Can Big Tech help us achieve a healthier work-life balance? The rise of new software and tools to help remote workers disconnect from their day jobs could instigate a major cultural shift in how we manage our time after hours, writes tech columnist Parmy Olson in Bloomberg Opinion. Tools allowing people to block work notifications past a certain time and control who can message them can help battle the “overwork culture” made worse by the pandemic-induced remote work boom. Microsoft earlier this year said it was expanding its Quiet Time feature across Teams and Outlook, while Apple has launched a Personal Mode feature to allow users to control which people and apps can message them during personal time.

But isn’t Big Tech the reason we’re here in the first place? The irony of the tech companies whose chat and co-working tools facilitated the demise of personal time now coming up with a solution to resurrect it is not lost on us, but it is a development that is welcomed by many. The more these tools become available, the more they signal to people that a healthy work-life balance is a right they should (and now, can) entertain. And making these tools available will probably be more effective than trying to safeguard personal time through regulation, as in the case of Portugal, which recently passed a law banning managers from messaging their employees after working hours, though its method of implementation remains unclear.

How green will Saudi’s planned green bonds actually be? With the world’s top oil exporter Saudi Arabia planning to enter the green bond market, investors are split on whether to take its claims over its environmental targets seriously, Bloomberg reports. The oil exporter has rejected an International Energy Agency analysis calling for an end to new fossil fuels exploration, and has said it would aim for net zero emissions by 2060, without specifying how it will get there. The Saudi government and sovereign wealth fund are preparing to sell green bonds in the coming months, in transactions that may raise bns of USD and will help finance projects such as a sustainable tourism resort on the Red Sea powered entirely by renewable energy, according to the report.

Reality check: The bonds will likely find plenty of buyers. Given the insatiable investor appetite for all things green as of late, and given the kingdom's efforts to recast itself in an environmentally-concerned world, many investors will likely shrug off the optics of buying green bonds from the world’s top oil exporter. As part of its environmentally friendly makeover, Saudi Arabia recently announced plans to build a floating city on the Red Sea powered entirely by renewables.

No college degree? No worries, you can still fulfill your childhood dream of going into space: The Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency (JAXA) is waiving requirements for would-be space travelers, allowing anyone with a minimum of three years of work experience in any field to enter the country’s space program, reports Bloomberg. The agency has also relaxed height requirements and announced plans to launch a campaign to encourage more women to embark on careers in space. Japan does not have any female astronauts, and female astronauts are in short supply at NASA and the European Space Agency as well.