Brian Zhao – Vanderbilt Business Review

Jan

15

2024

A Business Perspective on Taylor Swift and Travis Kelce’s Relationship: A Merger of Worlds

All Posts, Analysisfootball, kelce, nfl, relationship, swift, taylor, zhao

Eva Rinaldi and All-Pro Reels via Flickr By Brian Zhao The whirlwind craze that is Taylor Swift’s and Travis Kelce’s relationship continues to sweep America, generating endless media attention from NFL fans and Swifties alike. Although many have been following the developments of the Swift-Kelce relationship with rapt attention, it is no question that the NFL, sports broadcasting networks, and local businesses around the nation have begun to capitalize on the burgeoning attention that the global superstar’s relationship with the Kansas City Chiefs’ tight end has attracted, especially in regard to football. First, local businesses are aware of the growing…

Apr

16

2023

By Brian Zhao

The Future of AI and Education: ChatGPT Takes the World by Storm

All Posts, Analysis, Industries

(Image: Creative Common License) By Brian Zhao Since its launch in November 2022, ChatGPT quickly became the world’s newest sensation, amassing over 100 million users as of January 2023. Millions of people spanning various industries recognized its potential for revolutionizing our workstyles. The language model chatbot powered by artificial intelligence technology captured everyone’s attention mainly due to its ability to have human-like conversations with users and provide detailed and accurate responses. Some of its capabilities include answering questions, writing essays, compiling poems, translating languages, telling jokes, and writing code, among many other endless applications that users have tested. However, providing…

Dec

22

2022

By Brian Zhao

Reevaluating Demand: Apple’s iPhone 14 Plus Put On Hold

All Posts, Industries

By Brian Zhao (Image: creative common license) Has Apple fallen from grace? Despite Apple’s fanbase being notoriously loyal, the iPhone 14 Plus model has greatly underperformed in terms of its sales numbers as compared to its much higher expectations. In October 2022, The Information reported that Apple has currently paused production of the iPhone 14 Plus despite it only being on sale for less than two weeks due to having to reassess demand for the smartphone. Specifically, Apple’s supply chain partners have cut iPhone 14 Plus production by 40% according to Digitimes. So, why hasn’t the iPhone 14 Plus been…

Dec

01

2022

By Brian Zhao

Adderall Shortage Deepens Struggle for ADHD Community

All Posts, Industries

By Brian Zhao (Image: creative common license) Almost all patients prescribed Adderall as attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) treatment have recently reported that it is notably harder for them to find proper treatment. Consequently, this community of disaffected individuals is experiencing anxiety when finding medication, serious withdrawal symptoms, and mental health flare-ups from the lack of accessibility to the ADHD drug. On October 12, 2022, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) first reported the shortage of amphetamine mixed salts, the drug used to treat ADHD. Adderall is one of many brand names of amphetamine mixed salts. In September, 80 percent…

Nov

30

2022

By Brian Zhao

Russia-Ukraine War Skyrockets Nickel Prices

All Posts, Analysis, Economy and Government

By Brian Zhao (Image: creative common license) The Russian-Ukraine conflict has caused a number of supply chain disruptions in addition to obstructing the flow of goods, driving up product shortages, and creating severe food crises around the world. Even nickel, a relatively available commodity, has undergone unprecedented price changes. In March 2022, the London Metal Exchange suspended nickel trading due to its wild fluctuations caused by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, which sent the market surging well over the $100,000 per tonne mark. The drastic increase of this raw material could wreak havoc for several industries that nickel supply is important…

Nov

22

2022

By Brian Zhao

Changing the Game: Blockchain’s Role in the Future of Finance

All Posts, Finance and Business Insight

By Brian Zhao (Image: creative common license) Most of us remember Bitcoin’s crazy upsurge in 2017, when its price jumped by over 2,000 percent, going from about $1,000 at the start of the year to nearly $20,000 by December. This dramatic shift, along with many success stories of ordinary people becoming millionaires overnight, has generated immense interest in the digital currency. Cryptocurrencies have remained in the spotlight since 2017, and much discussion has centered on what the relatively new form of monetary transactions could mean for the future. Although around 4 percent of the world’s population, which is about 300…