The Idea

Every 15 minutes, Global Webb Press ingests hundreds of news headlines from sources around the world. The Webb reads that stream and asks a simple question: what is the world feeling right now?

The answer comes back as a single number — the Webb Index — a mood signal, and a vintage moon face whose expression matches the moment. No editorializing. No opinion. Just the data.

The Webb Index

A number from 0 to 100. Lower means the world looks darker — more conflict, crisis, and volatility in the headlines. Higher means calmer, more stable, or positive news is leading the cycle.

The Trend

The arrow next to the index shows whether the mood is improving, worsening, or holding steady compared to the previous cycle.

The 12 Signals

The Webb resolves every cycle into one of twelve named mood states, each with its own face. Click any face to see the full profile and technical trigger conditions.

Breaking

Major event dominating all coverage

Crisis

High conflict, elevated volatility

Chaotic

Multiple simultaneous hot stories

Escalating

Situation worsening, trend falling

Negative

Predominantly dark headlines

Tense

Guarded, watchful, low-grade stress

Uncertain

Mixed signals, no clear direction

Stable

Calm, routine, low volatility

Quiet

Low activity, minimal churn

Positive Drift

Sentiment improving, cautious optimism

Optimistic

Broadly positive, low conflict

Polarized

High conflict and high positivity — divided

How It Works

1. News headlines are ingested from global sources every 15 minutes.
2. Each headline is classified by topic — conflict, disaster, crime, health, economy, politics, technology, or positive.
3. A sentiment score is calculated from the ratio of negative to positive topic hits across a rolling 120-minute window.
4. A volatility score measures what percentage of articles are brand new this cycle — a proxy for how fast the news is moving.
5. The two scores combine into the Webb Index (70% sentiment, 30% stability).
6. The index and volatility are cross-referenced to resolve the final signal — one of the twelve named states above.
7. The matching moon face updates in the sidebar. The cycle repeats in 15 minutes.