in small spontaneous sketches that can have a very lasting impact on many people’s perception of space later on. His own landscape drawings were an interesting inspiration for his architectural work as well. “Image: Landscape drawings by Henri Gaudin, BNF Paris 2026-6, Galérie des Donateurs).