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.