(The opinions expressed here are those of the authors.)

By Anna Szymanski

July 17 (Reuters) - Looking for inspiration? Every Friday,

Weekend Reads rounds up what the Reuters Open Interest team has

been reading, watching and listening to.

This week's picks include the race to reinvent critical

minerals, oil benchmarks under pressure and great-power

geopolitics.

This weekend, we're reading...

MIKE DOLAN, ROI Finance & Markets Columnist: The Pew Research

Center's Global Attitudes Survey finds that, across 36

countries, China is now viewed more favorably than the United

States.

ANDY HOME, ROI Metals Columnist: This U.S. Department of Energy

release details five research awards won by its Oak Ridge

National Laboratory and shows that the global competition for

critical minerals isn't just about building new mines and

smelters, but also about changing how we use resources in the

laboratory. These awards cover research on motors that don't

need critical minerals, additive manufacturing and new

high-performance steels.

GAVIN MAGUIRE, ROI Global Energy Transition Columnist: European

energy investor Gerard Reid argues in this LinkedIn post that

Europe's latest electrification plan is not bold enough and that

the region's "economic prosperity, industrial competitiveness,

technological leadership and geopolitical power" are all at

stake.

JAMIE MCGEEVER, ROI Markets Columnist: A new Fed paper finds

that the U.S. AI capex boom could lead to a more sustained

deterioration in the U.S. current account than previously

expected. If so, it would further entrench the global imbalances

that the IMF and others warn pose a growing threat to economic

and financial stability.

CLYDE RUSSELL, ROI Asia Commodities Columnist: This article from

Petroleum Economist examines crude oil benchmarks, how the Dubai

benchmark nearly failed during the Iran crisis and how they

constantly adjust.

We're listening to...

ANNA SZYMANSKI, ROI Editor-in-Charge: Reuters Breakingviews

Global Editor Peter Thal Larsen recently sat down with McKinsey

CFO Yuval Atsmon to discuss the costs and benefits of corporate

AI use.

And we're watching...

RON BOUSSO, ROI Energy Columnist: Military historian Sarah Paine

shows in this lecture how the tension between continental and

maritime empires shaped history. While I don't fully agree with

her categorization of the U.S. as a maritime empire, her thesis

offers a useful perspective for understanding today's big-power

geopolitics.

Opinions expressed are those of the authors. They do not reflect

the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is

committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

(By Anna Szymanski

Editing by Marguerita Choy)